Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-02-28
HUB FIGHTER WINS
IN LAST 4 ROUNDS
Makes Body Attack Count
After Georgian Spends
Strength Early.
BY ALAN J. GOULD,
Associated Press Sports Editor.

AN 26.-The impetuous fling of
youth, it seems. isn't enough.
Il Young Stribling, idol Of the
South and a veteran of pugil-
ism despite his "a years, had its fin.
last night, but at the end of the glamor-
Gus melodrama of Miami Beach the
official decision went to Jack Sharkey,
the dour. chunky and hard-hitting
sailor from down East.
In l0-round match that was alter
nately fast and dull, hard fought and
close. but punctuated with few real mo-
ments Of throbbing excitement, Sharkey
overcame a big lead on points piled up
by Stribling in the first six rounds and
won with a strong finish throughout the
last four rounds.
The battering Bostonian had his hand
lifted aloft as the victor by Referee Lou
Magnolia Of New York, but his margin
of victory was thin and far from Gen.
vincing either to a majority Of the eX-
perts or to most of the crowd of 10000
that was packed in the picturesque set
ting of Flamingo Park.
Magnolia. sole arbiter of the battle,
did not hesitate to lift Sharkey'S hand,
nor did his score sheet, showing six
rounds for the Boston boxer, three for
Stribling and one even, leave room for
lany doubt in his mind. Ringside critics.
although widely at variance in their
opinions, were not far from unanimous
in agreement with the verdict.
The ma jority, in poll taken by the
Associated Press, credited Sharkey with
no more than single rounds margin.
But only about ! out Of every IL in the
critical group assembled around the ring
believed Stribling was entitled to VIC
tory or at least draw.
Stribling Spectacular.
Stribling, outweighed and outboxed
Hbut not outgamed. fought the more
spectacular fight. He furnished the one
big moment of drama in the fourth,
when he caught Sharkey flush on the
left temple with an overland right that
staggered the Boston sailor and made
his knees sag momentarily Then, as
at other times, however the gallant
Georgian was unable to follow up his
advantage.
Sharkey. in better fighting condition,
sWas woefully slow, ineffective and wild
hat times, but he fought the more bust
,nesslike fight. He won by the colorless
but nevertheless effective method OF
pounding StriblingS body until 1t was
sore. bruised and blotchy red. That
furnishing mode of attack slowly but
certainly took the steam from Strib-
nng'S own offensive, slowed up his
plunges and wore down his resistance
in bout that was filled with plenty of
pushing and pulling. tugging and hug
Eng.
Yet for all the closeness of the de-
cision. for all that Sharkey may yet
have to prove before he regains the top
rank he held more than two years ago
in the heavyweight scramble, the VIC
tory moves the Boston battler another
furlong along the comeback trail His
next opponent in the program leading
up to a possible comeback by Jack
Dempsey in the struggle for Gene Tun-
neys vacated throne probably will be
the rugged and iron-jawed Spaniard,
Pauline Uzcudun. who grinned last
night as he watched two of his rivals in
action and Haunted his challenge to the
winner.
Crowd Liked Fight.
For all the fight may have lacked in
spectacular elements or in the drama
that would have gone with knockout
lor decisive victory, it was nevertheless
apparently exciting to a crowd enjoying
sall the novelty Of the spectacle itself, its
tropical surroundings, its gathering of
Nne great and near-great and its teSti-
!lnony to the successful completion of
one of the most interesting sports VEN
lures of ali time
OF the crowd of some 10000, about
$4,000 contributed to an astonishing
sgate" estimated at $500, 900 for the VEN
ture that Tex Richard planned as
pig gamble and which his successors;
He'd by Jack Dempsey and big Bill"
Carey. saw through to success only
after many misgivings. Probably thou
sands in the crowd came to see how 1t
could be done, skeptical perhaps to the
last when the gates finally were closed
Eend sell-out announces.
1t was altogether, a great show in
0xft1{ nt 6n an Grt1f cn1f Nad in, he
lend only major item, the climax, but
mot the whole thing. For the famous
figures of sports, of business, politics
FAnd society, this spectacle was some
thing to see. For the thousands of
ordinary fans and pleasure seekers. it
was perhaps worth the price to pick
FDut the celebrities who filled the ring
side rows; to see Jack Dempsey. the
promoter, in his tuxedo; to note Johnny
Farrell. the golf king. or Babe Ruth,
Irene Castle Mclaughlin or Estelle Tay-
lor Dempsey, or the big chiefs Of bust
hess and finance.
Had Big Moments.
II the fight itself did not stir the emo
lions such as cid the last Dempsey
Tunney battle, for instance, it never
theless had its few big moments, its
contrast in the courageous battle of
youth against seasoned, rugged war
syior.
Stribling made the big gamble and
Nost. but the crowd applauded him for
1t. Naturally enough. the personal SYM
pathies Of most of those in the arena,
coming from the South, were with the
lGeorgian. but he had neither the Stam-
Ina nor the punching power TO sustain
ian offensive that UP until the last few
grounds gave him the chance to win.
= Stribling threw everything he had
into the first half of the fight When
his big bid for a knockout in the fourth
failed, he seemed TO lose spirit. After
the sixth he was tired youth, always
dangerous, but steadily being beaten
into submission by wearing, tearing
body attack
His fathcr-Manager Pa" Stribling-
asserted bis sons chances were dimmed
ate" TIE fourth round by q recurrence
of ncur,tiS in his left arm, frs brought
on by : rib injury o week before the
fight The StTibling left, na said, was
almcs. useless in the lSSt half of the
battle
\ The fight frequently was married by
too much clinching. holding and by
blows thu. were dangerously near tC
being foul Both boxers were warned
repeatedly by Magnolia, who ruled tht
ring with an iron hand and curt voice
Stribling particularly was cautioned FOL
landing his blows too low, and this
under the New York State rules tina
prevailed. counted against him. Their,
were no knockdowns, but Sharkey came
the closest to being on the floor, beinl
Wrestled to one knee in the first, be-
sides being staggered in the fourth.
0