Evening star., 1938-03-22
FEATHER KING OUT
FOR RB|CGER TITLES
Ambers, Ross Heavy Order
for Henry-Max's Revival
Amazing Ring Feat.
By GRANTLAND RICE.

8
campaign from lightweight to heavy
weight deals on the leather exchange
Homicide Henry is booked to meet
Barney Ross for the welterweight title
and Lou Ambers for the lightweight
crown.
Max Baer came along from back Of
nowhere to give Tommy Farr much
harder beating than Joe Louis and
Jim Braddock could dish out. Baer
left California as one of the most dis
credited fighters in ring history and
he returns with the cheers Of his
fellow citizens supplanting the boos Of
yesterday.
Armstrong Overdrawn.
What chance has Armstrong against
Ross and Ambers?
I saw Homicide Henry in his last
etart against Baby Arizmendi. bull
necked Mexican with raWhide
stomach and a granite jaw. The Babe
absorbed more pelting than the RAM
parts Of Verdun without -caving in,
For all that, it seemed to me that
Armstrong had been badly overworked.
As tough as the Mexican was and as
dead game, Homicide Henry had also
lost some of his drive and sharpness.
Part of the old crash and jolt was
missing.
A human machine has certain
definite limits. There are no super
people. Armstrong is the type that
gives all he has full three minutes
ole toly II &c
share of punching from the other
side
He needs a good rest before the
Ross and Ambers campaigns-which
he probably won't get. Too much
competition wears away nerve re-
serve-one of the most important fac
tors in sport When this supply Of
nervous energy is depleted. there
is nothing that can fill the gap.
Not all the skill and gameness in
the world.
Baer AstOunds Coast.
When I left California they were
still in a dazed state over Max Baer.
The Young and Old Mems Boo and
Bronx Cheer Club had been all set
to meet him.
Now the Clouting Clown or the
Jolting Jester of the leather kingdom
Is back in the heavyweight cham
pionship argument. sure to get
another crack at the title he chucked
away along the primrose path.
wss In Florida with Baer several
months before he fought df you want
to call 1t that James J. Braddock.
The only rule Of training or condi-
tioning he didn't break was to Jump
off the top of skvscraper. When
I suggested at Tampa. Palm Beach
and Miami that he was practicing
quick starts in the general direction
Of oblivion, he only laughed while
Ancil Hoffman blinked.
After the Braddock demobilization
I spent several hours with Max one
night trying to explain what Joe
Louis was going to do to him if he
still insisted on trying to burn up
the primrose road. The answer was
another laugh-and one of the worst
beatings q fighter ever took before
resigning on both knees, with his
frontispiece practically demolished.
Max Never Great Fighter.
No one can tell me the fellow |
couldn't fight when he was at his
best. You can't ask Ernie Schaaf,
for he can no longer answer. But |
you can ask Max Schmeling and sew
eral others.
He never was great fighter in any |
way-but . big, rugged fellow who
could take and give.
After the Schmeling and Camera
Nights, Baer dropped faster than
steel girder tossed from the top of |
. skyscraper. He blazed the down.
hill trail faster than two champion |
Norwegian skiers.
But to prove that he had it once,
you find his name in the headlines
again. And he will be one of the
leading actors in the coming summer
show.
I understand the Einstein theory
perfectly. can explain in detail
Just what has happened to the world
4 In the last few years. But don't
ask me to explain Max Baer, and,
outside Of Jack Dempsey and Gene
Tunney, I know him better than I
knew any other heavyweight.
II you know him at all, you can't
help hating him and liking him at the
same time.
I could see what he was throwing
away-which happened to be every
thing he had, including promising
future.
Chance for Schmeling.
Different fighting systems have Pc
culiar angles. Tossing a guess into
the spring air just at this movement,
should say that Schmeling has an
even chance against Louis, that Baer
has little chance against Louis and
that Baer might whip Schmeling
: again.
They may not sound logical-but it
happens to be the way things work at
Z times.
Louis won't be at his best against
echmelingis type Of boxing and punch
target. But Baer has always felt he
! could beat Schmeling-and he feels
that way about it now. Facing Louis,
Baer is too easy to hit and Louis can
hit too Fast and too hard. But Baer
can handle q right-hand punch better
than Louis has handled the same up
: 10 date.
All in all, it should make an in
: teresting triangle before the winter
winds once more come down from
. the hills.
(copyrisht 1898. by the North American
Newspaper Alliance, Inc.)
: THIS'LL TIDE 'EM OVER.