Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-02-22
Jack, BILL Printing
KEENLY FOR CLASH
Boxers Efforts Overlooked
as Financial BaIIyhoo
( Commands Interest.
BY EDWARD ]. NEIL,
Associated Press Sports Writer.

n A 1AMI BEACE, Fla, February
IN n 22.-Circurlstances and the
N breaks of the game seem to be
4 i working hand in hand to leave
none but the echoes of the
ballyhoo thunder for two young heavy
weights who will swap punches in the
center Of Flamingo Park next Wednes-
day night.
In all probability there never has been
another major heavyweight battle in
modern fistic history where the train
ing efforts of two such principals as
Boston Jack Sharkey and Young
Striblins, Georgia's smuggling pride, were
lost so completely in the picturesque
scenery of the battle-ground or SO over
Swallowed by the personalities of such
figures as Jack Dempsey and Doughty
Bill Carey. Certainly no other pair of
fighters ever had to contend for pub
licity with such problem as was left
the Madison Square Garden Corpora
ton at the death of Tex Richard.
Yet the young contenderS for the
heavyweight mantle Gene Tunney threw
aside have worked along steadily in the
shadow of arguments over referees and
rules, lost amid the logged perseverance
that has built the fight from almost
certain failure to an assured success.
And all this despite the fact that beth
Sharkey and Stribling promise some
thing out of ordinary for their partisans
on the night OF February 81.
A New Sharkey.
The Sharkey of today is something
Northern fans have not seen for more
than three years. He has shaved his
weight down to the figure of his first
commanding victories, the conuuests of
the Negroes George Godfrey and Harry
Wills more than three years ago The
Boston sailor. burned rudy red by
constant exposure to the sun, scaled
only 1877 pounds after his latest work.
out and promises to enter the ring under
1911, his weight for the sensational
Knockout of Jimmy Maloney two years
ego.
In appearance, too. Sharkey has
changed. His waist is slim and trim
and movements 1.-the and eager, and
every movement denotes absolute conf
dence in the outcome of the battle of
the Everglades. The cockiness and
braggadoccio of the man who all but
knocked out Dempsey in the first round
OF their struggle has given way to the
calmness and self-restraint that seems
to follow financial success in fisticuffs.
Within thl ring Sharkev has changed
his style in several ways. Ever since the
knockout Of Maloney, the sailormar
has set premium on punching power.
He came down from his toes, moved
slowly and fiat-footedly, and sought to
blast opponents from the ring with
right-hand punches bolstered by heavy
grunts. The style was successful against
Dempsey for two rounds, but ended
with his knockout in the seventh. 1t
failed to remove Johnny Risko and
Tom Heeney from his path.
To-day Sharkey is back to the clever
style of fighting, the clean, accurate, but
not oserheary punching that wore down
his first major opponents. He invites
his sparring partners to corner him on
the ropes. where he practices weaving
and rolling with punches. In the center
OF the training ring, Sharkey boxes on
his toes, flashing sharp left-hand and
right-hand punches that dart to the
head or boom heavily into the body.
Stfibiing Changes Style.
Stribling, too, seems to have changed
his style. The Georgian still dotes on
close work., where the left hand is
caught In a clinch with the right free
TO slug overland to the head and UNI
uerhand to the body, but he has dis
carded almost entirely his famous rush
ing attack to close quarters.
wv. L." practices feinting with his
head and body as he stands in the
center of the ring. Holding the left
hand low for hooks to the body,
Stribling at the same time is free to
whip right-hand counters over his
sparring partners leads, He seems to
be placing his hopes for victory on
that body punch which has dropped
low many times in training, and sharp,
overland rights to the Jaw. Stribling,
also Is in perfect condition, though
somewhat thin and fine. He scales
about 1873 pounds.
Sharkey, who entered into a new
contract with his manager, Johnny
Buckley, yesterday for one year, with
the option of second, took rest today
and left the training fields entirely to
Etribling.