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Show High Mogul ,; " ''4. ' : v" '' ' :,: ff) Jacobs Sees Fight Boom Duringl928 By MICHAEL 8. JACOBS Boxing Promoter NEW YORK, Dec. 30 (I.VS) It was a fighting 1937 and, by that token, the sport of boxing gained an impetus which is bound to bring about its return to the highest plane it ever enjoyed. Many disputed championships were cleared up and a universally recognized champion was crowned In each of the eight classes of boxing. box-ing. All of which seems to point to a probable boom during 1938, with titular matches taking their turn In the presentation of fistic offerings. offer-ings. High Ring Mark Tl'a a high mark &L which -to shoot, for during the closing year there was that great fight in Chicago which saw Jim Braddoek lose the world heavyweight championship to Joe Louis. There was the rise of the most sensational youngster of the generation, gen-eration, Henry Armstrong, who defeated de-feated Petey Sarron and settled all questions as to the rightful holder of the featherweight title. There was the change of the bantamweight ban-tamweight crown when Harry Jef-fra Jef-fra of Baltimore defeated Sixto Escobar, Es-cobar, the Puerto Rican youngster, and there was the shifting of the world's flyweight title to Great Rritnin frnm Small Unnttna tn Ren. Mike Jarohs . , Ha expect boost in boxing gate receipts for coming year. fly Lynch. The high mark In gate receipts for a heavyweight championship was approached when Braddoek and Louis drew $700 000. It is something which leads me to believe that 1938 will see the return of the million-dollar million-dollar gate, particularly if Joe Louis and Max Schmeling carry on successfully suc-cessfully in their "tune-up" bouts for the big meeting next June. .Many Fine Fighter The year starts with the heavyweight heavy-weight class in a most healthy state, due to so many ambitious fellows locking to the itle held by Joe Louis. Besides Louis and Schmeling. there are in action such men as Tommy Farr, Jirti Braddoek, Max Baer, Buddy Baer, Nathan Mann, Alberto Lovell, Gunnar Barlund, Tony Galento, Maurice Strickland and several others. The middleweight class is another which is booming. There are many really competent men striving for honors, with Freddie Steele at the top now and Fred Apostoll disputing disput-ing his right to the title. There also are Glen Lee, Solly Kriger, Billy Conn, Ben Brown, George Black. Walter Woods, Al fotak and others oth-ers to be reckoneffiHpih. |