Show HARD KNOCKS ON BOXING GAME Slier Siler Gives Review of Pugilism I for Past Year No Cham Champions Champions Champions Made By George Slier The hostile attitude of the governors of ot many states caused a distressing slump in the tho pugilistic game during the year ear of 1907 On this account the year oar was as the tho most disastrous known for a decade One by one the states open to the promoters of at the game Illustrating the manly art of were closed either by force of public sentiment or by bythe bythe bythe the desire of state and county officials to seek favor faor by prohibiting events Even Een Los Angeles where here the game has flourished without disfavor joined the procession and limited bouts to ten rounds Governor Hanly Hanl of Indiana ef et effectually killed the sport in the Hoosier state by his rigorous enforcement of ot the law and later In the year Governor Cum Cain Cummings of Iowa put up the bars but not so effectually In Nevada and certain parts of ot Call Cali California fornia the th roped arena Is IB still high in fa favor faor a avor vor or but the distance to the coast makes otherwise easy matches practically im tin impossible impossible possible In Philadelphia Boston and Milwaukee fights are still permitted permUted The Time game is dead in Chicago by the tho same powers that killed the American derby and put the famous Washington Park club out ul of existence Burns Still on Top It H was not a year ear In which champion championships championships ships were made Tommy Burns Burnk Noah Nouli Brusso the Canadian Is still on top of the heavyweight heap He has hag defended his title gained when he defeated Mar Margin MarIn Marvia via gin In Hart in Nevada more than two years ago against several challengers but the caliber c of the men m n he ho met In the tho ring w was as far below the average of other years His most notable fight was against Bill Squires of ot Australia The antipodean It proved was overly touted for Burns to put him out In one ono round Burns fight with Philadelphia Jack OBrien should hardly be referred to In a serious review of pugilistic pu events course Burns thrashed his man hand handsomely handsomely but the contest revealed the fact that OBrien was a faker of the first wa wit water water ter tar Late In the year ear Burns battle with Gunner Moir Moll In England established him as the worlds champion In the time heavyweight class always making a men mental mental mental tal exception in favor of the big fellow out California way who can whip them all but who will not enter the ring again Gans Cans Remains Title Holder Joe Gans Cans remains champion of the time lightweight class in all that the name implies Early In the year he whipped Kid Herman After this battle he made one of his frequent announcements of his retirement from the ring and handed the championship title over to George who fights under the stage name of Jimmy Burns Then Gans Gaas reconsidered and like an In Indian Indian dian hun giver took back the title alleging that would be unable to fight at 1 ii pounds Gans Gaas then made Packey McFarland his but Out aid not hand him the title As Gans Gaas is sure to enter the ring again whenever he sees a purse large enough to tempt him he may still be considered the lightweight champion No Real Champions In the welter and middle weight ranks there is a pretty contest between a host hoat of claimants There are so many who de declare declare deClara clare Clara themselves the in these classes that the rival claims are confusing and it Is hard to definitely Many of tile the claimants are fighting In both classes Stanley Ketchell seems to have hae havethe the tho strongest claim to middleweight hon lion honors honors ors ore through his victory over Joe Thomas but lingo Hugo Kelly KeEl Billy Bill and others dispute his claim and there must be several leveral battles before the time real champion can be sifted out omit of the heap One of the surprises of the year was the defeat of Honey Hone Mellody b ny Frank Mantell In lit fifteen rounds by the knock knockout knockout knockout out route Mellody only a little more than thana a year ear ago was waB recognized as al the best bestin bestin bestin in the welterweight class Mantel Mantell until his defeat of ot the Boston boy was almost an unknown Mike Twin Sullivan Jim Jimmy Jimmy Jimmy my Gardner and several others dispute the time welterweight championship with Mantell Among the little fellows felloW In the feather featherweight featherweight weight division Abe Attel still stands bead head and shoulders above aboe his rivals In Inthe Inthe the bantam weight class Owen Moran the stocky little Englishman Is casUS the leader while in the division Johnny Johnn Conlon and Kid Murphy occupy occupy py the center of the stage stase |