Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-07-20
WIN OR LOSE, JACK
DUE TO Be SCORED
Risking Much, With Nothing
to Gain, In Scrap With
Lighter Rival.
BY SPARROW McGANN.

IN Sharkey Is regarded by
/ Y many fight critics as the
best heavyweight in the
world. The big fellow faces the
hardest test in his career when he
tackles little Mickey Walker in q
15-round contest next Wednesday
evening at Ebbets Field, Brooklyn.
Jack has nothing to gain and
everything to lose in tackling the
Betsytown Terrier, for no matter
how the fight goes he will be the
butt of sharp criticism in many
quarters.
Should Jack end the fight in Jig time,
he will be roundly abused for picking
on a little fellow. II the fight goes
into the tenth round, the "I-told-you-
SO" post morten experts will be certain
TO say that it took a little fellow, with
a 25-pound handicap, to show up
Sharkey in his true colors. And should
Mickey win, by a knockout or other
wise, Jack will have to pull down the
shades of his Newton mansion and live
In seclusion for the rest of his natural
life.
Cannot Afford TO Lose
Thoughts like these are bound TO
have a decided effect on the work Of
the American champion. Jack simply
cannot afford to lose and with Jack
KearnS' face leering at him from the
opposite corner, Sharkey may be count
ed on to make the sort of fight he made
against Jimmy Maloney and Tommy
Loughran.
Che rlya,, no. 81 - Rte karf 40ht~
against men he thoroughly disliked. He
got a real peeve on Maloney because Of
the sarcastic comments of the latter's
admirers. Fresh from brilliant VIC
tory over Jack Delaney, Maloney was
tossed into the pit with Sharkey and
the way the latter fought was q revela-
ton. Maloney succumbed in the fifth
round and thereafter was through as q
contender for the title.
Loughran riled Sharkey by belittling
his efforts and stating that he would be
an easy mark. Well, Philadelphia
Tommy failed to last three rounds with
Sharkey.
Walker has been in strict training for
the past month. 1t Is doubtful
whether Mickey ever trained as long or
as hard for any other match, even
though he has held two worlds titles.
The question arises whether all this
WOIA ID SOIIlS " 4lSlp LLlc OOQSIGy IltllS
battler. Mickey has burned UP plenty
of energy during the IL years he has
been in the ring. He has had his fling
in the bright lights and has not lived
according to the rules for an athlete.
Four weeks work is not going to make
up for these 1apSeS, and this observer
for one thinks long siege of Training
is more harmful than beneficial. Mod
Grafton in exercise has done more for
oh e.
ing persists that Walker would give a
better account of himself Wednesday
night had he not trained so hard.
There are many instances on record
where too much work has been detri-
mental to a fighter. One has only to
cite the Furnishing ordeal Jack Demp-
sey. went through before his second
fight with Gene Tunney.
Jack Always in Trim.
Sharkey is a family man. He is al
way in good shape and his transgres-
sions consist of sitting up late listening
to the radio or in company with friends
at a night club. Not that Jack fits in
with the night-club crowd He is fond
of glass of beer, but that is the limit.
1t is worth noting that Broadway IL
pulling for Mickey Walker to win.
In training Walker looks like sure
thing. He has been battering big fell
lows from pillar to post, while Sharkey
looks slow and uncertain in his move
ments. Walker. the fighter. and Shar-
key, the boxer, figure to look that way.
Mickey plunges in with both fists fly-
ing, and were he to do otherwise he
would appear to be loa6ng.
Sharkey has been accused OF taking
his opponent too cheaply. The idea
that man can fit himself for a fight
in 10 days is all wrong. But one must
consider that Jack put in some hard
ticks for the Camera fight, which never
came OF, and he is not as bad as his
training shows him to be.
Form has been cited to pre-judge q
boxing contest. The upset Max Schme-
ling scored over young Stribling is still
fresh in the minds of those who liked
the Georgian's chances. 1t was an awful
jolt to form players. Should Walker
win over Sharkey, there will be but one
thing to do-throw record books over
board and pick your winner by plucking
the petals of a daisy and saying,
Mickey will. Mickey won't"