Evening star., 1940-07-17
Triumph Would Place
Mefeoric Texan In
Ranks Of Great
Lew, Apparently Better
Troined, Places Faith
In Sunday Punch
BY GAYLE TALBOT,
Associated Press Sports Writer,


NEW YORK, July 17.-Lew Jen-
kins, the hollow-eyed little Texan
with the murderous punch, receives
his great testing tonight when he
fights Henry Armstrong, the well
terweight champion, at the Polo
Grounds.
1t is just a year since jenkins,
looking none too we'll fed. made his
first appearance in New York An
unbroken string Of triumphs behind
him and bulwarked by many 81
steak. he enters the ring tonight as
the lightweight champion Of the
world, possibly to prove that he is
one of the greatest little scrappers
there ever has been.
His rise has been meteoric, but he
has this one more mountain to cross
before the present generation Of
experts says "Okay, Lew. you're the
best we've seen," and before the old
timers admit him to their hall of
memories along with Joe Cans and
Benny Leonard.
Armstrong Stlll Oreat.
If Jenkins does beat the bull
chested Armstrong tonight, then
he's really good. fellows. For Arm
strong, even though he might be
year or so past his very best, still is
an awful lot of fighting MAJ. A year
ago remember) we were calling him
SO many kinds of great fighter that
there hardly were enough adjectives
to 60 around.
It should be q great bout tonight,
and a man could make himself lot
of money If he knew the winner for
sure. Personally, Armstrong ap-
pears the better bet, and the book
makers still have him a substantial
favorite. It's difficult to picture
skinny, rawboned boy like Jenkins
absorbing Henry's punishment for II
rounds. Still, the Texan has that
punch, and Armstrong never has
been hard to hit.
Armstrong will have a few pounds
weight advantage, though not
enough to matter really. The title
of neither is at stake. Without risk
ing more than a few Jumps. each
of them is assured of q very hand
some purse, for Promoter Mike ia
cobs expects the gate to total around
$780, 900. granted clear weather.
With his share Of this one, Jenkins
should be able to make a substan-
tial payment on that ranch he's talk
ing about, even after his numerous
managers have taken their cut.
Armstrong, saving little cuss, is
accounted well of financially, so
nothing that might happen to him
tonight would be too tragic.
Jenkins Better Trained.
Jenkins apparently has trained
better than Armstrong. The 1885,
pound champ is lean and hard and
he pounded his sparmates viciously
while he was up at training camp,
before his pretty wife went up there
three days ago and brought him
back to the city. Mrs. Jenkins is
feuding with one Of Lewis managers,
Hymie Caplin.
Armstrong has not worked too
hard and visitors to his camp have
remarked the ease with which his
hired boys have been hopping him
around. However, Henry always has
appeared to be more interested in
thinking up a few lines of new
poetry than in training when he
gets up in the woods, so the pres
ent symptoms are not too alarming.
Henry strictly is money fighter.
1t all SINNERS down to whether
jenkins can catch the powerful lit
tie Negro with his Sunday punch
and stretch him out, like he did Lou
Ambers, before Armstrong; body
attack saps his strength. If it goes
the limit, Armstrong should win for
sure.