Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-02-16
SPOTLIGHT
ON
SPORTS
We've Had Some Champions
By CHARLES BARBoUp

PERHAPS THE GREATEST tribute paid an alumnus
of Washington Golden Gloves Norvel Lees selection
recently the an-tme, aI-amateur heavyweight.
Lee 1913 Olympic alternate while at Howard Univer-
sty first fought in the Golden Gloves in 1850 and the
Washington title three straight years He also took the
National Gloves title in 1850 1852 and the National AAU
championship in 1851 He alternate in the 1851
EasWest Gloves and the bout that his team tie
Beaten in the National AAU seminas in 1882 Lee later
the Olympic regional trials in Albany and went to
Kansas City for the finals. After two-day automobile
drive in which his weight dropped from 1888 to 49, Norve
eliminated But at the insistence of Pete Meo. the
coach, he added to the Olympic squad alternate
Meo dropped Lee in the 175-pound spot in place Of
Michigan States Chuck Spieser the thranked light
heavyweight Norve justified the coachs faith winning
the Olympic title at Helsin and taking the Val Barker
Trophy the outstanding fighter in the Games ssB
II WHILE LEE WAS THE only Washington product the
ame team there have been plenty Of other fine amateurs
here.
Henry Lamar now executive secretary of National
Boxing Association chairman of the Massachusetts, Boxing
Commission and ring coach at Harvard the first Wash
ingtonian to win National title taking the AAU light
heavyweight championship in 1925 and 1926 He also
football star at Western High School.
Then Angelo Tardugno. bantamweight champion
in 1885, Charley Cooper lat pounds in 1943 Joe Cannon
14 and Frank Sweeney 16o in 1884, Richard Mutt u.s. in
1945: Lee in 1s5O1 Edredge Thompson. u.s. in 1850 and
1852, and Billy HILL 49, in 1852
Washington standard-bearers have three Eastern
Golden Gloves team championships and host Of individual
titles in both the Gloves and Diamond Belts
Gene Smith, 49, Walter Taylor 1876: Roland Randall,
Kantha heavyweghts all National Gloves titles And
George Davis 49, Tavern Roach 47; HOWE Brodt $780, and
Reno Workman, heavyweight took Eastern crowns Bob
Matthias the Diamond Belts lat Bobby Schwartz
and Jim Brady made off with light-heavy titles.
ALL OF wASHINGToN'S good amateurs weren't sectional
national champions however Oldtime Gloves followers
will forget fighters like Lou Gevinson Buster Miller
Gilbert Mayo Mike Tardugno Willie Feary Steve Mamakos
George Abrams and Jimmy DeChard, to few.
Mamakos perhaps the toughest amateur pound-for
fad In here -nura
within winning the world mddeweight title
in 1871 when Tony Zale trailing badly got knockout
punch in the 4th round Abrams another outstanding
also had shot at Zaes but dropped decision to
the great champion
Smith is another who came to be highly regarded as
pro- Icy Kline, the famous trainer, Gene win the
National Gloves title in 949 and tabled him the most
natural Golden Glover he had Gene fought his
way among the top featherweghts but realized his
potential.
Gevnson Roach, Cannon Randall. DeChard and Lamar
all fought pros but achieved the heights attained
by Mamakos and Abrams Roach closest before ne
knocked out by Marcel Cerdan In his next fight
against George Small, Tavern suffered fatal injury
Matthias might have been top-notch pro had he been
so inclined He died in parachute Jump in World War IL
****
THE GLOVES HAS HAD its lighter moments Several
years tournament complete without meeting
between Mike Dz Eslin, the pride Of Swampoode, and
Bernie Skunk Perry. the scourge Of Southwest. Mike
entered the ring to the accompaniment of the Nore Dame
Victory March Perrys supporters tried make up
noise what they lacked in music. There be
films Of their battles but for comedy the
rivaed Abbott and Costello.
One of the more amusing incidents involved another
Southwest boy Jack (Whif) Wadsworth Whit the
senior featherweight title in 1889 and accompanied the
washington team to New York for the Eastern Golden
Gloves. He entertained the train by telling and
all what going to do to "those buns up there.
Whifs enthusiasm for fighting was no match for his
appetite however and arrival in New York he 8
pounds overweight That's all right he assured his coaches
IN make the weight" So up and down Eighth
Jack Hoped, working off the excess.
Came time for weigh-n and the verdict awaited
tensely The scales read 1870, still pounds too much
One of the Washington officials solved the dilemma
quickly however ho does guy fight at 126 anyhow"
he asked. "Ray Robinson" the answer Thereupon
Whit very graciousy agreed to forfeit.
Sugar Ray had won the amateur bantamweght title the
previous year and them was tabled as future ring
great.