The Waterbury Democrat., 1935-06-05
BRADDOCK VICTORY WILL BE GREAT OMEN FOR IRISH
Gene Tunney Last-Ameri- can to Succeed Among
 Big Fellows

EFanE AOCn CHetuTAh6, N. q. June 5-If James J. Braddock de- thrones Max Baer he will be the first Irish-American heavyweight champion since the halcyon days of Gentleman Gene Tunney. Two more glamorous predecessors were John l.. Sullivan and Jim Corbett. They ruled after the inception of the Marquies of Queensberry rules which still guide fiisticuffs, new commission edicts to the contrary notwithstanding
 There were any number of brawny Irishmen who fought un- der the London prize ring rules, men who thrilled small but select assemblages on barges, back rooms of saloons and in other hideaways trail. These included John c. Heenan, John Morrissey, Jim Dunn, Mike O'Toole, Paddy Ryan. Jake Kilrain.
 For the first time since the two historic Tunney-Dempsey fights the Irish will turn out en masse when their idol Braddock squares off against the current titleholder. Baer is of German-Jewish-A -Ameri- can descent. Dempsey is of Irish- Scotch American stock. and the legend is some one of his fore fathers had some Jewish blood in his veins.
 Micks Have Slipped
 With the exception of Tunney, the Celts have been in the boxing background many years. Thirty and forty years ago good Irish fighters stumbled over one another. It wasn't until the father of New York boxing Jimmy Walker damned through his bill that the Jews, Italians and a few Germans, Liths and Polish lads came to the front. In the last fifteen years they have hogged the pugilistic lime light.
 Mickey Walker, who ranks with the greatest fighters of all time, mad Jimmy McLarnin another sen- sational slugger and knockout ar- tist, managed to keep the Irish de- votes at fever heat in the smaller divisions. The Toy Bulldogg reign ed supreme in both the welter and middleweight divisions. He had a couple of belts at the heavyweight crown but faltered each time. Me- Larnin is welter king.
 There will be hot time in the old town tonight" to pilfer the title of an old popular dityt, should Braddock fiatten or outpoint the Baer person in fifteen scheduled rounds at the Madison Square Garden Bowl. out Long Island City ways, Thursday evening. June 1S. It goes without saying the Irish will be on a spree wekes at clip. It is not divulging any se- cret to state Braddock has been in- vited to either box an exhibition or referee a bout in connection with big fiesta in Dublin, Ireland, sometime next July.
 Not Many Now
 There are scant few Micks in the ring today. Besides Braddock and McLarnin they include the lit- tie Phiiadelphian, Eddie Cool, Lee Ramage of California, the Bos- tonian Jack Mccarthy. If the new Great Lover Jack Doyle had taken up fisticuffs seriously he might have stolen the thunder of his for. mer countrymen. Because he is handsome he feared few healthy swats on the, face might ruin his good looks. So he thought the bet ter of fighting and went in for night clubbing and marriage.
 A real. good Irish fighter today is worth his weight in gold. Vic- tory over Baer means perhaps a cool million, or a fortune ap- preaching this figure for the for mer Forgotten Man, who before staging the sensational comeback that eraned him the titular shot was on the relief rolls in New Jer. sey. He'd like a taste of the Demp- sey life but because he has a wife and three kiddies to support he will invest his ring earnings in the