Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-06-14
NOT IN SHARKEY'S
CLASS THIS YEAR.
Benny Leonard Sees Chance
for Young German to
Become Real Champ.
BY BENNY LEONARD,
Retired Undefested Lightweight Champion
OF the World.


n EW YORK, June 14.-Max
M Schmeling. foul-crowned
heavyweight champion OF
the world, should fight
Jack Sharkey a return match in
September of this year and prove
to the. world he is a real cham
pion.
But this fight viii not be held. Joe
Jacobs declared to me that Max will
not fight again in America until one
year from now Schmeling, himself
bright chap. knows now. after being IT.
the ring with Sharkey for four rounds,
that he would have little chance TO
retain the crown in a return bout this
year.
This being the case, what is the Situ-
alton now in the heavyweight class?
title? Who will be Schmeling's next
opponent, and what chance will such
challenger have with the German?
Let's see. Phil Scott is out of the
running, according to Joe Jacobs, but
very much in the running. according to
Jimmy Johnston. Joe says Scott Is no
card, but I personally believe that in
view of the ending of the Sharkey-
Schmeling fight opinion in Europe will
veer strongly toward Scott as a logical
opponent for Max.
Manager Picks Foes.
Schmeling is going to tour Europe.
He will defend his title there against
the opponents selected-or maybe picked
is better worldly Joe Jacobs for
him. In each battle, Joe tells me, the
title always will be at stake.
Over here the situation is this: Max
must fight in New York under the d.
rection of Madison Square Garden. He
already is signed I have it on good
authority to fight for the next Milk
Fund show in New York. So somebody
must be built up" for him.
There will be stories to the effect
that Jack Dempsey will return to the
ring to try to wrest the title from
Schmeling. Also that Gene Tunney
will grid on his fighting armor and
come back. I will place no credence
in such stories. Both Tunney and
Dempsey are irrevocably out of the pic
ture, in my opinion. I mean so far as
coming back to make any attempt to
regain the title is concerned.
Camera a Threat.
1t rests with the newer material now.
This fellow Camera, for instance,
barred and all that, I'll admit, looms
up rather threateningly. Young Strib-
ling? Maybe. Campolo? Perhaps.
Buddy Howard may some day get the
spark he needs; Marty Fox, a clever but
light fellow; Ralph Ficucello, former
amateur, who appears to have a future:
Won Porat, or even some fellow today
unknown and unregarded may be the
one to climb his way to such fame and
reputation as to warrant a match with
Schmeling. Ernie Schaaf must be con-
sidered, also. TufTy Griffiths, too, Is
young enough and may develop.
Godfrey 1 would place with the
others, like Risko, Pauline. Heeney, etc.
They're either through, or on the to-
boggan, or will be by the time Schmel-
ing will be forced to consider their
challenges. Remember, there's at least
one whole year that must pass before
Schmeling will fight here again.
Then, it may be that some chap
abroad might develop and take Herr
Schmeling. Pierre Charles is a dam
gerous type for fellow of Something's
style.
OF course, as I said at the beginning,
the one big logical opponent for
Schmeling is Sharkey in a return
match. Joe Jacobs tells me he will
consider this when the time comes"
which means in another year. In this
believe Schmeling will learn a lot in
this year-if he keeps fighting and
studying. He is apt and he can learn.
He needs to.
Sharkey Is Lauded.
suppose I should be writing all
about the new champion. yet somehow
1 cannot refrain from telling how great
a fighter Sharkey was, even though he
tifully, was calm and cool at all times;
in fact, think Jack was too cool for
his own good in that third round, after
he had pumped those staggering blows
to Schmeling's head and face. He had
Max on the verge of a knockout and
then stepped back and boxed cautious
ly instead of tearing in and finishing
his man.
I guess that was his desire, yet he
kept thinking:
IF I do that they'll say Sharkey has
lost his head again. Why should I go
in and swap punches with this fellow
when I've got him so well in hand and
am winning so surely and steadily. I'll
just beat him down and stop him de-
liberately"
I think Sharkey put up the greatest
fight of his career. Such good Judges
as Mickey Walker and Jim Corbett,
with whom 1 talked after the night,
agreed with me that Schmeling was
outclassed and that 1t was only mat
ter of time when he would be beaten
down.
I cannot see how Max could have
won this fight by any other way than
foul. which was purely accidental, as 1t
happened, for Sharkey let his punch
fly right into the midsection as Schmel-
ing jumped up a bit. Had Schmeling
not hoped up a bit on his toes, the
blow would have landed fair.
However, 1t happened, so that's that.
Although Max is a foreigner and holds
the heavyweight title. those of you who
wanted to see the title remain in this
country can ease your minds with the
thought that Max Schmeling is a per-
feet gentleman, a splendid chap, game,
and I look for him to develop in the
next year into a fighter who will wear
the title gracefully. I wish him good
luck.
(Copyrisht, 1890. by North American News
paper Alliance)