Evening star., 1953-04-27

too busy learn what
to appear on the coaxial cable.
Except in Boston, where he was lionzed Collins was
strictly product of teevson Davey Harry
Matthews Irish Bob Murphy Chico Vear Danny Nardico
and dozen others. In preTV days. how many of these
boxers would have rated title shots? None, probably Not
only they unqualified there would have been no
demand to them Indeed they would have been unheard
OF, nationally.
ODDLY, MANY OF THESE tyros have records which to
the casual indicate experience than many of the
true old masters The passing Sharkey
was deserving of his glowing obituaries failed to impress all
members of the younger set Many the sophomore
question: How could he have been good? He didn't
fight often"
Sharkey didn't fight he pre- -teevision
He fought only when there public demand. John L.
Sullivan had only 81 formal matches Cobett 49, Fitz-
simmons, 40; JefreS, 81, and Willard %.
Before televSion. champion apt to quickly out
of chalengerS-a least public pay
title until 1904 When logical contender appeared he
retired in 1905 Five years later the public the
old champ to back the white hope" slap the
Negro Jack Johnson
He couldn't Jefries had been idle for six years and
properly called hollow she'll there
vision his day. long would the sponsors permitted
him to stay etred?" Six months perhaps but not six
DEMPSEY IN HIS PRIME and radio in it's infancy arrived
together fighting quit 20 years later
Yet he had only SO formal fghts-ony three than
Collins at A-and of Jacks manufactured. The
with Georges Carpenter instance The Frenchman
little than ddleweight he'd
and Dempsey had been criticized for assuming active
role in World War l.
Tex Richard the promoter senSed the boxofce potential
and matched the OF Dempsey he asked for leniency
toward Carpenter for few rounds He got it, although
during his stay of execution Carpenter tagged Jack with
pretty good right hand the chin. But it manufac
tured fight, big build-up And-o the word again
irony reared its raSn- shaped head again. Dempsey made
few friends betting the smaller French
later, when he twice lost to the American Marine, Gene
Tunney he became a national hero.
What did the Stic giants of the mustache for
when they out logical contenders They fought
exhibitions which don't show most records Today with
teeviSion they're still fighting exhibitions although they're
to formal performances with hard
Furnishing gloves and bloody distances.
TO NON BOSTON BOXING writer's at least Collins
pasting surprise. He had an odd record-4O
knockou in ST wins, but he'd been kayoed times him
self and only Sandy Saddler of these
fghterthe featherweight champion The other six just
happened to be pugs passing through town.
The overwhelming evidence is that Collins has china
chin Against Carter, perhaps this asset So easily
Tommy knocked off his feet that his 10 knockdownS may
have appeared brutal than they actually Too bad
about the chin Collins has the makings otherwise of
colorful ring figure.
Tommy built up a hitter. featherweight he
belted real good But the truth that Collins still
featherweight when matched with Carter. They
poses remains feather Against bona de lightweight he
to become deadly puncher and is that much
susceptible to a stern chop on the whiskers.