OCR Text |
Show K- : ' . : : ; .m pnglish Promoter Seeks World's Champion Fighter 1 HUGH M'lMTOSH OUOMDOrLE Fight Promoter Assumes High Stand Telling of Boxing Revival Re-vival in England. HIS AIM TO FIND NEXT WHITE WORLD CHAMPION Almost in Same Breath Encourages Encour-ages Presence of "Ladies" at Pugilistic Encounters. BY RICHARD DAHLGEEN. Special Cablo to Tho Tribune. LONDON, March 11. Pugilism ba the center of the stage in tho sporting arena. Ab many as twenty exhibitions aro hold nightly here and the other big cities havo tholr share. Hugh D. Mcintosh, tho light promoter, has come out with a lengthy pronunciamonto on tho subject In which he gives his reasons for what he calls the revival or boom of boxing. Ho says: "Although tho majority of the general public who take an Interest In athlotics evidently favor boxing, certain sportsmen persist in clinging to tho notion that boxing box-ing Is a sport Into which brutality must enter at all times. "I cannot do better than endeavor to point out tho various causes which have at lost altogether cleansed the art of solf-defense solf-defense of the charges many of them Just which in the past woro laid against the sport in those days when, under London Lon-don ring rules, wrestling and other methods meth-ods which might rightfully havo been termed brutal were froqucnt. "But prize-fighting with bare knuckles, under clastic rules, and boxing with thlckly-paddcd gloves aro two totally different things. And that tho former method of settling differences has been replaced by the latter Is a chango for which every sportsman must feel glad. "Tho baro-knucklo fighter and his offenses of-fenses against tho laws have completely disappeared, and now It Is no uncommon thing for the ordinary evcry-day Individual Individ-ual who has u grievance to settle to do so under recognized rules, despite the fact that lie may havo no knowledge whatever of boxlns skill. "But what does that matter? At least he knows that the modern boxing rules arc fair, and that tho laws under which contests aro carried out provide that the possibility of Injury to cither combatant Is no greater than ln most of our games, and certainly not so great as ln some to which opponents of boxing as a sport take no exception whatever. "But is there a boom ln boxing? Who sny3 there is a boom ln boxing? "What signs arc there to prove that boxing is more popular than a decade ago? Can Get Crowds Now. "A few years ago In London with tho exception of amateur boxing clubs there weru only a few private clubs at which boxing could be witnessed, and then only by members, for the general public were naturally debarred from attending. "But what is the case today? To come to London first: There arc at least half a dozen recognized centers at which boxing exhibitions can bo witnessed not only by club members, ns was the case In Uie past, but by the general public, and to glvo some slight evidence of the favor In which this sport Is now held. I may mention that In the Wclls-Molr contest, con-test, which took place at Olympla, there were present nearly six thousand enthusiasts. en-thusiasts. "And In the provinces, as In London, enthusiasm for boxing Is Increasing. A few years ago a crowd of a couple of thousand people at a boxing match would have been considered wonderful. Today, however, such Is not tho case at all. and the main difficulty -which organizers of Important contests havo to face Is to find a hall sufficiently large to hold nil who wish to witness It. "Thus at Cardiff recently, in the contest con-test between Welsh and DrlscoII, when the two men entered the ring not only was every sent sold, but standing room was also at .a premium, while' outside tho hall thousands stood around awaiting the verdict. Many Are Joining Clubs. "Another convincing proof of the ever-increasing ever-increasing Interest felt in the fistic art Is shown by the large numbers of new members who have recently Joined boxing box-ing clubs. In my own case, too, since I first took upon myself the task of en-deavorbiK en-deavorbiK to discover a white man to regain tho championship of the world for the white race. I have received shoals of letters from young men giving me particulars as to tholr boxing credentials creden-tials and expressing a wish to 'mix It with the host of 'em.' "It In often said," he continued, "that the majority of the public would rather look on than take part In strenuous exorcises ex-orcises and sports. If this Is so, surely thoso who have tho courage to put oh the glove and test their ability to hold their own are not to be condemned. Crowds "Healthy, Manly." "The average crowd that attends a boxing box-ing match a crowd which must certainly certain-ly include a number of men who box themselves would, from a. healthv. manly man-ly point of view, comparo favorably with audiences which flock to other classes of ontertalnment. This in itself should go far to prove that the art of sclf-dofen3f can be no bad thing for tho phvslquo of those who elect to studv It. "However, It cannot be denied that, to a certain extent, these aro somewlmt effeminate ef-feminate days. In audi times, therefore, it does one good to ponder on tho views of that staunch champion of boxing, Conan Doyle, Lot nie quote what no bus written on tho art of fisticuffs: " 'And so, also, when tho ring has become be-come as extinct ns tho lists, wo may understand that a broader philosophv would show that nil thLaga which spring up so naturally and opontnneU2lv have n function to fulfill, and that it Is n less uvll that two men should, of their own free will. (Ighl until they enn fight no more, than that the standard of hardihood hardi-hood and endurance should run the slightest risk of being lowered in n nation na-tion which depends so largely upon the Individual qualities of her citizens for her defense. " 'Do away with war, If tho cursed thing can by nr.y wit of man bo avoided; but until you soe your way to do that, havo a. care in meddling with those primitive qualities to which at any moment you may have to appeal for your own protection.' pro-tection.' " Whoro Mcintosh Drops Ideals, Mcintosh, who can sometimes assume a high moral position, made this startling start-ling announcement recently when writ- , lng of a ponding fight: "Already a number of ladles have ap- : plied for seats in the boxes, and 1L Is certain thnt a largo attendance of the fair sex will watch the contest. Now that ladlns of position and title are aware i that tliy can attend In comfort and ease, this form of entertainment Is un- ; donbtedly growing In favor." i The "ladles" who palronlzo these fights am on speaking trms with tho police, i The Amateur Atllletlc association haB banged, bolted and barred tho door against any peace with the National Cyclists' Cy-clists' union. The AmuK-wr Athletic as- i aotiution mot recently when the ehlof i business was the consideration of pro- i posalo by the Amateur Swimming association asso-ciation nnd the Athletes' union that tho Amateur Athletic association should consent con-sent to .submit the trouble with the National Na-tional Cyclists' union to arbitration. This tho athletic body absolutely refuses to do. nnd, to put It briefly. Intends to try to kill the National Cyclists' union by catering to cycling as well as running. It is doubtful If the majority of athletes ath-letes are In favor of this policy, while It Ik certain that the rank and file of sportsmen cannot seo any Justification for it. Tho way Is clear for a match between E. Barry and W. Albany for tho English Eng-lish professional sculling championship. Tom Sullivan, who was noting for Albany, Al-bany, declined to make the match through tho offices of tho paper giving tho championship cham-pionship cup. but. rntlior than put obstacles ob-stacles In ihe way of the match, he has withdrawn. Albany" Interests arc now In tho hands of R. H. Foster, who has posted a forfeit on behnlf of his man. and a match will probubly bo arranged for May 1. Barrv'a Interests are being looked after by Harry Blackstaffo. nnd it. Is refreshing to find noted amateurs working on behalf of professionals. Matt Well lowered Freddie Welsh'n colors at the Notional Snorting club, winning In twenty rounds on points, In a match for the lightweight championship champion-ship and $4500 on February 2S. Welsh, who Is a vegcterian. trained on a diet of milk, bread and mince nlo. From what A. E. Wood writes to his English friends, the professional runners run-ners of Canada and the United StateH are not jinxlourf to take on the 1000 ten-mile ten-mile amateur running champion at his own distance. . |