The Washington times., 1929-02-25
IN TEREST
IN FIGHT
IS KEEN
Rx JAMES [. K1LGALLEN

By JAMES L. KILGALLEN
MIAMI BEACH, Feb 25.-speciaI
trains bearing crowds of fight fans
eager. TO sit in at the Sharkey-
Etribling spectacle at Flamingo
Park Arena Wednesday night be.
gan rolling into Miami Beach to.
day, imparting a carnival aspect
to this winter playground. More
"specials" are due tomorrow.
Every hotel lobby and public
Rathering place was thronged with
visitors avidly discussing the merits
and demerits of Young Stribling,
of Macon, Ca, pride of the Mason
Dixon States, and Jack Sharkey'
the slugging sailor from Boston.
Sectional interest has famed hlgh.
The North versus South feature OF
the impending battle has stimulated
betting to the point where many
sizable wagers were laih at even
money.
The social and financial sue
cess of the show is assured ac-.
cOrding to Jack Dempsey and
William F. Carey, the big rail.
road builder, who are jointly
staging this Battle of the Ever
rIades." Carey. said that $685.
GOO already has been taken in
at the box office and predicted
the "gate" would total between
$4,000 and SS8O,O0O.
Seats have been erected around
the arena for 5000 spectators. De-
mand for tickets is so heavy Carey
is contemplating putting up 1000
more seats. He insists that every
body will be accommodate ted
The fight will be broadcast over
q nationwide radio hook-up. This
was one of the eleventh-hour
changes and was made, Dempsey
and Carey, said, because OF an IN.
sistent demand from radio fans all
over the country.
Graham McNamee, nationally
known announcer, is en- route 10
Miami Beach to organize the corps
of broadcasters.
stribling has ended active. train
ing. he will not do any more poXlns
with his sparring partners. He Isl
ready TO make the fight or ms
career and predicted he will win by
Knockout. "Pa" Stribling, his
manager. is even more confident:
He noints to his sons record OF
iii l<nockouts. and declares that
Sharkev's name will be added to the
list.
Sharkey planned to continue
his workouts at the dog track
this afternoon as usual. he VIII
box at least four rounds. Tne
hitherto loquacious BOstOnlan IS
not predicting a knockout VIC
tory, but smiles significantly
whenever asked if he thinks ne
viii win. He fairly exudes con-
fidence and looked great in MS
workout Sunday afternoon.
Dempsey, whose magnetic person
atty was a big factor In turning
what looked like a flop INTO sue,
cess, witnessed Strlblng lIhai
workout at the Casino. He stood at
the ringside with a battalloh ,ol
Americas leading sports writer's. Al
least 1000 persons, who paid oV
cents admission, witnessed the ex-
hihition. too, Ma" Stribling vas
there, stop-watch in hand, calling
''tinle" at the end of each rouno'
The show was topped off by an aero.
hattie demonstration on the part of
"Pa" Stribling and w. l.. Strlphns'
the third, a four-year-oId baby.
Stribling looked better than n
.nv of his previous workouts. Kie
showed up especially we'll against
the experienced Martin Burke ~
New Orleans. The Georgian Id
after the workout that he felt IN
fine physical trim and denied
runior that he had injured his Mt
hand and strained shoulder muscle
while deep sea fishing last week.
Lou Magnolia. the referee, has
arrived from New York. ~He was
scheduled to meet late today with
Dempsey Carey and Colonel Bank
head, hea' of the local American
Legion post. under whose jurisdic'
ton the fight will be staged, and
discuss the rules for the figct.
There will be. no judges. The de-
cision will be 8, ely in Magnolia's 5
hands
the best referees in the country
usually gives spectacular per-
fOrmance. 80,
He walks around the ring win
his thumbs in an upright poSltloh
and snaps MS OfueIS Will
precision. He is a strict discipiinar-
ian. He has refereed many import
ant bouts, including the Tunney-
Greb, Mandell.McLarnln W1lls'Czcu
dun, sharkey.D Delaney, and Strlo
.Loughran fights.
Police preparations to handle the
crowds at the arena are almost com;
pleted. The National Guard wllI
provide $50 men to help ponce
the arena, the American Legion ana
the University of Miami will furnish
450 ushers. In addition. the regu-
lar working field force of Madison
SQUARE Garden will be on duty
Despite his denial, a rumor
general throughout the training
camp zone to the effect that Strib-
ling perhaps will enter the ring
against Sharkey Wednesday night
handicapped by an attack of neuritis
which had dulled the speed and the
power of his left arm.
Desperate mea sures,, the story
goes, are being taken by DIR. Cecil
b. Ferguson, a physician and
surgeon. and alsosa pupil OF Bone
setter" Reese to remedy the cnndi-
ton before battle time, but even
the optimistic repairer Of wounded
athletes does not hold out much
hnpA that he can parfept = rono pIefe