The Washington times., 1938-03-14
Mickey Walker Clicks
In Role as Comediun
Jersey Bulldog
Recalls Rinq
Career :
BY BOB ADDIE

&og three successive weeks,
three champions who ruled their
classes in the Golden Age Of box
ing have passed through the Dis
trict. First it was Benny Leonard,
who made more money than any
other lightweight that ever lived.
Last week Dempsey, who hit the
jackpot for three million dollars
as o heavyweight, was here. Now
. Edward Patrick Mickey" Walker
is here.
Mickey Walker was welterweight
and middleweight champion and
he fought for 18 years. Yet,
strangely enough, his appearance
here has nothing to do with box
ing. Mickey is doing turn at the
Gayety Theater on Ninth Street.
The man who was accounted one
of the greatest little fighters OF
all time is an actor in burlesque
show.
ACT APPROVED
We went to see Mickey do his
act. He looked like the '"Toy Bull
dog" of old. Time has padded his
chunky little frame with flesh;
his black hair is sprinkled with
froSty-gray strands, but the impi6h
smile is still there and all Of Pop
Times punches couldn't cloud the
twinkle in those grayish-blue eyes.
A fat comedian sat in the wings
watching Mickey go through his
routine. The corpu e mt gent
watched Walker keenly-as any
member of a profession watches
a name guy" muscle in. But |
Mickey must have been all right. |
Even the chorus girls fingered to
hear his stories and applauded
when Mike broke into his dance.
Later we had dinner with
Walker and asked him why, of all
things, should he be in burlesque.
Mickey grinned.
"I'n tell you," he said. 7
went into night club several
months ago and the place was
dead. Just for a gag, I got out
on the floor and told some
stories, then did little dance.
The next day IL booking agents
wanted to sign me up. I never
thought I'd be an actor, and
while Clark Gable hasn't any,
thing to fear from me, still it's
q fair living" ,.-,.s,,. .---.
But, Mickey, how much did you
make in the ring?
MONEY WENT
81 made over million and a
half-when I think Of It some
times, it makes me sick. But
money never bothered me. I'm
just as happy with IS in my
pocket as with $500. Bad in
Vestments, worthless property
.. lawsuits over one thing or
another where the
money went"
Yes, that's where it went. But
he didn't tell about the touches. "
Mickey Walker was always a fast
man with a buck and he's staked
many an oldtimer.
Walker said he weighs 1876 now.
He won the welterweight crown
from Jack Britton in 1922. After
he lost the title to Pete Latzo,
Mickey became a middleweight
and defeated Tiger Flowers for
the championship. Mickey
couldn't make any money as a
niddleWeight so he began to fight
heavyweights.
Maybe Walker wasn't as great
as Joe Walcott, '"The Barbados
Demon" who licked lot OF big
men, but Mickey gave away as
much poundage and held his own.
Walker never weighed over 1872
his height is feet inches-even
when he fought Jack Sharkey,
Johnny Risko, Matte Brown and
Max Schm cling. The latter
knocked out Mickey in the seventh
round and one of the few scars
Mickey brought out Of the ring
was inflicted by Max.
HOW ABOUT KETCHELL?
As Mickey was plucking the
gems of anecdotes from the mine
of his memories, hesitant, timid
men-young and old-Stopped by
for his autograph or just to shake
his hand. One of the men sat
with us, unlimited.
He was a big manor rather
he had been. His clothes hung
baggily about his big frame, like
a suit on a coat-hanger. His Shoul-
derS were broad but they looked
like a tree in the winter, the
branches bare and gaunt yet Sug-
gestive of some former day when
it was young and in bloom.
The old man talked Of Stanley
Ketchell; of Bob FitzsimmonS
and Jim Corbett.
But, Mickey" he said, you
were the greatest fighter that
ever lived.
How about Ketchell?" Mickey
asked.
"Ketchell? Why, you bum,
you couldn't have laid a glove
on him."
We walked back to the theater
In the rain. There was a respect
full silence as Walker pushed his
way through the Seedy crowd.
In front Of the theater was a pic
ture of a little Irish kid, pug
nosed and fierce-looking, his hair
falling in two parabolas about his
eyes. 1t was the Walker of is
years ago.
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