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Show I SPORTLIGHT Flotsam and Jetsam Heavyweights By GRANTLAND RICE npHERE ARE TWO things that make a great or an unusual heavyweight champion. The first is his own ability. The second is a competitor or an opponent who can help build the headlines. This is no alibi for Ezzard Charles. Charles might be the greatest heavyweight of all time, but how can he prove it with the present crop of challengers? Suppose we look back a few years. Jim Corbett harl a Sullivan - to beat. Fitzsim-mons Fitzsim-mons had a Corbett to handle. Fitz had a Jeffries in the road and Jeff had a Fitz and a Corbett. Cor-bett. Also a Tom Sharkey. And the old sailor was no squash. He could fight. to face his ring future without any Dempsey around. I think Tunney retired when he did for many valid reasons. New Order Now we begin to see what Ezzard Charles is up against, what any heavyweight champion might be up aginst. This includes Joe Louis. It is certain to work heavily against Ezzard Charles. Tunney had a sorry lot to face after Dempsey lost his second start. He had Sharkey, Risko, Heeney and one or two more. They were all terrible. Tunney picked Heeney, a short-armed short-armed pushover. I know Rick-ard Rick-ard wanted Sharkey, who had lost to Risko. After Tunney had completed his operation on Heeney, there was nothing left just as there is nothing noth-ing left today Sharkey, Schmeling, Baer, Camera, Braddock flotsam and jetsam. Both Schmeling anc Baer were dangerous punchers al times, Braddock was smart, game but all through while Camera was a 265 pound joke. Here was a spot in which nc great heavyweight could have proved his rightful place. There was .nothing but inferior fighters tc face. Then Joe Louis came along. Joe Louis has been a great fighter. A hard puncher and a fine boxer bu1 only fair on the receiving side where head punches have hurt him Louis has never drawn one o: the head liners to beat. Most o: those Joe stopped had been beater by somebody else. Braddock ou' pointed Baer. Baer knocked ou Schmeling. Baer wrecked Camera a joke from start to finish Loui: was forced to get his reputatioi from a second-rate group headet by Billy Conn, a light heavyweight But Schmeling was the best fight er Louis had to meet through hi: career. 20 Game Winners As usual, the crop of 20 game winners will be quite thin this sea son. Only a trifle over two month! are left and there are still only fiv of six pitchers who are in fairlj close shooting range. The three witl the better chance to land in this promised territory are Ken Heint zelman of the Phillies, Howie Polle of the Cardinals and Vic Rasch of the Yankees. Heintzelman has done the bes' iob of the year. ! Grantland Rice Jack Johnson had i Jim Jeffries for his build-up, al-' al-' though Jeff was then fat and part- ly bald. Jack Dempsey, a great fighter, fight-er, had the best break of them all. Jack, weighing 183 pounds I the day before the Willard j fight, had a 260 pound giant to j face, a fighter who, after all, had won the title from the great Jack Johnson. After that Dempsey had Carpen-tier, Carpen-tier, the great French war hero, his ability as a heavyweight far overpublicized. But the build-up was on. Then Dempsey was lucky enough to come upon the massive Firpo, the wild bull of the Pampas, the fighter who threw rocks. After Firpo the old mauler from Manassa had two other good breaks as far as crowds, excitement excite-ment and reputation go. He had Lrene xunney ana jacK Dnaritey. Tunney was the dead game young heavyweight just out of the war. He could box, punch and take his share. He was badly bad-ly underrated. So was Jack Sharkey on days or nights he wanted to fight. Which wasn't too often. This Sharkey was the most temperamental fighter the ring ever saw. But he could box and punch when he wanted to. Dempsey had all the fight game needed great ability to start with a flaming spirit and at least five opponents who could draw $1,-000,000 $1,-000,000 gates. Dempsey was responsible for the two great Tunney crowds. No one knows this better than Gene, although al-though he added his share. It was entirely different when Tunney had |