Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-07-23
REFEREE BELIEVES
MICKEY HAS EDGE
One Judge Gives Verdict to
Cob, Other Is Impartial.
May Battle Again.
BY EDWARD J. NEIL,

K The Omclal decision says
II Jack Sharkey didn't lose,
but on lion-hearted little
Mickey Walker 1ightdom today
showers all the acclaim and
golden promises that go to a new
conner scaling the heavyweight
heights.
In the very heart of the heavy
weight picture is the rugged, grin
ming, battle SCARED face of the
chunky fellow from RumSon,
r.. j., welterweight and middle
weight title holder in his time,
now at least as good as Sharkey,
because two learned judges and
a referee compromised on a draw
after Is rounds of hurly-burly
battle in EbbetS Field last night.
Certainly Mickey turned In the most
surprising upset Of many a hstic sea-
son as he harassed the big sailor man
through the rough-and-tumble battle
that revealed Sharkey In another of his
disappointing struggles and gave q
crowd Of $4,000 o chance TO boo and
exult in his discontinue.
There was no questioning whom the
League ball yard thought had won, but
the arb!ters arrived at the compromise
decision by every possible route left
open to them.
Referee for Walker.
Referee Arthur Donovan, for instance,
thought the bulldog courage, the eternal
aggressiveness of the little fellow who
gave Sharkey an advantage Of 20
pounds, inches in height and reach, en-
titled Mickey to the decision. Judge
apparently on the basis Of his right
hand punching that gaShed Walkers
left eyelid In the nth round and opened
It wide In the closing session. Judge
Charles F. Mathison chose the middle
course and called It o draw, while the
Associated Press score sheet counted up
the same way, with seven rounds for
Walker, seven for Sharkey and one
even.
But, regardless of the futility Of the
decision, as futile as the battling itself,
honors for the evening swept into the
lap of Walker, the 169lz FOUNDER, who
dared tackle a Sharkey weighing 1882,
outbulled and outpunched him for 10
round; and slipped back only when the
embattled sailor rallied flercely to try
and save the day in the last four rounds.
the long right-hand punches he had
been tossing in desultory fashion all
evening, the short clubbing smashes in
close that opened wide the cash in
Mickey's left eyelid. Blood poured
down walkers cheek, smeared his fea-
lures into q red, grinning false face
and gave the erratic Sharkey the In
centive to come on and tie the count.
Sharkey plainly showed the effects
80 1ato ~ n than a
year since he lost his chance to win
the heavyweight title by fouling Max
Schmeling in the fourth round two
Junes ago. He boxed slowly, cautiously,
and looked ridiculous at times holding
on to the little fellow who hardly
came up to his chin.
Jack Misses Often.
He fought one Of his uninspired
battles, his expression rarely changing
from a bored, uninterested look. the
kind of warfare that cost him his
chance to meet Gene Tunney IN the
former champions valedictory and
challenge. Sharkey was ''winging"
right-hand punches through most CT
the early rounds, missing oftener than
he landed, content to let the little
man force the fight and win the hon
ors away from him. He explained
afterward that he hurt the knuckles
of his left hand in the first round and
could not hook with that hand there
after.
But regardless Of Sharkey's inena-
cheney and lack of spark, Walker
amazed the critics with his logged, mr.
ing tactics, his ability to take the big
sailors best punches when they did
land and the determined left-hand
seeking to the body that at times had
q lot to do with Sharkey's holding.
A l-to-3 shot in the betting. consid-
cred Sharkeys superior in nothing but
fighting heart and ability to take pun
ishnent. the tough little New Jersey
man forced the fight from the start.
He kept close to Sharkey, coming up
inside the sailors long arms to Whang
his left hook deep into Jacks BODY,
hook both hands to the chin and gayly
rebound from punishment that might
have slowed away less brave warrior.
Caught OF Balance.
Only once. until the blood began to
course freely down his face. was Mickey
in danger. Caught OF balance in the
fifth round, q right to the chin bounced
walker to the carpet, but he jumped
I'D Immediately, and there was no
count. A few seconds later another
right started the cut in the eyeno:
and Mickey was nurL, DuL nc WChCAASi GU
the round, fought his way back in the
sixth and was firing as Justify as ever
from then on until Sharkey made his
finishing squirt through the last four
rounds. In addition to the f1rst round,
where Sharkey outboxed Walker, the
NTH and sixth were the only rounds
Jack won up to the twelfth. The Sec
ond round vas even
Mickey made up for his bad NTH in
ming by staggering Sharkey IN the
eleventh. The sailor leaned back into
the ropes in a graceful gesture to avoid
Walkers punches, and before he could
get away Mickey was on him so f1ercely.
volleying both hands to the head and
body for clean hits, that Sharkey
wobbled as he pushed his way finally
to the center Of the ring. But aside
from the fifth and eleventh rounds and
Sharkey's closing squirt there was little
action that rose above the normal.
Three times, in the fifth, eighth and
fifteenth rounds, Sharkey was warned
either for low blows or butting. The
big crowd that paid 100000 to see the
show booed Sharkey roundly as Referee
Donovan called attention to the fouls.
The verdict, another severe blow to
the fading Sharkey prestige, may mean
q return bout between the pair or 1t
may lift Walker to such prominence
that he will get the title shot at
Sshmeling next June.
IT'D Enp EISHERMEN