Evening star., 1938-04-07
HENRY LACKED PEP
IN FE[DMAN SCRAP
He Can't Afford to Be as
Open With Barney as
Other Opponents.
BY GRANTLAND RICE.

etharglc-lethargy on Henrys par
is equivalent to feverish activity OF
the part of any one else-the night HI
failed to knock out Baby Arizmend
in Los Angeles. Against Lew Field.
man in New York the other night he
must have looked better, but appar.
emily he was easier to hit than usual
I saw the Arizmendi fight I didnt
see the one in New York. But I sus-
pect that one reason why Armstrong
had trouble avoiding Feldman.
punches is that he still was a little
fatiflued around the edges.
Whatever the reason-and how
about giving Feldman a little credit
for smacking the dusky terror a few
times, even if he couldn't hurt him.
the odds on Barney Ross are Likely te
be a little longer when Armstrong
and Ross meet in May.
Better Be Careful, Henry.
AS I recall Feldman when he wa.
at his best, he was no part of a Ross
and If now, in his f1stic old age, he can
blast Henry with both hands, the
chances are that Ross can do it even
more often, whether Armstrong is
tired or fresh
OF course, Henry's plan of battle
usually calls for him to soak uc
punches on the way in, and he prob
ably figures on taking plenty from
Ross before wearing him down and
knocking him out.
But he'd better not figure on taking
too many. Barney isn't a terrific
puncher, but he is better, sharper
cleaner puncher than anybody Arm
strong has fought so far, and when he
turns loose his drum fire of leather it
never does the other fellow any good
He likes to have the other fellow come
to him. too, which is precisely what
Henry will do, And Henry had better
not miss as often against Ross as he
must have done against Feldman.
Ross, who punches with binding
speed, is likely to make thu most of
every punch that Henry misses, bv
mailing him before he can right him
self again.
Something to Remember
Trying to call a fight six weeks ava,
Is even harder than trying to call i,
the day before-Which is hard enough
as the record shows. And I'm not go.
Ing to try to call this one now.
There is one thing to remember
however. about Ross-something thai
may slow him down more than Arm.
strong's constant rushing and taking
body blows.
This is that he has passed his peak
as flghter and that he hasn't had q
hight since last summer I don't mean
"hen l say he has passed the peak
that he is washed up and through
NOBODY could think that after the
grand fight he made against Ceferinc
Garcia, when he was hurt and in
trouble and on the verge of a knock
out-and fought his way back in a
surge that the hard-hitting Garcia
couldn't halt. But it is certain that
Ross never is going to be again the
ngnter ne was couple of years ago.
In Ring Eight Years.
He has been fighting for eight years
He fought himself up from nowhere
TO the lightweight championship and
then went on to win the welterWeieht
championship, too. He has been al
the top Of the welterweight heap for
1our years. He has had-before Arm
strong-no serious challengers save
Jimmy McLarnin and Garcia. An in
telllgent young man, his horizon has
extended beyond the ring these last
couple of years and he has talked
more than once of retiring and going
into business.
This, generally speaking, isn't the
best mental attitude for a fighter.
A f1ghter is likely to be at his best
when he is interested in nothing but
fighting and can't see beyond the
other fellow coming out of his corner.
ADD to this the fact that Barney has
been idle while Henry has been mov-
ing about the country fighting once a
week or therea bouts, and you have an
edge-in this respect, anyway-in
Henry's favor-provided Henry is
rested up before this fight, which he
probably will be.
A Matter of Pride.
1t could be, of course, that Barnevs
pride might offset the damage done
to his form by the complacency that
comes with success and the rust that
comes with inactivity. Pride and an
iron will brought Max Schmeling back
after he had reached a point where he
was rich and secure and had no need
ever to fight again Pride and a.
determination to become heavyweight
champion once more were the most
powerful incentives Schmeling had
when he came across the sea and
knocked out Joe Louis. And Barney
has had just as much pride as
Schmeling, just as much of fair, too,
for the glamour that surrounds a
champion.
I don't know whether he has it still,
II he has-or if he can rekindle it
1t will be his strongest asset. He will
be dangerous as long as he can get a
kicksoHt of hearing people say as he
walks down the street:
There goes Barney Ross-the
welterweight champion OF the world"
tcopyrisht 1898. by the North American
Newspaper Alliance, Inc)