Jackson advocate. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1939-current, 1942-01-31
Panama joe Cans Greatest
WeIterweight Despite Ray
Robinson Raves Moses Says
BY ALVIN MOSES


Our Belief that Pound for
Pound, Panama j o Cans
dark complexioned West Indian
prizefighter, was the best welter-
weight since 1920 Having never
seen Walcott, Jack Britton, Dixie
Kid, ct al, it makes it impossible
for us to compare the Panamanian
gamester with them. But in one de-
partment of ringcraft T.. the Civ
ing away of poundage, Walcott
alone of the 142 Founders rates with
the lad who is now a. member of
Father Divine's" inner kingdom,
N New York.
The raves modern writer's go in
TO when a Ray Robinson comedies a
haif-dOZen or so pounds TO FritZie
Civic makes us wonder what they'd
thought of the great Panama! Most
sports fans Of FDR administrations
family recall Cans. They seem able
10 tell you g little about his last
two struggles with Larry Estridge
gangling punching wonder from the
old st. Christopher Athletic club adj
junct of st. Phillips Church, this
city. But right there, the recollec.
ton seems to fade entirely.
But ask former welterweight kings
Jack Britton and Mickey Walker
about this man whom neither could
be dragged into the ring with, and
If you should find them III "a cer-
tain mood, maybe, you'll gain BIZ
Of our enthusiasm for him. Nine
years before the depression 1929
Cans was a member of the stable
OF the late Leo Polanarios Flynn. A
two-fister, rabble-rousing type OF
manager, Flynn coined the phrase
they can't lick us" In a high
pitched voice, the colorful italian
fight mentor would yell encourage
pent from the corner of his fight
erS in the above manner.
Three of Flynn's most noted ring
warriors were Kid Norfolk, IT'S
pound title contender, Dave Shade,
the "weayering marvel, J. RenauIt,
whom an Imaginative sports scriv-
yener provided With the halo of a
Canadian mounted policeman. With
the possible exception of Norfolk,
Cans, the 1A2 pomnder, would have
been the choice of wise hetters to
lick any man in the Flynn entcur-
age.
He was a playful sort Of cuss
outside the ring, pulling off the
hot foot trick, long before It was
accredited to Jack Dempsey. But
once the bell Changed, Cans be-
came an implacable, relentless adj
yersary, Writers of the '20's raved
about the clever weaving almost
to the ring floor Of Dave Shade
(White) of the famous Shade broth
ers. Well, Panama Joe Cans taught
Dave Shade all he knew about weav-
ingi
And while Shade was master
at the art, Cans was the type of
teacher who schooIed a pupil well,
but not well enough to surpass the
teacher. While comparisons las
we've stated for years. are odious
and never can be successfully en-
ployed as a measuring yardstick as
to how one fighter will fare against
the bruiser his prospective opponent
has already faced; we think this
one is of interest:
Kid Norfolk, fresh from knocking
out MAN Mountain" Tom Cowler,
a six foot seven 255 pound English
mastodon, was matched by Flynn to
meet wild" Burt Kenny in Har-
lem fight mart. The odds were ten
to one that Norfolk, q deadly short
puncher would annilhilate the irish
who bore a secret grudge against
Negro fighters.
We saw that fight. Norfolk had
to call upon all of his ring cum
ming land he possessed plenty to
hold off the rushing Irisher who
three well-intentioned kayos all ov-
err the lot. The verdict (no decision
in those days. rightfully went to
Norfolk, but he admitted Kenny was
the toughest hombre he'd ever fac
ed up to that time.
A month or SO later, Flynn re-
ceived an offer from Kenny's BROTH
sr-manager for the wild man to
face Panama Joe Cans in Atlantic
City. Kenny olltscaled Panama by
30 pounds and Flynn was lootf1e to
throw him in there with a fellow
who had given Norfolk SO much
trouble. Go ahead said Cans to
Flynn, get Burt for me, / can lick
MIN If he weighs ton"
Against his better judgment
Flynn accepted the match for $25G
guarantee for 10 rounds. Oldsters
who recall that CORY fray call it the
best battle of q good little man
against a good mot bum) big
man, of modern times" Cans could
both box and punch, ask Burt Ken
ny about that. He'd weave SO low
TO the rightaprOu until his head
seemed to touch it. Then suddenly
he'd straighten up with rapidfire
assortment of hooks and counters
that shed blood all over the lot.
Kenny never laid in a damaging
Glow Oh the slippery Panama" and
had the battle lasted two rounds
more, would have suffered the ig-
ncminy of a knockout! Such was
the fighting pr0wess of Panama Joe
Cans. Like Jack Blackburn, another
wizard III giving away weight, Cans
was champion in everything but
name.
The late Harry Greb, Pittsburgh
Windmill, was scheduled to fight al
opponent one night in q Buffalo
Ny. ring, The prelimS were run