Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-07-13
-SHARKEY
BOUT BIRD IN HAND
Fans SkepticaI When Jacobs.
Confuses Statements on
Max and Primo.
BY SPARROW McGANN.

N YEW YORK, July 13.-Some-
M where, somehow, some day
l Y the Madison Square Garden
Corporation expects to
show Max Schmeling against
Primo Camera in a 15-round
battle. The site and the date are
still to be worked out, but those
items are of little consequence, If
one believes the spokesman of the
Garden directorate and the man
ager of the worlds heavyweight
champion.
Several peculiar angles are to be
explained before the fans will take the
announcement as genuine. 1t will be
recalled that less than a week ago
Joe Jacobs, MaX'S manager, said that
he did not think Camera would be so
hot as box office attraction and
that the failure of Primos manager to
post a $4,000 forfeit abrogated the
agreement. Now Mr.. Jacobs comes for
ward and says it will not be necessary
for either party TO post the forfeit
money.
Camera All Set.
The Garden people nave posted $50
900 guaranteeing Camera match with
the champion. This means that unleS;
Schmeling is produced in the Fall the
giant Italian pockets the wad and the
Garden is the loser all around. 1t is
noticeable that neither principal to the
titular match has penny at stake.
If Schmeling decides to wait until 1882
to defend his crown he can do so, and
then Primo can sign for an important
match before the close Of the outdoor
season.
Meanwhile Jimmy Johnston is going
right ahead with his star attraction for
July %, when he will produce Jack
Sharkey and Mickey Walker in a IS
round battle. The winner of this con-
test has been promised a bout with
Tommy Loughran on August 81. This
gives Jimmy all the best of it in super
star heavyweight attractions for the
Summer.
Johnston has something up his sleeve
or he would not be chuckling so conf
IDENTIFY. One guess is that Schmeling
will decide to rest on his laurels for
the 1881 season and thus cancel the
Camera match. This would leave
Primo free to meet the winner of John
ston's two contests. And as the local
boxing commission refuses to recognize
Schmeling as the world heavyweight
champion. Johnston could officially, in
this State. hHi his late September at
traction as a world titular affair. Jimmy
| certainly knows his way around.
Johnston has been thorn in the
| side of the Madison Square Garden
crowd from the day the late Tex Rick
| ard made his debut on the metropoli-
| tan circuit. Jimmy made the matches
at the old Garden long before Richard
had any idea of invading the East.
When Tex set us his standard in the
! big city Johnston. one of the old
clique of boxing managers and promo
| tiers, resented the intrusion. Up to that
time there was saying that New
YaWk is for New Yawkers" and it was
pretty nearly so. When Jack Kearns
first came East with Jack Dempsey to
appear in an exhibition bout during the
| war. only the diplomatic counsel Of
| Paddy Mullins prevented a concerted
! attack of disgruntled managers on the
! dapper Kearns.
! Richard outsmarted the clique by APP
! pointing Leo P Flynn as his match
maker and then things began to hum
Fighters were paid more than they
had ever received before and some great
| fighters were produced. While the old
clique began to fade out. several of the
more stubborn ones held their ground
and fought Richard right to the end.
Indoor shows with a limited attend
ance were not to the liking of Rlckard.
His idea of good time was TO get two
big fellows in an outdoor ring and
charge as much as the tariff could
bear. And Tex returned large dividends
to the stockholders.
Blocked Each Other.
Johnston came mighty close to crimp-
ing Richards style in the Summer of
1924 when he tied up both the Yankee
Stadium and the Polo Grounds With
out a suitable outdoor arena Tex looked
to be beaten But the shrewd cow
puncher-gambier had an ace in the
hole. He made it understood that any
boxer performing under the Johnstonian
banner would be banned from Garden
shows in the Winter and as result
Jimmy was unable to corral any of the
f1stic lights. A compromise was eff
fected and Richard came out on top.
Tex Richard is gone. So is the
feverish interest in the boxing game
along with the million dollar gate. The
Garden crowd is undoubtedly annoyed
by JohnSton's activities. but it will be
a different story during the Winter
The Garden has the magnificent house
that Tex built. Johnston has nowhere
to go. The betting is that some big
fellows will crawl into a hole and pull
it in after them during the cold months,
while those who were faithful to the
Garden will be well taken care of.
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