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Show MIKE O'DOWO SURE OF WARMWELCOME By Universal Service. NEW YORK, Dec. 8. Probably the most popular boxing champion in the country when "the boys" get back from abroad will be Mike O'DjDwd, the rugged middleweight tltleholder. O'Dowd won his crown by lambasting Al McCoy into a knockout in Brooklyn a couple of years ago. O'Dowd is one of the few American boxers who actually served In the trenches of France. Needless to say, the little battering ram from EH. Paul will be much In demand when he resumes his campaign fn the ring. The middleweight tltleholder will take part In the king's boxing carnival, to take place at the London Sporting club this week. He is anxious to box Georges Carpentler, but as the Frenchman scales about 175 pounds he would be too heavy and have other physical advantages that would make a bout with O'Dowd out of the question. There will be opponents for the middleweight champion, and the matches he fights in England will fit htm for the bouts in which he will engage upon hie return to America. Plans for Carpentier. Should Georges Carpentier, the famous French pugilist, come here to box early next year he will be In much the same predicament as the chap in the song who was all dolled up, but had no place to go. , Without boxing in New York state, , where could a match with Carpentier and either Willard or Jack Dempsey be held? To be sure. New Orleans would eagerly accept the attraction, as would a number of other cities where boxing is allowed, but a match of such magnitude as one Involving Carpentier and either one of the great Americans would be out of place anywhere but right here in little old New York. It is highly probable, however, that a match between Carpentier and one of the American boxers may be permitted in this city, should a substantial portion of the receipts be donated to some war welfare wel-fare organization. Indeed, it is believed that that Ib the only purpose for which Carpentier will be permitted to come here to box, and that every tournament in which he appears will turn over a por-tipn por-tipn of the receipts to some war fund. Would Stir Interest. That a Carpentier-Willard or Carpen-tler-Dempsey match would serve in a considerable degree to revive interest in boxing In this country goes without saying. say-ing. What with treriendous events occurring almost dally In Europe, Interest in boxing box-ing has notlceaoly waned In many sections sec-tions of this country. Not only Is the dullness attributed to the advent of peace and the result nt unsettled condition- of sports in general, but the epidemic of influenza in-fluenza also Is dealing boxing, along with other branches of athletics, a severe blow. Boxing needs Puch an attraction as a Carpentier r.iatch to restore Its old popularity. popu-larity. Now that It 1b practically certain tlmt Carpentier is coming here to box. efforts ef-forts also will be exerted to have Jimmy Wilde, the famous British flyweight, come to this country. Wilde is said to have grown -Into a futlfledged bantam, and, should lie come here, would be a tremendous tre-mendous attraction against either Pete Herman or Frankie Burns. Then, too, Eugene Crlqul, the famous French t bantam, also may visit these shores when he obtains his release from the army. Criqut has been boxing bril-linntly bril-linntly of late, and Is said to be one of the m-ast formidable bantams ever developed de-veloped in Europe. Criqut is not only skillful, but possesses a hard punch. He would be a good match with any of the American bantams. |