Ogden Daily Standard | 1918-03-23 | Page 29 | Effective Crop Heavyweights

EFFECTIVE CROP HEAVYWEIGHTS No Time Since Jeffries Has There Been Such Splendid Class of Heavies. NEW YORK, March 22. There is a better class of heavyweights now bo fore tho fans' gaze than at any time since Jim Jcfferies was champion. At no .time since Jefferies dropped out of sight through the application of ono of Jack Johnson's uppercuts, has thero been such an offectivo crop of whlto heavies. Tho run of Carl Morr rises and such has been dropped. A period of exceptional men seems to bo on. Fred Fulton was the first exceptional exception-al man to appear In the heavyweight class since Luther McCarty lost his life in a bout with Arthur Polkey. And just as Fulton's star reached a crest of fame, along came Jack Dempsoy, a party who still is sticking up there as one of the best. The crop of heavyweights who blossomed blos-somed out with the appearance of Carl Morris is gradually receding. They are now known as second rators, not white hopes. Their ability now Hob in assimilation assimi-lation of punishment from the rising youngsters who seem likely to domi-' domi-' nate tho big class of men for sometime. some-time. An uplift of tho game through heavyweight channels is the thing for which pugilism has been suffering for a long time. Little fellows can fight, do their best just as long as they can, but the real life of boxing lies in the heavyweights. If they fall to produce good bouts at every, stage of tho gamo and at all times, tho game suffers. It Is up to thorn to keep alive interest and to keep tho game clean. Since John L. Sullivan put llfo and dollars In the business of fighting as a heavyweight thero have been few champions, but ten years ago thorc was sufficient keen competition to keep the heavyweights busy and to keep tho comment running. That hold the game up. May be it will be lifted back by the samo means. When Fred Fulton put Frank Moran away at New Orleans every fan who had criticized tho lean plasterer immediately im-mediately changed his mind. There was very few who wore willing to admit ad-mit that Fulton ws a worthy heavyweight heavy-weight It required tho Moran bout to produce results, regardless of the fact that Fulton had whipped practically every heavyweight of any reputation in the country.