The Washington times., 1935-12-04
No Little PerpIexity


It?
No Little Perplexity
Those who sought for years and
years and years to secure legal
ized fisticuffing for the Capital,
honestly believing the city was
ready to underwrite the sport, are
baffled over the failure of larger
throngs to turn out, say, than ap-
peared night before last for Joe
Turner's grand fall opening.
Turner himself is stumped.
Matchmaker Goldie Ahearn, the
great optimiSt, is the only one who
is sanguine. He has nothing to
lose, everything to gain.
The boxing commission, con-
cerned only in supervision of the
sport, is faced with having little
or nothing to supervise, as has
been the case since the outdoor
season closed.
The boxers themselves see lit
tie nourishment in the game here,
in that they are forced to fight on
percentages. Many of them. such
as the scrappy, little Joe Rivers
have already drifted to other cities
to thump out their nightly bread
It's a reflection either on the
promoter. the matchmaker or the
public Wherever the fault lies, 1t
should be remedled. Some deSper-
aEe measures are needed. The
sltuation is alarming. Much as
one dislikes to view with concern,
it must be admitted that less than
I.30C paid admissions will not
keep boxing boxers alive here.
One Alibi Eliminated
In the opening of the modest
little home of punch bearing the
stamp of the House of Turner, one
of the heretofore chief excuses for
poor boxing turnouts was elimi-
mated.
Until now, not since the days
of the Riding and Hunt Club,
which had its demise a year ago,
and which used to be pretty well
patronized, has an indoor palace
of punch had it's ring in the cen
ter-where all rings belong.
The small attendance can not
now be attributed to the fact thai
the fans will not go in numbers tc
a fight show held in one end of an
auditorium.
There are two schools of thought
prevalent with regard to the
nature of fight cards which might
pack 'em in" locally.
One holds that strictly club
fights with inter-neighborhood and
possibly inter-city competition with
Baltimore stand-outS, will draw
substantial followings hereabouts
The other maintains that "big
names" alone will put boxing over
the top in Washington.
Drawbacks to Both
The first has been tried with
indifferent success.
The second is out of the queS-
ton because there is no arena
here big enough to put sufficient
money through the gates to tempt
big shots to fight on percentage,
and none here so far has been
willing to put up big guarantees
to lure the better names for flat
fee.
Anent the few nationally-knoWr
fighters who have been brought
here, the Johnny Risko, the Tony
Canzoneri and frankie Klick
type, the fans have gone away
disguised, so you can blame no
promoter for refusing to dabble
in such further risky business.
Why, the Canzoneri i-Klick fight
didn't approach for action the
Furr-Silas fight of a few nights
ago wherein Sid'S spirit was will.
ing but his flesh weak, and Marty
Gallagher, Matte Brown, Bobby
row and Buck Everett have all
given Washington more excite
ment in one round than Johnny
RiSko when he came here to help
inaugurate the sport.
None of which comment solves
the issue which confrontS thoSt
who would like to see boxing sur
vive here.
We've been experimenting fol
18 months now. and there isn't
the responce that there was in
the beginning.
Many who would like to know
what lies ahead!
Coach Scouts
STANFORD UNIVERSITY, Cal.