Evening star., 1932-06-26


weight championship from
Max Schmeling. He performed
a real service to the German in
relieving him of the ourdenSome
worries which have been part and
parcel Of that crown ever since
he was tagged with the label,
"the first champion to win the
title sitting on the floor"
If Joe Jacobs, Schmeling's manager,
would only stop squawking for
moment and reascl things out, he
would find much to be grateful for
over the decision. He has the most
popular heavyweight in the world today
and one In greater demand than the
champion.
Schmeling is in a position to make
more money than ever before. He can
CAPITALIZE on the heated discussions
going on around the country, and were
he to start on tour tomorrow he would
draw 10 fans where he only drew one
as the champion.
A MOTHER point Mr.. Jacobs does not
A Inke lnUO COUSluCldlAOlA 10 tAAO AoSe
that his fighter is not limited TO
one contest a year. And if Schmel.ng
is to fulfill the promise he has shown,
he must fight oftener to gain the polish
and generalship he sorely needs. Then,
possibly. he could beat Sharkey beyond
any reasonable doubt.
Those who dispute the decision be-
cause Schmeling plodded in round after
round. while far from being aggressive,
fail to realize that fast lett hsnd
nullified any advantage that could be
gained by such tactics. Why Max was
sent in round after round, with instruc-
tions to stand straight up and jap IL
out with. his shrewder opponent, Is
something Jacobs will have to answer.
The reason Schmeling. considered the
superior hitter with the right hand,
did not inflict anything more serious
on Sharkey than a black eye IN ID
rounds was that he held his right INST
too high, to block jabs, and was in no
position to hit out. The few times
Max crashed through with right was
when he led with it. Then SharEey,
the master boxer, was thrown on ms
stride because he did not expect
Schmeling to do anything as crude as
leading with the right.
TTHE fight was good boxing match
l. Those who sat in to witness
slam-bang battle were shocked into
silence and wonderment as to What
was going to happen. No one had ex-
pscted Schmeling, the puncher, to swap
jabs with Sharkey, the boxer. Sharkey
scored effectively with short lett nooks
to the body. In the first three ROUNDS
he made Schmeling's knee lit as his
glove bounced off Max's tightly drawn
Stomach. Max kept his right poised
near his Jaw and took them without
irving with a straight right. After
that Sharkey raised his trajectory and
save for work inside did not hit the
body again for the remainder of the
fight. That is where Sharkey was at
fault. 1t may be that he had visions
of the blow which cost him the title
two years ago and played it safe by
keeping them up.
Schmeling's set plan of battle. At no
time did Max change. Had he aban-
doned his stand-up stance and chucked
in with both hands from weave, he
might have changed the entire course
of the fight and possibly forced Sharkey
to slug it out, so that his left 1abs
would not have piled up points as they
did.
THOSE who have been deluded into
L thinking Schrneling is great
puncher would do well to think 1t
over. Max had As minutes to prove
this and was unable to score the
semblance of a knockdown. 1t was
Sharkey and not Schmeling who came
blazing out of his corner for the final
chapter and slugged it out to clinch
the decision Sharkey won the de-
cision by the shade Of a black-eye and
he blasted the mythical Schmeling
punch. Not only that, the new cham
pion proved that he can control himself
over the distance and gave the lie to
those who had questioned his game
ness.
Schmeling, far frsm being relegated
to the rear should forget the title for
the time being and take his choice be
tween two men anxious to fight him
doughty Mickey Walker and Ernie
Schaaf
AS to Sharkey's future, he remains
the same question mark. There is no
doubt that he was out to clinch the title
and did not take any unnecessary
chances This made him appear far
less sparkling than he was two years
ago. But again it must be stated that
he is still the same old question marx,
and he may come back in 1888 to con-
found those who wrote his ring obituary
last TuesSay