Show M Loses Favor W With Critic I Because of Prolonged Inactivity J By PAUL GALLICO NEW YORK May 28 There is no point to stalling any longer I pick Barney Ross otherwise otherwise other other- wise known as Little Thunderstorm to become the first man in the history history his his- tory of modern boxing to hold both the lightweight and the welterweight championships Benjamin Leonard the retired undefeated undefeated un un- un- un defeated lightweight champion of the world wrote a learned article for some of the papers declaring g that long layoff hadn t hurt him because Jimm Jimmy ate the right kind of groceries but Mr Leonard to the contrary notwithstanding I do donot donot donot not care very much for the fighting edge ede of a n young man who has fought a total of but two minutes In the last year and a half halt I think th that t Ro Ross will beat him and may cut and batter him over o a stretch of rounds to the extent that the fight will have to be stopped in inthe inthe inthe the sweet name of merc mercy It is not unprecedented for lor a lightweight lightweight light light- weight champion to beat a welterweight welterweight welter welter- weight champion This same Benjamin Benjamm Benja Benja- mm min Leonard did it many years back as boxing goes only he was not quite prepared to accept the fruits of ot his victory over Jack Britton Britten then welterweight welterweight wel wel- champion For having battered him hm into a state bordering upon insensibility so that Britton was slumped on his knees on the canvas Benjamin walked over to him and hit him a lick across the mouth while he was down forcing the referee to disqualify him and award the decision to the beaten Britton on a foul This was a queer piece of business and a lot of ot people cried when it was over but Benny one of the smartest coolest boxers that cv ever r lived explained afterward that he was just a rash impetuous youth who had been carried away by the flush of impending victory This was a great explanation explanation nation and ranks with the thc famous statement made by Jack Sharkey after aHer he had waltzed ten affectionate rounds with Sailor r Eddie Huffman an old shipmate The boxing fathers summoned Sharkey to explain why he had struck his opponent so lightly and md tenderly all through the bout some of his punches verging on a mothers mother's caressI caress I never hit hard Sharkey de de- de posed I cant can't I am a cream puff puncher Who did I ever knock knockout knockout knockout out hasn't done enough fighting fight fighting j ing recently to suit me If It he had had a ten round fight as long ago as ascI cI eight ht months I would pick him to knock Ross RoS out But I have a feeling feeling feel feel- ing he will be too busy picking Ross out of his hair and teeth to do much Eye Ee judgment of ol distance and timing tim time timing ing is of much more importance to the killer fighter lighter than it is to the boxer who if he is short of work can still fiddle and stall around and land enough taps and jabs and flicks to pile up a score in the eyes of the judges But the lethal punch calls caUs for great keenness must be ring rusty Training bouts bouls wont won't have done the trick of sharpening up the eye and the reactions Ross without without with with- out any alibis lads and gentlemen I dont don't know how this piece will look to me late tonight but it certainly cere looks great to me now |