The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1931-04-29
L ALKING
IT OVER
by JOE WILLIAMS

IN Primo OF the Cameras has
been given one Of those Tammany
immunity baths and now stands out
magically transformed from hi
larious hippodromer to a challenger
for the world heavyweight cham
pionship. NO kidding. this isn't
Peter Rabbit talking-it's The
straight dope. The Malarkey, no
less.)
On June 10 the italian large guy meets
Jack sharkey IN 15-rounder over IN
Eb5ets field. otherwise known as the house
Of mirth and the home Of Uncle Robbies
delightful baseball clowns.
With practically no show Of levity. the
New York boxing commission has an
.uouneed that the winner will be recognized
as the champion heavyweight OF all the
worlds. including Of course a few Of the
better regulate underworlds.
It Is to be hoped that no one will take
this official designation seriously. The
winner may be the world champion 70 Mr..
James Farley and his two distinguished
associates but to everybody else. the win
ner Will. or should be. Just another prize
Fighter. who never forgets TO call up his
sweet old mother after leaving the arena.
mean how can you become a world
champion by beating a fellow like Car
nera? And to make it more involved how
can Camera become world cham
pion by beating q Sharkey2
You see. there are two or three delicate
considerations involved. To begin with,
Camera never has whipped a real fighter
AS matter Of fact he has been in very
few real fights. Mostly his opponents
we're tossed in the ring with instructions
to make it short but not very snappy.
y n
IN competitive Importance and
l. significance, it would seem to
rank on par with a victory over
the Red Sox. AS a spectacle, how
ever, I have notion that it will not
be altogether boring. The Primo has
a certain presence in the ring.
There's something about him that
commands your interest. You know
he can't hit but the immensely of
the man and the picture of power
he presents makes you feel that
maybe in some way, one of his huge
fists viii explode and the man in
front of him will instantly dissolve
into a cloud of minute particles.
Also this viii be the first time the Primo
has stepped out against a hitter who will
hit. imagine it is safe enough to assume
that this one will be on the level. and that
when the punches are thrown they will be
thrown with bohndless authority.
So II 1t does nothing else the fight will
show you what happens when a pretty
good sharp shooter starts pegging away
at that large. oyer-hanging chin Of the
Primo. Up to date nobody has made
much OF an impression on him with fists
but as say not all the boys were trying.
TITO get back to the commission
i and it's designation of the
fight as a world-championship. Aside
from the false artistic evaluation,
the commission action gives the
program a box Office Importance
that 1t would not have scheduled |
simply as a prize fight between a !
couple Of healthy young gents with |
an aversion for honest toll.
Automatically the commission takes the |
fight out of the $40 class Tor maybe $3.50
is closer, and makes it $25 buy. This |
makes it nice for the promoter and the |
fighters and the fighters managers You |
can figure out for yourself where old Gus
H. Fan comes in. Correct. He comes in
for an enthusiastic kick in the pants back |
sides
1t isn't difficult to trace the commits |
sion's unusual enthusiasm for this fight. |
or explain the inconsistency Of its |
attitude toward the Primo's moral status. |
Madison Square Garden outraged the COM
missions dignity by recognizing Max |
Schnleling as the champion-and worse
still. continuing to deal with him-after |
the commission had ruled that the Ger
man was no longer the champion.
Consider now the interesting sequence
Of events that followed. Sharkey was &C
cepted as the commissions defending |
champion" though it was never explained |
by what peculiar process he was to de-
fend something he did not possess.
The Primo. suspended in New York. be.
cause he had been suspended in California. /
was reinststed. despite the fact that the |
California ban still remains in effect.
Mr. James J. johnson. fine. deserving |
Tammany man, and fearless foe of red |
Russia. re-enters the field as a promoter
BY a remarkable coincidence. Johnston |
visits the commission and begs the right |
TO match Sharkey and Camera. Sure.
and call it a world championship too" he |
IS told