THE CHINA MAIL, MAY 24, 1939.
How World Championship
Was Won By Man On His Back
By Leo Fuller
75,000 Crowd
Crowd Present For
Boxing's
INCE the mighty John L. Sul-
SING
livan, first 'glove' heavyweight champion of the world, smashed Paddy Ryan to defeat there have been seventeen battles in which the heavyweight championship of the world changed handa, Few of these contests caused such a sensation and controversy 39 when Max Schmeling won the world title from Jack Sharkey, under unique condi- tions.
After Tunney retired, there was a scramble among the heavyweights for the right to call themselves King of Fistiana. Schmeling knocked out
Young Stribling in the fifteenth round of a bruising battle, while the savage Sharkey dropped the British Phil Scott to the boards by palpably low blows. The latter fight caused world-wide con- troversy, but eventually Sharkey and Schmeling were matched for the cham- pionship.
Sharkey. was as temperamental as a prima donna, and as uncertain
* 8#
race horse. Few were the times when he wasn't booed from the ring. Fur- thermore, he earned the soubriquet "The Sobbing Sailor' by his hysterical exhibitions in the 'ring.
Yet when he wanted to. Sharkey could fight like a demon, and into the Yankee Stadium in New York poured 75,000 people on a hot June night in 1930,
There was drama in the air apart from the fight.
with
The ringside was crammed spectators typical of prohibition days -bootleggers, gorillas, hopheads, high- jackers, every kind of outlaw rubbed shoulders with the elite of the stage, society and sporting worlds. Droves of police fine combed the grounds for wanted characters, especially conduct- ing a search for certain gunmen who were known to have had a hand in the famous killing of Jake Lingle, the Chi- cago newspaper man.
Sharkey Wades In
was
Sharkey whirled into the fray from the first gong, and drove the German before him. Schmeling was always a slow starter, and the American quick to take advantage. Pressing his foe hotly, Sharkey punched with vene- mous accuracy, knocking back -Max's head with a rattling tattoo of two- handed blows,
Schmeling was his grim, game self, and he scored well with a left hook. But it seemed that Sharkey would not
Biggest
MAX SCHMELING the
first
man in boxing history to win a world title on a foul.
Fiasco
Up until then Sharkey had been box- Newspaper men, radio announcers, box- ing with the cool mastery of a true ing commission officials and hangers on champion. But that terrific belt on of every variety were leaping around the chin completely unnerved him, like so many monkeys in a flea circus. With a roar of rage, Sharkey crossed All this time Max lay on the floor, viciously with his right, missed and guarded by his seconds, refusing to. the men clinched. They reeled across move, and all the time Joe Jacob's the ring with Sharkey tearing himself shrill chant of 'Foul! Foul! Foul!' al- from the embrace. Max came forward most burst the car drums of everyone
Sharkey met him with a left within a hundred yards! hook, a left hook that started a few inches from the canvas and rose scarce-| ly at all. It was a savage punch, an alley-fighter's blow. With all his train. ed weight behind it, Sharkey's glove dug deeply into the German's groin, and Schmeling collapsed to the canvas like a pack of cards, crying he had been fouled. He grovelled on the floor, his face contorted with pain.
Referee Hesitates
Blow Declared Illegal
Eventually one of the judges opined that the American had struck an illegal blow. Finally, when the fifth round should have ended, the referee came to his decision, announced that it was a foul, and that Max Schmeling thus be- came heavyweight champion of the world, having also the unpleasant. dis- tinction of being the first man in box- ing history to gain the title in this way!
Absolute pandemonium reigned. The referee looked uncertainly at the When Sharkey heard the bad news, judges, before waveringly starting the he lived up to his nickname by burst- count. He had only reached 'two' when ing into tears, and had to be forcibly the bell rang, announcing the end of restrained from committing mayhem the round. At onee the ring was on Joe Jacobs. Eventually he left the crowded with wildly gesticulating sec-ring, accompanied by a storm of boos onds and managers. The spectators and jeers that must have made a world themselves howled their heads off. But record in volume.
through it all, rising above the incredi- The whole affair was utterly dis- ble din, was the shrill voice of Schme- graceful, and a blot on boxing's annals. ling's manager, Joe Jacobs, yelling with Yet the real victor was the fast-talk- ear-splitting force, 'Foul! Foul! Foul" ing, cigar-smoking little Jew, Joe Not for a second did Joe let up. The Jacobs. He won Schmeling's title for sweat poured down his face as he ran him more certainly than any manager from the judges to the referee, screech- before, and he won it with his man ly- ing in their faces. Sharkey sat in his ing on his back, groaning. corner with a sneering smile on his In their return fight Sharkey took face, calmly waiting
rest the title from the German on a ques- period to end. He didn't much tionable points decision. Once again stock on this foul business.
the volatile Joe distinguished himself, The referee and judges were in a be- by leaping into the ring after the ver wildered huddle, as nothing like this dict and giving voice to his apparently had ever happened in a world title fight| justified complaint. before. The bell for the fifth round
(COPYRIGHT) sounded practically unnoticed, as more Saturday-When Ku Klax Klan tried and more men surged into the ring. to steal a World Title.
for
the
set
Entries For Annual Championships
(Continued from Page 23) (Craigengower C.C.).
L. A. Collyer A. Steven
F. H. Waynes J. Hollidge
V
E. W. Simmonds V. Ebbage S. Eccleshall A. W. Grimmitt
F. Hillon J. Waid W. Seath
(Craigengower C.C.). D. M. Khan M. Y. Adal A. K. Minu A. R. Dallah
v T. Stainton
H. A. Alves
be denied, and he ploughed forward, (Hong Kong F.C.). unhooking some wicked right crosses. J. M. Forrest A hard left brought a trickle of blood G. S. Alexander from Sharkey's mouth, but he was on G. Perkins his toes, and he gave back three J. Orem smashes for the German's one.
A. M. Rodrigues F. V. V. Ribeiro v L. J. Silva
(Hong Kong F.C.).
The third round opened sensational- R. Lapsley ly, and the crowd roared as the Ameri- A. M. Holland can whipped in with sizzling hooks and J. C. Gill drilled away at Schmeling's jaw. Sud- T. Robson denly a murderous right hand explod-
W. McNeill C. W. Lam N. P. Karanjia v E Zimmern
J. N. Wong T. K. Lim H. Gittins v A. H. Basto
(Kowloon F.C.).
ed on the point of the chin, and Max | G. Lee lurched back into the ropes, definitely A. Madar groggy. It was a paralysing punch, A. W. Ramsay and it had really set him up for aT. A. Madar knock-out. However, Sharkey, usually
(Kowloon B.G.C.).
J. V. Ramsay W. Mulcahy T. W. Carr v J. Fraser B.G.C.C.),
a show off, stepped back to admire his A. E. H. Castro handywork, and gave the German pre- W. J. Howard cious seconds in which to recover. J. L. Stephens
Dazed And Befuddled
A. Spary
Kowloon
E. E. Pope A. Morton
༔
A. S. Russell W. Walker A. J. Hall R. Duncan
V
(Recreio).
G. Bowden
Even so, Schmeling was in a bad E. A. Atkins way, as his foe resumed the assault. H. White He was obviously dazed and befuddled, and was fighting desperately to keep W. Nash his senses, as the bell ended the round. F. E. Nash With a strained, anxious face, Joe W. Naef Jacobs went to work on Schmeling in H. Nish his corner, calling for the smelling (Recreio). salts.
C. F. Remedios Out for the fourth round came the A. P. Guterres German, having staged a remarkable J. J. Basto recovery. Even so, Sharkey fired vol B. Basto leys of lefts and rights to his head, and it seemed just a matter of time before J. Hoosen one of his thunderous blows connected. A. Baker But a sensation was only a few sec A. O. Madar onds away. Stiffening suddenly, Max M. R. Abbas. drove a right to the on-rushing Shar(Kowloon key's jaw, which landed with such force M. E. Purvis that the American's nose started to B. J. Burling bleed. Them Be Lont him))
J. Smith
W. Hobbs
V R. S. Meadows
(Kowloon Docks).
WHillyer
H. E. Drew E. Searle
D. W. Waterton G. E. F. Thompson
A. F. Noronha J. A. Luz J. E. Noronha C. G. Silva
L. Gaddi H. W. Randall *** J. 9. Landolt.
C.C.).
V
R. Basa
M. N. Rakusen
R. A. Edwards, K. S. Robertson, W. (Police R.C.).
Gill, J. Pau, W. Ward, J. S. Landolt, The following rinks drew buyes:- C. S. Rosselet, M. J. Medina, W. K. J. McCutcheon, S. Hodge, A. Jilliot Way, U. M. Omar, A. M. Omar, K. M. and C. Gowland; R. Main, H. O. Gilles, Omar, C. W. Lam, E. Zimmern, A. J. W. Melrose and J. C. Chalmers; N. Coelho, A. E. Coates, B. W. Bradbury, Fraser, S. Farlow, J. McWalter and J. R. Basa, A. M. Holland, T. E. Rob- S. Riddell; W. Excell, A. Eastman, V. son, R. Duncan, J. C. Gill, W. L. Walk- Petherick and T. Fergusson; A. Cal-er, S. M. White, H. Nish, S. Randle, R. man, M. Fergusson, R. Morrison and P. Phillips, A. Bower, A. S. Russell, J. C. Brown; J. C. Remedios, C. C. J. G. Meyer, A. J. Hall, J. S. Logan,
and Pereira, O. P. Remedios
E. de D. W. Waterton, P. J. Hamilton, H.
Souza; A. M. Xavier, D. C. Alves, C. White, V. C. Dixon, J. N. Wong, W. M. S. Alves and C. Roza-Pereira; F.-J. Howard, Y. Abbas, H. Gittens, C. A. Machado, C. M. Silva, J. F. V. Ri-Moșe, N. A. E. Mackay, Y. H. Tang, beiro and F. X. M. da Silva; J. S. Ho F. Goodwin, E. C. Fincher, T. W. Carr, well, W. J. Reid, N. Bebbington and A. Brooksbank; L. Lammert, A. N. Other G. Duncan and W. Gill; R. P. Phillips, H. G. Bicknell, J. S. Logan and J. G. Meyer; A. Bower, J. S. Beach, S. M. White and S. Randie; J. H. Xav- ier, G. S. Ladd, T. Locke and J. Pau; J. W. Leonard, K. M. Omar, A. E. Coates and B. W. Bradbury; W. J. Penny, A. A. Razack, A. M. Omar and
W. H. Hobbs, R. S. Meadows, J. M. Jack, W. Mulcahy, H. Overy, T. Ma- dar, Y. A. Razack, G. C. Moss, H. E. Strange. W. R. Hillyer, A. Grimmitt, M. N. Rakusen. W. J. Burling. H. F. Harper, L. R. Whant, S. Eccleshall and E. Kirman.
U. M. Omar; H. Overy, V. C. Labrum, LAWN BOWL TEAMS
S.
E. C. Fincher and F. Goodwin, Strange, E. Strange, C. Strange, and H. Strange.
OPEN SINGLES
The following are the entries in the Open Singles;
FOR SATURDAY
The following have been chosen ta represent the Kowloon Cricket Club in the Lawn Bowls League games Saturday...
on
v Recreio "A" (Home)` V. C. Labrumi, J. W. M. Brown, H. Nish and F. Goodwin (skip).
W. Hyde, T. A. Madar, H. Overy and E. C. Fincher (skip).
Geo. Lee, W. Mulcahy, J. Hyde and E. Kern (skip).
Reserve:-A, E. Perry.
C. Gowland, S. Hodge, A. Jillott, J. McCutcheon, T. Gooding, E. S. Franks, A. E. Carey, W. Mair, J. S. Riddell, J. C. Aitken, G. Perkins, D. Fitches, C. Dowman, N. B. Fraser, J. M. Forrest, W. S. Dall, F. E. Channing, E. G. Post, J. Orem, A. Eastman, W. V. Field, V. N. Atienza, V. Chittenden, A. R. Minu, M. Y. Adal, A. R. Dallah, A. K. Minu, M. R. Abbas, D. M. Khan, A. M. Cal man, J. C. Brown, F. Cullen, E. de
v H.K.E.R.C. (Away) Sousa, C. C. Pereira, F. X. M. da Sil-
W. H. Hobbs, F. E. Nash, R. Mea- va, H. A. Alves, L. J. Silva, R. F. Luz, F. V. V. Riberio, J. C. Remedios, M.dows and J. M. Jack (skip). F. Alarcon, J. F. V. Ribeiro, C. H. Bas- to, B. Basto, J. E. Noronha, J. A. da Luz, L. F. Xavier, F. X. Soares, C. G. Silva, C. M, da Silva, J. R. Soares, C. M. S. Alves, C. F. Remedios. A. Brooks- bank, J. S. Howell; W. J. Reidy J. A R. Belby, J. H. Gelling, F. P. Anslow,
.:
W. Naef, A. Madar, A. W. Ramsey and T. A. Carr (skip),
A. C. Tribble, H. J. Smith, G. W. Bowden and W. W. Hirst (skip).
Reserves:-T. A. Fable, W. Nash, J. Hempsey, H. F. Shield. S. C. Green, and Hill