The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1930-07-31
Talking
IT OVER
By JOE WILLIAMS

NEW YORK, July 31.-Mr.
= y James Bowie Bronson was
around today jsbbering of fights
and fighters. Don't 60 wrong on
this Stribling fellow. He'll beat
Sharkey or Schmeling or any Of
those big guys. He's finally arrived,
and I think he's the best heavy
weight in the game bar none.
This would seem 70 make IL unanimous.
Practically over night the dark-haired
Georgian has moved himself into the
heavyweight king row. He knocked out
Won Porat and followed By hatteninK
Soott. on hand wouldn't say be has
done a great deal. Both Won Porzt and
Scott are strictly second rzters. But mot
many Of the boys have been going around
bouncing them on their hips in one or two
rounds.
Possibly one reason the customers seem
eager 20 acclaim Stribiing In spite OF his
by orer5 Change from the shsrkey and
schmelings and the so forths.
bronson got to iabbering about
ID young Al Lassman, the great
football player who was drowned in
Maine three weeks ago. Lassman
had planned TO become a profess
sional prize fighter and it had been
agreed that Bronson would manage
him. An injury in football game
paralyzed the athletes left arm and
he had to abandon his ring ambi-
tons.
Tin confident Izssman would have made
= wonderful heavyweight IL he had lived
and that within a very short time you fell
lows would have been comparing him With
Tunney and Dempsey. lie had everything,
plus a tremendous enthusiasm for the
game. strange thing about Lassmsn's
death Is that he was drowned at almost
the same spot where he and I had sat In
a canoe a couple OF years ago and planned
ais future as a fighter.
n
1T was at night. too; around midnight.
about the same time the nevspaper as as
patches hxed as the hour OF his death. NO
ictionist could have conceived more
ironical setting or astonishing coincidence.
n =
ever since I read about the drowning
I've been wondering just why the fates
Iured this younEster out TO the very spot
where he FIRST laid his plans to become a
champion and then snuTed his life out"
=
bronson, as is well known,
ID helped to handle Tunney for
his three championship fights and
sooner or later he always shifts the
conversation around to the retired
battler. "Of course. Gene would
have been a sucker not to quit when
he did, considering the happy cir
cumstances he was in, but in doing
so he cut short fighting career
that would have led to many more
remarkable chapters.
n
"sav. he was just beginning TO Eet good
when be quit. and I'm not trying to hand
Won a line. To be sure. he was no novice
in either Of the Dempsey fights but he
did not reach his best form until he faced
Heeney. He vas suberb that night, and
he stiII wasn't at his peak.
I believe Tunney could have gone along
and held the title for at least 1ve more
wears II he had STAYED in the game. ne
had matured late as II was and he was
not the type that would have taken things
easy or shiTked training.
q
since he stepped down you have had
sharkey, schmelinE and Scott as foremost
rontenders. think he would have stopped
Sharkey in FIVE rounds. In any event he
would have punched his ears OF. Sehmel-
inK wouldn't have laid a glove on him
and poor old Philip Scott would have been
cutstsbbed from the first gong.
And now you've got StriblnE as the
stand out Heavyweight and though I'm
hirh on StriblinE and like him plenty as
4 firhter ! simply can't see him IN the
same ring with the Tunney that punched
Dempsey all around the ring and MADE
mockerv out Of Heeney.'