The Daily Alaska empire. [volume] (Juneau, Alaska) 1926-1964, 1936-07-17

corner in his title fight with Babe
Risko and after piling up an early
lead took no chances the rest of
the way. Although his victory was
not too impressive and somewhat
disappointed his followers, minding
his managers orders won him the
title, so those orders cannot have
been very wrong said Harry
Smith, Sports Editor of the San
Francisco Chronicle and dean of
Pacific Coast sports writers, in his
stateroom board the Prime
George in Juneau last evening, COM
menting on last Saturday nights
big fight in Seattle. Smith was
at the ringside for the fight and
left directly afterward on round
trip cruise to Southeast Alaska.
According to Smith all the ring
siders were agreed that Steele won
handily and that he could have
shown up much better had he been
pressed harder. Steele gained a
big lead with his first knockdown
and from then on was content to
use his deadly body punching to
pile up enough points to hold that
lead, while keeping himself well
covered.
Experts Disagree
On his own score sheet, the San
Francisco expert gave the Tacoma
fighter nine rounds, called four
for Risko and two even. Tallies of
other sports writers present were
similar, the fewest credits given to
Steele being seven rounds, with
three even. Prospects for a return
bout between the two fighters are
very slim right now, said Smith,
the consensus being that Risko's
showings in his two losses to Steele
were not enough to give him real
claim on another chance. Smith
saw both fights. and although he
thinks Steele did not show quite
as well in the title bout, it was due
to Risko's improved condition ra-
Their than any slipping on Steele's
part. Risko was in the best con-
dition he has hit for a long time
for this fight and SO was not
quite so effected by Steele's terrif-
ic body attack, Smith stated.
Co1ni110 FIGHTS
No title fights loom in the near
future for Freddie, prophesied
Sporting Editor Smith. The out
look just now is that his next
match will be against some easy
opponent before the home town
folks in Tacoma, likely to be follow
ed by a non-title fight in Seattle
in September, possibly against Ken
Overlin, Jack Dempsey, protege.
Although Overlin has been
building up a nice record, I have
not seen him fight lately and do
not know how far he has come, :"
said Smith. In my opinion there
is just one middleweight in the
country who can give the new
champ real scrap That is our
San Francisco boy, Fred APOSTLE.
Although Steele beat APOSTLE by a
big edge year ago in San Fran
cisco, that fight was just after
APOSTLE had come from the anna
teur ranks and before he had gain
ed any professional experience. The
former amateur middleweight king
has improved lot in the past year
and 1 would like to see him meet
Steele again now-it would be
fine match"
100000 Gate Receipts
1t is possible that Steele may go
East after his Seattle bout in the
fall, declared Smith, but not too
likely. His manager, Dave Miller,
has not yet seen big enough purse
for his charge in the East to add
up right after figuring out the
many expenses of travelling. Last
Saturdays fight drew 100000 and
there is no place except Seattle
where Steele is well enough known
to bring out that kind of money.
1t is almost certain that his next
title match will be in the North
west city.
Editor Smith came right to Sc
attic for the Steele Risko fight
from New York City. where he saw
Max Schmeling defeat Joe Louis,
but he did not have much to say
about that fight except that Louis
was evidently befuddled after the
fourth round. Perhaps Smith took
a beating on that fight along with
the rest of the experts and has not
yet quite recovered In reply to
query about the late rumor of a
hypodermic injection into Louis's
arm before the fight, Smith said
that Harlem's alibi, night after
the fight, was that the Teuton had
dope smeared on his gloves during
the fight, making the Bomber
groggy; but Harlem has a lot to
get over and Smith agrees with
Louis himself, that Joe forget to
duck
Baseball Talk
Joe DiMaggio is most Of the talk
in Eastern baseball this season.
according to sports writer Smith.