Evening star., 1940-07-17
The
SPoRTLIGHT
Dizzy WhirI Of Leather
Due as Hank, Lew Clash
opecial Correspondent Of The Star.
BY GRANTLAND RICE,

NEW YORK, July II (N.AN.A).
When two offensive machines COL
Ide in one ring, the ensuing crash
should be heard many miles at sea
This should happen when Lew Jen-
kins, the Texas Tagger, and Henry
Armstrong meet in New York to-
night before the biggest boxing
crowd of the year. AS a general
rule we get an attacking fighter
facing a defensive opponent On
this occasion both believe in piling
In betting with both hands. and
leaving the result to harder hitting
fists.
On this specific occasion Jenkins
Is much the harder hitter and
Armstrong is much the more elusive
target. In the way of offense Arm
strong is matching quantity against
quality, which means that the Ham
merer will throw at least three
punches to one until the curtain
drops.
It all gets down to the matter
Of how far over the hill Armstrong
has moved-and how far forward
Jenkins has advanced in the last
year.
Armstrong isn't the fighter he
used to be, but he still is no puff ball
Jenkins has yet to face an op-
ponent with Armstrong; style and
experience. He has yet to swing
at a target as hard to nail solidly
with an effective punch. This is
where the complications begin.
Hot Poce Hos Token Toll
Of Armstrong
The Lew Jenkins of today would
have no big chance against the
Armstrong of two years ago-three
years ago.
But Armstrong has been moving
at windmill pace for nearly 10 years.
He has heart that actually is the
size, in physical dimensions, of one
carried by a heavyweight. He has
been one of the ring marvels of all
time. He had to have something on
the side to wear three crowns at one
and the same time.
But there is no such element as
eternal durability, especially so when
applied to the human race. Just
how far over the hill Armstrong
has travelled no one knows. He may
have slipped more than any one can
know Just at this point.
jenkins still lacks experience
against the ring craft he will have
to face. He never has faced an
opponent of the Armstrong type,
whose main idea is to wreck bal
ance, to prevent the Texan from
getting set. When the whir of
leather begins it isn't any too easy
to measure bobbing opponent and
take full aim.
On the other side Armstrong never
has met a man who could hit as
hard, who was quite as determined
to knock at least part of his head
of.
One fellow. slipping backwards, is
meeting another coming on. This
= is another interesting feature of "A
contest that should be one Of the
most exciting evenings Of the sum-
mer campaign.
The Armstrong of two or three
years ago would have kept jenkins
of balance from start to finish
Swarming in, he would have had
the Swatter of Sweetwater wonder
ing when the storm of gloves ever
would end.
But, as one of our eminent bards
has written, "It isn't what you used
to be, it's what you are today"
saw that Armstrong was on the
downhill side when he fought Lou
Ambers-and Lou Ambers was on
the downhill side when he met Lew
jenkins.
I never have believed that Arm
strong was any 13-to-5 shot over
jenkins. Not even a two-to-one
shot. For any fellow who can hit
and fight as Jenkins does must be
given his chance-and a good
chance-against any one near his
weight.
Fight Is Best "NoturoI"
Slotted in Years
He will have to tag Armstrong
coming inland tag him on the but
ton. Once Armstrong, one of the
great fighters of all time, closes in,
jenkins will have little opportunity
to unfurl his salvo Of dynamite. He
will be too busy absorbing leather.
Jenkins depends on the quality of
the one stunning punch. Armstrong
depends on the quantity of many
jolting. jarring punches, thrown in
aeoEc