Evening star., 1932-08-23
HARDLY APPEARED
IN LINE FOR BOUT
However, He Is Pretty Sure
to Do WeII-Risko Has
Tough Breaks.
BY SPARROW McGANN.

M Mickey Walker can thank
/ Y his lucky stars he has a
manager by the name of
Jack KearnS or he would be on
the outside looking in instead of
inside, cutting up a fat wad of
dough.
When Jimmy Johnston's so-called
heavyweight elimination tourney petered
out, Walker, who was not entered, was
declared the winner and nominated to
fight Max Schmeling next month. The
victor will most likely face Champion
Jack Sharkey next June and the So
called tournaments will be labeled what
they area ballyhoo to attract gullible
fight fans.
Walker will make a good fight against
Schmeling. There is no doubt about
that. Jack Kearns has been angling
for that match for two years and now
that he has 1t, the toy bulldog can be
depended upon to make the most of the
opportunity.
No one seriously considered Walkers
claim to heavyweight titular honors
until after he held Jack Sharkey to a
draw in Is rounds. But what has
Mickey done since then to bolster this
claim? If losing to Johnny Risko and
stopping Salvatore Ruggerillo, who has
been knocked out regularly, is any
gauge of Walkers real ability, then
Schmeling should have no trouble
whatever in beating the smaller man.
DANNY DUNN, manager of Johnny
- Risko, weighs in with convincing
argument for his man. Says
Danny:
walker gets the Schmeling match
and was not even In the tournament.
Risko beat Walker and followed this
up by defeating Tuffy Griffith. Add to
these two the names of Ernie Schaaf,
Max Bear, Paolino Uzcudun, King
Levinsky and score of others. Go
back a few years when Tex Rickard
was looking around for an opponent
for Gene Tunney. What happened?
Risko beat Sharkey in is rounds and
the whole thing wound up with Tom
Heeney getting the tituiar match.
What must Johnny do to get an
other match with Sharkey or Schmeiing?
I gave Ed Bang, promoter Of the Cleve-
land News Christmas fund, full au-
thority to pay Schmeling any part of
the purse he demanded and we would
be willing to take whatever was left.
One hundred thousand dollars failed
to interest Max after he learned that
Risko had beaten Walker. But when
Mickey's name was mentioned. the
former champion agreed to fight the
Kearns entry on a percentage basis"
EVERYTHING Danny says is true.
IL Ed Bang phoned and cabled Berlin
several times trying to make the
match and even tried to get Sharkey
for Risko. Sharkey's manager countered
with Ernie Schaaf and that dead
locked the whole matter.
One of the reasons Risko Is avoided
Is. that he and his manager are TOO
honest for their own good. That IS
to say, any time Risko answers the bell
it is dollars to doughnats that Johnny
is not handcuffed and that the fans
will see him give the best that is in
him. Pre-battle agreements and other
arrangements, part and parcel OF any
important match, do not interest him,
and for that reason Johnny Risko may
never get q championship match.
When Tunney was light-heavyweight
champion he made the mistake or
tackling the Cleveland baker boy. After
IL rounds Gene found out that Risko
was a vexing, furnishing fighter. When
Risko's name was proposed later for a
bout Tex Rickard told Danny Dunn he
had made a foolish mistake in letting
his fighter tackle Gene in Cleveland, as
he kissed himself out of good match"
And so it goes in the fight racket. lt
does not matter so much how good
you can fight, but it does matter whom
you know-and the easiest way to fame
and fortune in the prize ring is an al
lance with the 1--WE" boys, plus ability
to fight a bit better than the ordinary
run Of ecrappers.
DIsKo may not be the greatest fighter
N in the world. He does not claim
to be. All he asks is fair play in
making matches, and may the better
man win. He admits loss to Schmel-
ing by a technical knockout in nine
rounds. Up to the time he ran smack
into a right-hander he was leading.
Another right put him down, but he was
on his feet full of fight when the ref
cree stopped the bout. IF" Johnny
says, 81 got credit for knockout every
time knocked man down two times
I would have a better knockout record
than Young Stribling."
But Johnny is out. 1t is too late now.
Mickey Walker gets the big chance and
Risko will have to wait.