Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1932-03-04

Only Total of Five Scraps
in Ten YearS-Next Bout
Slated in June.

"HIS years battle of the century
program is like a leaf out Of
some other century's log book.
The well ballyhooed trio o.
Max Schmeling, Jack Sharkey and JACK
Dempsey has a record Of five fights ir
10 years.
Dempsey says he will fight the win
ner of the June bout between Schmel-
ing and Sharkey. That would be next
Fall. When September rolls around
Dempsey can look back on a record OF
two fights in the last six years-ano
five years since the last one.
In June-when he meets Sharkey-
Schmeling can look back on a record OF
having had one fight in two years
And Sharkey-the busiest bee of the
three-will have a record Of two fights
In two years.
Naturally these idle gladiators have
gathered considerable ring rust, de
spite what ballyhoo may claim roT
them.
A FTER his first defeat at the hands
"A of Tunney, Dempsey trained for q
comeback, meeting and beating
Jack Sharkey in seven rounds and then
getting a return go with the champion,
which went 10 rounds in Chicago, with
Tunney keeping the title.
That last appearance of Dempsey was
In September of 1927. Since then his
only ring appearances have been in his
exhibitions of the last few months.
In June of 1927, Jack Sharkey had
his big chance, bout with Dempsey.
The winner was to get a match with
Tunney. Sharkey was winning when
he dropped his hands and claimed a
foul, Dempsey putting over a hay
maker
After Tunney's retirement Sharkey
again was in the limelight and finally
was matched with Schmeling, the win
ner to be recognized as the champion.
Sharkey again was winning, but this
time he was charged with the foul and
the German took the title.
Since that day. June IL, 1880, Sharkey
has met Camera and Walker. He won
rather handily over the giant, but was
a disappointment in a draw battle with
Walker.
CCHMELING won on foul, and a
- questionable one at that, and SO he
promised that he would give Sharkey
q return bout that Fall-in September
1880. But he didn't. He returned to
Germany and remained there until last
Winter, when he came back and tried
to rake in the dollars on an exhibition
tour
The exhibition tour was flop and in
stead of signing to meet Sharkey he
signed to meet Stribling. The bout
didn't draw, though Schmeling did make
a rather impressive fight in the title
defense.
Again there was a demand for a
Schmeling Sharkey match, but the
champion paid no heed. Returning to
America q few weeks ago, he and his
manager attempted to bull the market
again and arrange a fight with Mickey
Walker. This bout looked so unattrac-
tive that the promoters called 1t of
before the contracts were signed
In desperation Schmeling then called
for pen and ink while he signed for a
Sharkey match.
DEMPSEY has been inactive because
- he had no idea of trying a come
back until few months back
Schmeling has been inactive because
he and his manager believed they could
rake in the championship dollars with
out serious risk of the title.
Sharkey has been inactive because
he insisted on fighting Schmeling or nc
one
But regardless of the reasons, the
ring rust has gathered and the three
leading men of the heavyweight show
certainly haven't added to their col
iective ability in the meantime.
Schmeling is perhaps the least affect
ed by the long months of idleness. He
Is the youngster of the trio.
1t is hard to convince veteran ring
observers that Dempsey can come back
at his age. and after years of fight rust
successfully cope with younger men.
And Sharkeys chance is not held as
good as the one that was before him
the first time he met the German.