MUST HIT THESE FIRST.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3442, 23 March 1920, Page 6

MUST HIT THESE FIRST.

TASK FOR CARPENTIER

George McDonald, said to be the emissary of Charles B. Cochran, the London theatrical magnate and fight promoter, says: “Curpcntier will heat anyone he can hit.” Good and true, says ‘the American"writ.er, Otto Floto, and so can Bill Brennan, Bafiley Madden, and Al Reich, and many others of our lleavyweight di\‘l‘.§ion; so we fail to see where th?it’s any advantage in his bout. with Dempsey. GreOl'ge:; must. hit Ihelchampioxi to win fronr him. Tha'r’s what all the others who fight him must do. 'l‘hat’s all that Willard had to do to come out of the fracas 2. winner instead of 21. loser. Had Carl Morris been able to hit. Dempsey he also might have won, and so might Fred. Fulton at Harrison, New Jersey, on the day the big plas-' terer was beaten‘"m a round. There ’s

no denying Carpcntier possesses a punch. He had that same punch when he fought Bill Papke, and he hacl it when he tackled Frank Klaus. and also carried it out when he fought Gunboat Smifh. None of .this trio suffered discomfiture because of the wallop hung ‘EO the shoulder of the great and popular French idol.

Let’s not lose sight of the fact that Jack Denupscy is the shiftiest heavyweight sinco the days of James J. Corbett and Tommy Burns. The lastnamed pair had the word “speed” as their middle name. I’c’g an easy I’eu’t

fora champion, or rather a. hmd

puneher, to walk up to a statioua.ry target and score a bullseye. But when the same hitter is asked 10 perform. the feat on a. swinging target a g‘l'ea‘£ transformation takes place, and the man in his attempts to -hit this moving body before him is ofiten made to appear ridiculous because of the nl:u‘gill with which he misses. And, ful*’thermore, there is nothing which so discourages u fighter as “to miss.” It seems t"o"ta.ke confidence awayfrom him, and unless. he is absolutely stout of heart he is apt to"‘ehuck it” at? some critical moment of the batle.

Carpentier will i’illd 1!’: :1 vast" difference between the slow, blundcriug, flat-footed Becket-t. and the deer-like Dempsey. When .the. champion, with his swinging to and fro ‘attitude, gets in front. of C‘arpenfier———well, wait and see.

Talk about becoming dis<3ol.lmgod beczlusc of inability to hit an opponent we need but .‘t‘urn back the pages and I'e\'iew the Fitzilnmons~Mahol'

lstcrzxp at New Orleans. Malier had ':l«‘it.z beaten in the first round as fairly and squal‘éTy ans 3. man was ever beaten, but by some sharp practices on ‘the part of Fitz‘s seconds they saved Ruby Robe‘l'tu's bacon. After -the round Fitz was Very careful, using only :1 straight: left for the ‘remainder of the bout, "He outiboxed Maher completely, so when in his corner thoroughly disgusted 21': ‘the final round Peter went back to his inability to land a telling punch, he turned to Gus Tuthill and said: “He has the devil in him, so what’s the use of me trying any t'urtller; throw in the sponge.” ‘ Many at. the ringside atfribu‘fed Mahcrfs action to cxowar(lice~, and this stigma followed him ever after. Yet it was discouragenient rather than cowardice, although we are free" to admit it good game man would :1 thousand times I'a’tllel' take the count than have “the rag skied” in token of defeat. Game men never surren-l der no matter what -the tide of l)at.-l‘ tlo brings forth. Remember the fil'Stl Jack Dempsey when he stood help-'1 less, bafitered to a pulp in that thir-' tcenth round of their battle, alld Fitzimmons realised what a game man the Noupareil proved himself, said, “I doll’e want to punish a game man lilic you -any more. Why don ’t you quit?”

The very suggestion of quitting aroused all the anger in Dempsey, who retor‘fed: “Quit? Quit‘? Why you big stiff, if you think it’s in you make me quit. If I had you as you got me I wouldn’t ask you to quit. I’d make you quit. Quit nothing.” Then came the iiever-‘to-be-gofteu knock—o.ut. Fitz shifted and swung his right to Dempse_v’s jaw, who fell flat on his face. railed Over, groattori and 1-he figiai 'ha<7. ended. Also Dempsoy’_,, heart‘ was broken. for he never rallied from ‘Fife effects of that defeuf. He died a fog’ years Ifiter in Portland, Oregom. ~