Show Cand an Jetsam t Heavyweights S By GRANTLAND T D RICE HERE THERE 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 aU time but how can he prove it with the present crop of challengers Suppose we look back a few years Jim Corbett had a Sullivan to beat Fitzsimmons Fitzsimmons J p mons had a Corbett to handle Fitz had hada a Jeffries in the road and Jeff had hada J d a Fitz and a Cor Cor- Corr r Y 4 bett Also a Tom TomY Sharkey And the theold theold theold old sailor was no squash He could fight Grantland Rice nice Jack Johnson had Jim Jeffries eUries J for his up build-up al al- although al- al although though Jeff was then fat and part part- partly party partly ly y bald Jack Dempsey a great fight fight- fighter er had the best break of them all Jack weighing pounds the the day before the Willard fight had a pound giant to face a fighter who after all had won the title from the great Jack Johnson After that Dempsey had Carpen- Carpen Carpenter ter iier the great French war hero his Dis ability as a heavyweight far But the up build-up was vas on Then Dempsey was lucky enough nough to come upon the massive Firpo the wild bull bun of the Pampas the fighter who threw rocks After Firpo the old mauler from Manassa 11 anassa had two other good breaks creaks as far as crowds excite excite- excitement excitement excitement I ment and reputation go He had Gene Tunney and Jack Sharkey Tunney was the dead game young heavyweight just out of the war He could box punch and take his share He was bad bad- badly badly badly ly underrated So was Jack Sharkey on days or nights he wanted to fight Which wasn't too often This Sharkey harkey was the most temperamental fighter fi the ring ever saw But he could box and punch when he wanted to Dempsey had all the fight game needed great needed great ability to start with witha a a flaming spirit spirit and and at least five live opponents who could draw 1 gates Dempsey was responsible for the two great Tunney crowds No one knows this better than Gene al al- although although al- al although though he added his share It was entirely different when Tunney had I to face his ring future without any Dempsey around I think Tunney retired when he did for many valid i reasons S 5 e 1 New Order Now we begin to see what Ezzard Charles is up against what any heavyweight champion might be up against This includes Joe Louis It Itis Itis Itis is certain to work heavily against Ezzard Charles Tunney had a sorry lot to face after Dempsey lost his second start He had Sharkey Heeney and one or two more They were all terrible Tunney picked Heeney Deeney a short- short armed pushover I know Rickard Rickard Rick- Rick Rickard ard wanted Sharkey who had lost to After Tunney had completed his operation on Heeney there was nothing left left just just as there the e is noth noth- nothing nothing nothing ing left today today today-Sharkey Sharkey Baer Camera Carnera Braddock flotsam Braddock flotsam and jetsam Both and Baer were dangerous punchers at times Braddock was smart game but all through while through while Camera Carnera was wasa a pound joke Here was a spot in which no great heavyweight could have proved his rightful place There was nothing but inferior fighters to face Then Joe Louis came along Joe JoeLouis JoeLouis JoeLouis Louis has been a great fighter A Ahard Ahard Ahard hard puncher and a fine boxer but only fair on the receiving side where head punches have hurt him Louis has never drawn one of the head liners to beat Most of those Joe stopped had been beaten by somebody else Braddock out pointed Baer Baer knocked out Baer wrecked Camera Carnera a joke from start to finish Louis finish Louis was forced to get his reputation from a second-rate second group headed group headed by Billy Conn a light heavyweight But was the best fight fight- fighter er Louis had to meet through his career 20 Game Winners As usual the crop of 20 game winners will be quite thin this sea sea- son Only a trifle over two 10 months are left and there are still only five of six pitchers who are in i 1 fairly close shooting range The three with the better chance to land in this promised territory are Ken Heintzelman Heintzelman Heintzelman zelman of the Phillies Howie Pollet of the Cardinals and Vic of the Yankees Heintzelman has done the best job of the year |