Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-07-08
leo WITH SHARKEY
OFFERS REAL TEST
Mickey May Regain Favor il
He Gives Away Twenty
,i.- Pounds and Wins. T..
BY SPARROW NfcGANN.

n YEW YORK. July SACK
M Sharkey will risk his Amer
/ Y lean heavyweight title and
whatever claim he has to
world honors when he meets
Mickey Walker in a l5-round bout
here. on July %.
Except that the field is short
Of top-flight heavy to mingle
with Sharkey. there is no reason
for the insertion of Mickey Walker
as a contender for the heavy
weight title.
Mickey may be the great fighter he
Is cracked up to be. He has turned
in some sparkling performances. But
when a tighter wins title on a ques-
tionable decision, goes back on his con-
tract to give the loser q return en-
twice In nearly five years, there is grave
doubt about the fighters greatness.
Two Fights Since 1926.
Walker won the middleweight title
from Tiger Flowers on December 8,
1925. and successfully defended IL
against Ace Hudkins on October 8. 1929
Mickey went over to England and
knocked out Tommy Milligan, and that
Is about as close as any Of the boys
nave approached to the throne room.
On two occasions Mickey attempted
to 60 out of his class for higher honors.
As welterweight champion he ran q
poor second to Harry Greb, who held
the 160-pound title. His work against
Tommy Loughran, then leader OF the
light-heavies, was far better and led
manyA to believe Mickey could step out
and give the big fellows plenty Of
trouble. Mickey was the victim Of
very close decision, but aside from that
fight he has done nothing Of any conse-
quence, unless you consider his vic
ski. K. o. Christner and Bearcat Wright
mean anything.
Forces Big Job.
Walker Is chewing on q big piece
of venison in tackling Sharkey. The
latter Is without a doubt one of the
fastest big men to come up in some
time. Mickey argues that he will have
Jack at q disadvantage. as the latter
will be punching down at him while he
gets in hard ticks to the body. But
WA0I Will OdCA UE uOlIk as N0IChCy
bores In? Sharkey Is not o stand-up
fighter. He can weave from side to
side, and weaver is q poor target for
. tearins-in battler.
One OF Walkers faults, and the one
that has held him back from doing big
things, is his tendency to play around
instead OF strictly attending to bust
ness. The BeSytown terror has had
more than his share Of domestic
troubles and this has not helped him
Several months ago Mickey was told
boxing commission in order to match
him with Sharkey. and it is to his
credit that he buckled down to do some
hard training. This is the chance of
q lifetime and II Walker expects to give
away at least 20 pounds to q big. strong
fellow, he viii have to be in shape to
take some mighty tough ticks until the
difference in weight is overcome by
steady drumfire to the body.
Hoped 10 Meet SchmelinE.
Sharkey has been In light training
ever since his disheartening loss to
Max Schmeling in June. 1880. He had
hopes of meeting Schmeling later in
the Fall and again this year. The
matches did not materialiZe and he set
sail after Primo Camera. This bout
was wrecked en- the shoals OF Federal
Court decision and to make up for lost
time Jack gladly accepted the Walker
assignment.
At the present writing there is no
likelihood of Sharkey being drafted
for a worlds titular match and so far
as the fight game is concerned. Jack is
about ready to hang up his gloves and
retire. But the idea that he will drop
decision to Walker because he does
not care for the game any more is
ridiculous.
There will not be any pre-arrange-
ment when the BoStonian enters the
ring. II Walker is good enough to spot
the sailor 40 pounds and beat him. 1t
will only be because Mickey is the bet
ter man and deserves to be ranked
among the immortals of the ring who
have won three world titles.s
(CnnYriahf 1871