The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1931-06-10
TALKING
IT OVER
by JOE WILLIAMS

IN I should say the most popular
fighter in the business today is
Jimmy McLarnin, the 23-year- odd
Irisher who was born in Dublin,
reared in Vancouver, and turned
loose to browse among the belig-
erent caulifiowers in California.
Certainly he is aces With the customers
around here. They can throw him IN
the Garden ring with Jake the Plumber
end pack the piace--and don't let any
body tell you II isn't a trick to pack the
Garden or any other legalized abattoir
these days.
I bumped into the Young man and his
manager. old Pop Foster. in downtown
restaurant Tuesday It was the hrst time
I had had an opportunity to sit down and
buzz with them informally They make
strange combination in this day Of gang
controlled fighters and garish FASHION
plates. McLarnin looks like choir boy
Old Pop. IN appearance. suggests pen
stoned railroad brakeman.
They live simply. and operate simply
There isn't much Of what Broadway cans
class about either OF them. They say the
Young man still buys his suits OF the
rack end that old Pop wells murder when
he has to pay more than s1.25 for shirt.
Maybe that's why McLarnin already is the
richest welterweight in the history OF
fighting. His bank roll isn't far from the
half million mark.
The fighter and the old gent have been
together great number Of years. l think
he's . sort of foster father. As a youth
the old gent dabbled around in the night
business himself as trainer and handler
It was at his suggestion that McLarnin
went into the game professionally. al
though the chances are he would have
done 50 sooner or later.
NE'LARNIN was born to be a
IVA fighter. He comes from a poor
family. Numerically it represents
thirteen. With 50 many mouths 10
feed there was little money left to
spend on presents.
But one day. the head Of the household
came home with set of boxing gloves
and handed them to Jimmy. He promptly
threw them over his shoulder. left the
house and went out paging trouble.
II went down to the corner store and
me. a friend OF mine named Andrews. l
told him We we're going to have fight.
we did. knocked him out with
punch. hadn't dreamed you could do
a thing Ike that with the gloves. was
thrilled at the discovery. so l walked
down to the next block and challenged
another friend of mine. His name was
Wallace. we put on the gloves ana then
I made another discovery. 1t wasn't
~
ears of. I gov my gloves together and
ran home. The next day decldeo
would probably make a better shortstop
than a fighter."
McLarnin and old Pop launched their
careers in California. 1t wasn't so easy
1T the time. Old Pop tried to get the
Young man four~round fight IN san
Francisco. The promoter took one look
at McLarnin and laughed. what are
you irving to do-get ME Jailed? Take
that baby face home and put him pack
in the buggy" And thus was born the
incongruous ring monicker on which NC
Larnin was to ride to fame and wealth.
Those we're lean days for the McLarnin-
Foster combination. They lived together
in one room in a cheap rooming house.
To help keep expenses down old Pop would
I'D row boat and McLarnin would pull the
oars. Back ON land. old Pop would do
the cooking. But all the while he would
be telling McLarnin about the wonderful
days that we're to come And, my boy.
youll lick them all. every blessed one OF
them"
0LD POP was a better prophet
~ than he knew. The quiet spoken
young man who looks out at you
with eyes of childish credulity and
whose iron knuckles bulge with muir
derous power, has gone on to write
some Of the most spectacular chap
ters in the modern history Of fight
ing. In the beginning a marvellous
boxer with binding speed, he
changed over in recent years to be-
come the hardest hitter, pound for
pound, in the game.
McLarnin became my favorite fighter
the night he climbed out OF the resin
after being flattened twice in the fourth
round by Billy Petrolle. That was one of
the most dramatic rounds anybody ever
saw anywhere. Twice he was down for
long enough for a single count In this
round he was twice on the threshold of
O knockout.
He gave Z stirring exhibition of courage.
A right hand punch in the first round
that brought the blood gushing placed him
under a severe handicap from which he
never recovered. The knockdowns didn't
help any either. Between the eighth and
ninth rounds, with the eye wound bleed
ing worse, referee Patsy Haley wanted to
stop the fight
Haley walked over to McLarnin and
said; IF you're too bunged up, I'll stop
It now"
Please, don't. Mr.. Haley" begged Nc
Larnin. Give me a chance"
There was nothing wrong with the Nc
La-nin heart that night. AS long as he
could stand, he figured he had chance
And after the fight It developed he had
broken his hand in two places.
|