The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1940-10-22
Not Much Argument
About JOe-BrOwn
Bomber
EDITORS NOTE: This is
the second of d series of four
stories on American boxing.l
BY DILLON GRAHAM
Sports Editor. APP Feature Service

BY DILLON GRAHAM
Sports Editor. APP Feature Service
There can't be much argument
about Joe Louis. He just bowls
EN- all over.
That. probably, is the only rea
son there is only one world
heavyweight champion in this
country which can count three
world featherweight cham
pions. The absence of a COM
pleteIy recognized national regu-
latCry organization, arguments
between state commissions and
pickering among promoters and
managers, along with the old
'-hcme town pride" angle, has
given us three featherweight
champs
Pete Scalzo is the MIA cham
pion. Louisiana calls Jimmy Per-
lin the division ruler. New York,
and some other states, side with
Harry Jeffra.
There are two lightweight, two
welterweight, and two middle
weight champions.
The MIA recognizes Sammy
Angott as lightweight king. New
York, and other states, recognizes
Lew jenkins. Texas, an MIA
member, recognizes Jenkins,
home state pride.
The MIA rates Tony Yale as
middleweight champion New
York ranks Ken Overlin as the
boss. Billy Soose is the uncrown-
ed champion. He has won de-
cisions over both of them, in
non-title, OVer-the-weight match
es. The oveT-the-weight deSigna-
ton is a device that allows
champions 10 risk defeat at the
hands of a worthy contender
without riskirg their crowns.
Fritzie Zivic is recognized as
welterweight champion in AZ
states. Maryland recognizes Ivy
JannaZzo.
Maryland refuses to recognize
Zivic. who beat Henry Arm
strong. because shortly before
their fight Maryland declared
Armstrong; title vacant. This
action came when Stanley Scherr.
Maryland commissioner, said he
had been told by Armstrong;
manager. Eddie Mead, that the
titleholder could not fight any
where without the consent of
Promoter Mike Jacobs of New
York. Efforts had been made to
get Armstrong to defend his
crown in Baltimore against the
winner of the Kid Cocoa-Izzy
Jannazzo fight Maryland elect
ed to call the victor in this match
the champion.
Only Louis. Light Heavyweight
Billy Conn and Bantamweight
Lou Salica are undisputed world
champions.
The MIA recognizes Little
Dado as flyweight champion.
New York, at present, does not
recognize a champion in this
class.
The featherweight muddle
came about after Armstrong gave
up the title. There were three
outstanding contenders - Joey
Archibald, Scalzo and Leo Ro-
dak. The MIA ruled-and says
all managers agreed-that two
should fight and the winner
should meet the third for the
title. Archibald defeated Kodak
but an Archibald-Scalzo match
was never arranged. Archibald
then won a bad" decisions
former president Harvey L. Mil
Ter of the MIA termed it-over
Jeffra. The MIA then ruled
that they should box again. As
Miller explains it. when Archi-
bald declined. the MIA reverted
to Scalzc. originally and con-
tinually its No l man.. Jeffra
later defeated Archibald and New
York and other states recognized
him as champion.
Perrin. Outpointed Archibald
some time eco in a non-title af-
fair in New Orleans and Scalzo
recentlv won a clear-cut verdict
over Perrin in another non-title
contest