Evening star., 1938-05-24
HENRY UNKNOWN
AS VET HIT PEAK
Scene Is Entirely Revised
Since Barney Won First
Title 5 Years Ago.
BY GRANTLAND RICE.

NEW YORK, May 24-It seems
strange to be referring to Barney Ross
as an old-timer at the business of
throwing punches, but, come to think
of it, that's what he is. of course. And
if he beats Henry Armstrong and
they say he made a remarkable fight
for a fellow who has been around SO
long-or if he loses to the little Negro
and they say, among other things.
that the years have caught up with
him-they'll be right-in either case.
Barney has been fighting for nine
years-and won his first title five
years ago. Now, five years may be only
the flicker of an eyelid for old Father
Time, but. in the ring, five years can
work a lot of changes-and cut deeply
into the life of fighter. Look back at
the fistic scene five years ago. when
Barney Ross. took the lightweight title
from Tony Canzoneri.
Picture Vastly Different.
That year, Primo Carnera won the
heavyweight championship from Jack
Sharkey. Max Baer knocked out Max
Schmeling. Jim Braddock was work.
ing on the docks. Joe Louis was an
amateur. Make Rosenbloom was the
light-heavyWeight champion and
Vince Dundee ruled the middleweights
That year, Jimmy McLarnin, having
fought around and around for years
without winning title. won the well
tpruplpht tif1n from ornthnr
Young Corbett, 3d. There were several
claimants for the featherWeight
championship. Freddy Miller had the
widest recognition for his claim.
In the lightweight division. Ross
outstanding contenders--in addition to
Canzoneri-were Frankie Klick. Billy
Petrolle, Cleto Locatelli and the globe
trotting Wesley Ramey.
Ross has watched most of those
fellows come on-or go by Baer be-
came the heavyweight champion and
began a series of amazing ups and
downs. Braddock came up from the
docks to the title and gave the ring
its most dramatic story. Schmeling.
seemingly washed up, provided a SEN
sation by knocking out Louis-and
then Louis came back from that
knockout to win the championship
from Braddock.
Big Stars Fade Out.
Gone are Carnera-most astonishing
of all prize-ring flgures-and Sharkey.
Gone. too. are Rosenbloom, Dundee,
Petrolle' and Canzoneri The others,
save McLarnin. still are fighting,
mostly on the rim of obscurity Nc
Larnin plays golf most of the time but
says he will fight if he can get $4,000.
Meanwhile Ross has moved along
briskly. Two years after that first
triumph over Canzoneri he won the
Welterweight championship from Nc
Larnin, lost it to him that same year
and won it back the next year. His
two main opponents have been Nc
Larnin and Ceferino Garcia.
When last seen against him each
was giving him a terrific battle. but
as far as the promoters and the public
are concerned. Barney apparently has
worn out both of them. That is, ne
fought each of them three times,
and nobody seems very keen about
putting on fourth meeting with
either. Not for the kind of money
Ross-or McLarnin-wants. anyway.
Few Bad Fights by Ross.
Barring McLarnin and Garcia. Bar
ney has fought only second-raters,
beating all of them, knocking out a
few of them. He has made few bad
fights. One was with Izzy Jannazzo,
who We'd for while with Garcia for
the distinction of being the leading
contender for the Welterweight cham
pionship. Barney was ordered to fight
him but didn't want to because he
knew the fight wouldn't draw.
Compelled to go through with it. he
looked bad-so bad that many critics
thought he practically was through
ICoa DICT Dooo A.12N