Show I Records of Matches of Near Champions for Past I Year Show Passing of f Middleweight Crown to Ira Dern of Salt Lake Who Clears Title by Defeating Mike Yokel in in- Championship Match By Steve ROM student to teacher FROM F From votary at the altar of a champion champion- to the the little god I. I the altar upon tipon Ln h lh u 4 4 h 1 L' L 1 vu LV LJ That ladies and gentlemen i iby ii by Horatio Alger Jr nor noc is it the tile ravings ravings raY raY- ings legs of an Onward and Upward story In the American magazine but It Is the true story of ot a local youth one youth one Ira Dern Upon the youthful brow of this fellow tellow Dern now rests the wreath of victory the honors of a champion He Is the middleweight wrestling champion of or the tile world CLAIMS TITLE Dern yesterday for the first time publicly publicly publicly pub pub- admitted claimed and proclaimed himself to be the kingpin o of all the middleweight middleweight middleweight mid mid- wrestlers in the world He lie did not do this in an offhand manner but made the assertion only after alter long study of the record he has established as compared compared com corn pared with the records of all other promInent prominent prom prom- meat middleweight men In addition he claimed it only after he found that the crown belonged to him by right of conquest con con- quest Some time ago The Telegram attempted attempt attempt- ed something never before tried by any newspaper or periodical In the country I By lly a telegraphic canvass It established the tha fat that the majority It of ot seven of or 5 not the title of the latest works the greatest wrestling authorities in the United States proclaimed Mike Yokel champion Without criticism or bias The Telegram printed the dispatches just as they arrived EDITOR PANNED The publication of the tile article created a storm of discussion in all parts of the tho country as well as in Salt Lake Sortie Some of the discussion naturally was favorable favorable favorable favor favor- able and some somo of it was unfavorable Wrestlers promoters and managers from every section of the country wrote to this office advancing their own claims scouting scout scout- Leg ing ng the idea of Yokel being champion or approving the choice of the Jury Letters were received from rom Ed White of Chicago George of Boston Joseph of Portland and others In Salt Lake Yokels Yokel's friends greeted the tile story with phone calls of approval On the other hand friends of Dern who claimed that the local youth was the champion disapproved of the article article and and some somo went as far as to declare prejudice entered Into the story story although although it was merely a quotation of telegrams HAS NO INTEREST In advancing Derns Dern's claim for the title and recognizing It it The Telegram again has no interest in the affair other than the clearing away of the clouds which hide the title the disposal of claims which haven't the slightest sUg pretense of being valid Upon advancing his claim to the title In his weight division Dern did not at attempt attempt attempt at- at tempt to cloud the issue nor to befuddle befuddle dle die the writer lIe He had his claim outlined outlined outlined out out- lined with mathematical precision offered offered of of- It and refused to use any oratorical fireworks to back up the claim DERNS DERN'S CAREER Before we go into the claim for tor the title let us review the mat career o of this Salt Lake champion It was only a few years ears ago when Dern was but a kid hes he's only a afew few years ears past the kid age right now now now-Dern- Dern became a wrestling student stu am- I Ident dent of Mike Yokel when the old timer was instructor at the local Y- Y t. t M. M C. C A. A Shortly afterward he went to San Francisco Francisco Fran Fran- cisco where lie lae captured all Pacific C coast ast amateur titles in the light heavyweight division wrestling at that time at the weight of The light heavyweight di division division division di- di vision at that time was pounds He lIe returned to Salt Lake took off eight pounds of weight and captured the Intermountain In In- and Utah state titles in the tho middleweight classics and classes and then he turned professional BRATZ HELPS At that time he had a a. hard time breaking break break- ing leg Into the wrestling cards and it was only through the late Walter D. D Bratz that he was given the opportunity He was wrestling in the gymnasiums at the tim working out with great reat wrestlers It was there that he turned loose on Joe Steelier and Elmer Pet Brown and threw them both Mr Bratz Brats saw tho the performances and let the world know that it had a new champion in Its midst From then on Dern had easier Falling sailing a He proceeded to go through the list st o of local lightweights one by one In quick succession he beat such good men as Cyclone Workman Greek Brown Henry Jones JOles Farmer Vance Bern Parrish Gus Prakas Tony Bernardi Ben CharIe Charley Char Char- Ie Icy ley Mason and Jack Burns the Rigby Ida heavyweight He also won a handicap handicap handicap handi handi- cap match from Toots a heavyweight heavyweight heavyweight heavy heavy- weight of the first class MAKES HIS REP Upon his sensational string of victories h he a reputation which called forth considerable enthusiasm from promoters promoters pro pro- meters and he was taken to the East by George Georgg V. V the Boston promoter and anti matched with Waino Yaino Ketonen for or the worlds world's title Dern won handily and Ina in ina ina a short time defeated all of the best middleweights in the East He lie registered victories over Charley Chancy Peters Peter ieter Goullet Goullet Goul- Goul let let Patsy McCarthy Tommy Rector Young byszko r and Jim Linow He first became champion In October of 1919 by his defeat Of ot Ketonen He held the title only for a short time however however however how how- ever and lost it to John Kilonis in Bos Boa ton Dern now claims that he lost the title to when the Greek was overweight overweight overweight over over- weight and failed to show up for weighIng weighing weighing weigh weigh- ing in In addition he had already wrestled wrestled wres wres- tied five matches In the same week and lost on his sixth He lie made no complaint at tho the time because of the apparent uselessness uselessness uselessness use- use of such action LOSES CROWN Kilonis lost the crown shortly afterward afterward afterward after after- ward to Waino Ketonen who in turn lost the crown to Mike Yokel Yokel held the crown until it was wits wrested from him l last st month by Dern Since his return Dern has met and de defeated defeated defeated de- de Gustav H Hanson Ad Gustavo Gustave Cyclone Cyclone Cyclone Cy clone Burns Bums August Sepp and Yokel That Is the record established by Dern Dern lays his claim to the title on three things things the the word of the best wrestling wrestling wrestling wrest wrest- ling authorities in the country countr consistent consistent consistent tent winning over all men In his division division divi divi- sion sloe and conquering the man who held the crown BASIS OF CLAIM On the tile first Dern says sas Seven authorities authorities authorities au au- picked at the request of The Tho Telegram the man who in their opinIon opinion epic epic- ion held the middleweight honors Although Although Although Al Al- though I 1 was mentioned prominently the honor was wa given to Mike Yokel harry Heagren immediately matched us and I Iwon Iwon Iwon won Mikes Mike's honors The second My record shows only one defeat in my entire career a loss to Kilonis and one which was easily a a. fluke I 1 have redeemed that loss by consistent victories I YOKELS YOKEL'S DEFEAT The third Mike lIko Yokel was for five years worlds world's champion He was defeated defeat defeat- ed for title by Waino Ketonen who held the tile title until I defeated him in Boston Boston Boston Bos Bos- ton in October 1919 Shortly after 1 I lost the title to John Kilonis He in turn lost it and Ketonen regained it it Yokel again gained the crown by defeating Ketonen and it came back to me when I beat Yokel here last month I 1 have It now now and and Im I'm going to keep it Anyone Any one of ot sufficient class can have a crack Any I at it for the asking and any legitimate claimant can prove his claims by wrestling wrestling wrest wrest- ling me That Is all Ira had bad to say but he said saida saidi a i forkful when he said it He lie outlined the best claim In the country for tor the title and and the man who beats him has beaten a i champion Thus b by a strange twist of fate Mike Yokel was defeated for world honors by his pupil In Dern he built a a. l Frankenstein Frankenstein Franken ranken stein monster and built It so well that thatis as is the story reads it H destroyed him Mike literally taught Dern how V to beat t him So there you have it ladles ladies and gen gee I It is Mr Derns Dern's claim it is a J good one Read it over and figure It out for tor yourself I IS I S |