ZANIES OF THE RING~}}
THE CHINA MAIL, SATURDAY, DECEMBER 28, 1967.
By GILBERT ODP
got a nice saloon
He got
i
YALKING into a fashionable New York restaurant one day, famous Tom Sharkey seated himself at prominent table called over the head wafter and ordered a dozen lobsters.
He had just come to the big city for the first time. The night before he had been with friends who had downed oysters by the dozen, and he thought it was fashionable to order in quantities.
"Pardon me sir," said the waiter, "but where is the rest of your party?
Touret back
"I'm the party....all of it," "Take him away then," miles Sattor Ton. Sturkey, “And bring me the "Bring on the lobsters, I'm winner. I've no time for losers!! hungry,
That was Sharkey. He bod
It was explained to him that no time for Insors, Although one lobster at a time was the he had to bite the resin rust on usual thing, but when they occadors, he always went down brought him one Sharkey fighting and was usually in noticed it had a claw missing. conscious when declared to have
"How come in a bit short?" hered.
"Lobsters are great fighters." explained the walter. "They are always at it and sometimes one of them will lose a elow as a resull,"
poorest, meagre
wan
Sharkey refuse to take h
rolled on the canvas in agony, both gloved hands grasping his
abdomen.
"You're disqualified for a low punch," Exp sald curtly to the astonished Fitzimmons. Then he dropped his hands on Fun butt and glared at the specta- fora. No one made a sound and Although Bob made a court esse of it ho never got a cent from
his education mart New York. On learning that crowds," he said, "Take your that San Francisco batin.
When quite a his boyhood hero, John L. charo." youngster he worked his passage Sullivan
living there to America where he joined the Sharkey lost no time in making U.S. Navy.
the trip. The first thing he did on arrival was to locate the old Prize Ring champion.
Strong as a bull, tough and brimful of confidence and conv- ag, it wasn't long before he was sempied into puiting on the gloves with hh: shipmates.
And In two yours, pent nly at the naval base in Honolulu, Ton rac up 19 knack- out victories in as many fights.
His Hero
To his dismay he found the veteran hud fulien on evil limes, so he suggested that John L., and he should box un exhibition at o benefit show to be staged at Madison Square Garden.
caine
Tom really thought he had been fouled by Fitzrlinmons. Hie cent, whereupon Sullivan wept, had never been hit so hard in a few tears, wiped them away on his Hite. He had three moro the back of his hand, slapped Aghts then deelded to Tom the shoulder and cald home and see the old folk in "You've a heart of told, son. 1 Dundalk where he had first seen hops you will soon occupy the the light of day. pines I held for so long and make your fortune.
Sailor Tom did neither, je catre nighty close enjoyed himself immensely the procesi.
tender
le knocked out four ep- ponents In Ireland and England But Then came an offer of a night and with Jim Jeffries, who was last in becoming a hot challenger for
world honourz,
with
New
Way Up
Sharkey returned to New Se Billy Delaney, Jeffries' York where he was feled by chief second, uhtled Jin's right every Irishman in the big city, glove during the interval before It seemed that the whole town the last round, so that when was behind him and wherever Sharkey trapped the hand under he went crowds thronged along his loft armph and Jeffries himself tree the with him.
tried to tug glove came off, The championship fight with Jeffries was the first ever filmed would earn Shailey disquall- Perhaps they thought this indoors. To make sure of get- tention, perhaps they thought ting a good pleture the camera- he would comunit foul by men hung up 1,200 are. Ughts striking the champ when he was over the 24. ring, square was like an oven when gloveteen on one hand. the Iwo principals climbed They need not have worried. through the ropes,
The referee relied Big Jim's gloves, and they sweltered The bigger Joffries was the through the remainder of the more troubled of the two. Tem 25th round. could hear the sal beneath the
At the Anal Jeffries's arm was, pavilion and felt very much at home, "I Just Ne being held loft. Blectlans broke loose. aboard ship," he declared. But the
Tvas shanipion
sweating On
general reckoning store they started.
Sharkey had won 18 of the rounds; it would have been a
Co
tho
the
Once again Sharkey put up crime to have given it a draw..
a terville batile against a man But thero it was. Jeffries kept superior to himself in every de- his title und would under no #ree except guts. And all the circumstances ment Sharkey bad luck came the challenger's again.
way.
The idea caught on and the big arena was packed for
bout and
The oxhibition Gecasion, past
present champions at alt the weighis Sullivan had brought him into coming along to lend a hand, the limelight as a possible con
Lor the heavyweight
Poor Tom was in a bad way After the fourney Sullivan tho, Straight away the
In the third round Jeffries at the finish. Hic cars host was hunded the takings in a York gamblers decided to ensh
They fought
bruising cama tcaring aut, Shatky been caulifloweral, hig 11070 big gladstone bag, Accompanied in on the new discovery. rounds with the decision going swung ut him, missed and went bushed in, his eyes damaged by Sharkey they went into a
narrowly to Big Im on points, oft balance, They colllded and und what's more three of la was arranged with Considering he was outweighed their heads came together with ribs were broken. It was three Bob Fitzsimmons in San Fran by three alones and the shorter a crack that could be heard all days before they could lift him cisco. The Cornishman contents on the counter.
Wanus by five inches, Sharkey had over the arena,
out of a chair, Spreading the cuins and bills treading hard op Corbett's heels, put up a Ane showing.
took on Sturkey out in a big circlo John but willingly
Sailor to take his considering it an easy touch, So Someone invited the
not the A rough simplu fellow his
way the It was but pbringing had been at the suggested he would do well in pick. "My boy you
Gamblers planned it.
lost.
Tom was a zanie fighter all right. As be
was born in Ireland that probably Decounts for it.
As I see
today.
In San Francisco he won, a number of professional bouts at the local arena, and came into prominence with a win over Joe Choynsk heavies of the day and by box- ing a draw with none other than "Gentleman Jar Corbell, the world's champion.
one of the leading large saloon and emptied the A fight
Tom was 23' then,
draw the
America
... by CUMMINGS
Sherman Adam pept Polica)
Information (Co)
on
Take All
Fitz was encouraged to fight winner-take-nil basis, then, just before the bout be Can, into the ring stepped Wyatt Earp, the noted marshal of
the West who was to referve, Before starting them off, Me Earp told the spectators that he was there to render his deel- slon, which they would have to accept as sportsmen.
It split Tom's left eyebrow But soon he was about again After he had knocked out Gus wide open and blood spurted and bought a fimo saloon, on Ruhlin, another contender, in a out like water from a fountain. Broadway with his ring car- single round he got a match But injuries of this nature never inges, with Jim Corbett, who had just bothered the tough Sailor, and lost the title to Fitzsimmons. he fought on for another 22;
ho kot
Tom Inew that if he could rounds with only the roughest of only lick the ex-eliainp he must back to his corner,
patching up whenever get a litle fight with Fitz. He knew that Corbett held him in reat contempt, zo Tom fraint as never before in order to be at the peak of physical fitness for the tray.
Bustling Into Gentleman Jim
Big Fight
He had forther troubles in in anything but gentlemanly the ninth, he tossed a huge left manner, Sharkey soon had his at Jeffries' head that missed by rival in trouble.
a bare inch. The force behind the blow tore Tours arm out Corbett faded rapidly under of its sucket, and he had to the Sallor's hefly swings from lead with bis right unill the To emphasise his remarks he either hand, ang scenext on the pain had subsided. swished "aside the falls at his verge of being knocked out-o frock coat so that even the fans when one of lika reconds entered in the most remote parts of the the ring and Sinckey was at arena could see that he carried once awarded the declšim. a six-gun on each hip.
Now he found he would only are the left by jumping in with i stuek out like a ramrod, and immediately Jeffries began to counter with heavy right swings to the unprotected ribs.
Meanwhile, Jeffries hol Sharkey was outclassed and knneked out Fitzsimmons punished" unmetalfully. In the win the clumpionship and now eighth round Bob felnied with the newspapers begin to presa SU he was proving too fast In left to the head to bring up Sharkey's claim to a title ight. for the champion and pleking
the Sailor's guard, then stepped in with a mighty left swing 10 the nerve centre just below the middle of the ribs.
Eventually was arranged up the points, Well ahead, h to take place on Coney Island, did some holding in the final New Yorie's perpetual pleasure rounds that brodil forth angry ground, early in November, protests from the champion's Every ounce of breath was 1889, It was winner all the corner. But the referre fuol krocked out of Tom's body. He way,
no action.
POCKET CARTOON
by OSBERT LANCASTER
Christmas Cons
TASY FOR YEH V.8
"Have you any angels that are. not quite so defiantly
airbome?"
opinions dept.
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