Detroit evening times., 1945-06-07

SIDE
BY Damono
Runyon

I ESTER BROMBERG, one of
- the better-writing young
sports scribes of the period, re-
ports that after viewing a prize
fight at Madison Square Garden
recently l Scribbled on a bit of
paper il was TO James J. John
ston) there is your second
Ketchel," as if the oracle had
spoken.
Well, of course. he had be-
cause when il comes TO this
business of prize fighting / must
be old vladimir j. Oracle him.
self if only on the basis of
points for length of service in
looking at 'em and, with some-
thing added for my natural
keen judgment. you tell them,
RunyonD
However. IL is not as a prize
fight prophet that | wish 10 be
known. ] eek fame for my
erudition in other fields, for my
clear. cool appraisal of humanity
and events. What | mean TO say
is 10 hell with prize fighting
when there is something else 10
talk about
II is true | tossed off the
comment that Mr.. Bromberg
mentions but il was only as I
toss off bits of wisdom and adj
vice on everything all day long.
And lest the quotation there IS
your second Ketchel' sound
cryptic 10 you, dear reader. my
reference was 20 a chap named
Rocky GraziaDo who was lust
after betting blue blazes out OF,
the problem child OF Browns
vile, Al Davis, called Bunny"
4 ND who was ketchol that a
n second ketchel should be
deemed worthy of more than
passing notice by the great
Runyon? Well he was STAN
iSlaus Kiecal.- of Grand Rapids,
Mich. middleweight prize
fighter whose ring name Of
Stanley ketchel Is synonymous
today for fighting fury to
generation OF writer's that never
saw him but accept the judg-
ment Of the old timers. He has
been dead IS years.
Now | am not a fellow who
goes looking for second any
bodys. Second CobbS. Second
RuthS. Second DempSeyS Sec
ond Tunncys. Second Sandes.
Second Tlldcns Second GlppS.
Second Oranges. Second Man o
Wars. Second Joneses. Second
Hltchcocks. ] saw the firsts and
In most cases ! do not think
there viii ever be seconds,
mainly because Of the changing
nature Of their games.
HOWEVER. prize fighting is
IL different from most games.
Il changes very little in form or
substance from Year 70 year. II
is in general tho same now as
II was over half century ago
when " went under what We
stll call The Marquis of Queens
bury rules as distinguished from
the London Prize Ring Rules.
Because Of this stability. or
inhcXibiliiy Of form, and be-
cause the human body has
certain limitations. a second
Somehof~ is always possible in
the rms as ir this case that
came 20 my notice the other
night. though you may be quiiel
sure my opinion In this partic-'
ular instance will he derided by
nearly all the Graybeards who
saw ketchcl
"Graziano a second ketchel?"
they VIII say. "Runyon has
gone dafIy."
l. ETCHEL IN action was the
IN street fighter type pegging
away conStantl Y with both
hands He made no pretensions
10 boxing skill 4 good boxer
was apt 10 make a sucker Of
him. But ketchcl with his Wild
swinging style was always more
exciting than any master Of ring
technique. GraZiano, New
York boy. is the same type.
He is as ferocious as ketchcl.
He fouled Davis. knocking him
cockeyed after the bell in the
third round but the referee
made Davis come out for the
fourth IN such shaky condition
as 10 make him easy prey for
Graziano But as Davis is an
unpopular young man no one
outside his immediate following
complained about the foul and
everybody said "Oh, we'll Rocky
would have knocked him out
anyway"
I LIk T. fighters who keep
blasting away savagely and
who have 10 be pried away
from their onponcntS at the bell
and | am sure every one else
docs. too. because | havo seen
solid and respectable business
characters and beautiful and
delicate looking Young ladies on