The Detroit tribune. (Detroit, Mich.) 1935-1966, 1936-03-07
WORLD
OF
SPORTS
THEY STILL ARGUE ON -.
JOE LOUIS'S MASTER
(By +. VI. Davis for AMP

i lie ILL <AlNpOE O-N
JOE LOUIS'S MASTER
Chicago-When there's nothing
else TO do, out here they argue on
just which of fistiana's list of ring
gladiators could put an end to Mr..
Joseph Louis Barrow, the young
heavyweight to end all heavy
weights. It's good fun, you know,
and it gives everybody a chance
to air his views. But Of course
nothing can ever be done about 1t.
Joe is here today and the other
lads have come and gone.
Still, | don't mind little argu-
ment now and then. But before
go farther, l might as we'll ad-
NIT that Joe won't be at his
nastiest until four or five years
from now, and that Lorenzo Pack,
who is a couple of years youger
than Joe and a bad man in his
own right, is definitely in the pic
IRE for future trouble. The same
may be true for Otis Thomas, al
audgh Otis is now "a and is
according to physiology-near his
peak.
But to return to the past. And
when / return up pop the names ~
Brother Jack Johnson and Massa
James j. Jeffries. l am sorry that
Joe can't get into the ring with
either man at his best, for that,
mates, would have been worth
coming from Mars to see.
Lii Arthur, you know, was just
about the greatest defensive fight
er ever to get into the squared
circle. He ran up against hard
hitters, and although he had a
mostrous head which should have
been a good target, plus the short
est reach ever possessed by a
champion, is today without a
single scar. Not only couIo he
avoid blows, but he could hit. Joe
wouldn't find Jack an easy target
and he'd be in constant danger
himself, for Jack had a bother
some habit of puttig across fight
ending uppercuts. You might as
we'll remember that Joe doesn't
have to pulverize an opponent
every time he takes aim. There was
a young gentleman named Lee
Ramage who a year ago in Chi
cago hit Louis almost at will for
eight rounds but he had no punch.
Give Jack Johnson that cndnce-
and what then?
Getting to the case Of James j.
Jeffries-and mean Jeffries
when he plowed under Fitzsim-
mons-here would have been an
other great foeman. Jeffries was
strong as a farm full OF oxen,
could box, hit and was a master
ring general. His ability to take
punishment and his courage are
classical. But most of all he had
the only weapon sure to beat
Louisa great left hand.
Jeffries' left, say oldtimers, was
something never seen before nor
since. 1t was worse than a club
and delivered like a rapier. Jim
was stronger than Joe is now, 20
pounds heavier, and as fast. He
was so built as to be hard to hurt
and had the idea that no man
alive could whip him or injure him.
Pack, l nigh add, shows promise
of developing into another such
man.
SO there you are. Maybe
Joe could have whipped Jack or
jim | can't say since | never saw
them fight. But it is too bad Meth
er Jeffries nor Johnson can fight
young Mr.. Louis today and settle
this question. If nothing else, 1t
would do away with lot Of argu-
ing-as we'll as columns like this.
ODDS AND ENDS
Elwood McReynolds, Golden
Gloves welterweight title runner
up last year when he was Will
berforce student, fought this year
for Davenport, Ia, where he has
lob chaufeuring to get enough