BOXING

Digger (Invercargill RSA), Issue 17, 9 July 1920, Page 14

BOXING

By Castor.

FACTS ABOUT FULTON.

Is Fred F ulton too tail to make an ideal heavy-weight boxer? Watching him closely in the short-lived bout with Arthur Townley at Olympia, one certainly gleaned the knowledge that he is an exceptionally useful boxer — one who understands the boxing alphabet from A to Z and backwards. Some of the critics whose knowledge of the ftner points of the sport is pretty meagra, only saw in him a lumbering giant, essentially depeuding upon brute strength to win fistic battles. So much for their ignorance, which has becorne more of a feature than a rarity. Let me state for their information that "Ferocious Fred" is a boxer little behind Billv Wells for actual science, hui far far in advance of the ex-bombardier in skill and confidence. Fulton is not an ungainly giant; rather is he fast on his feet and symmetrical in his huild. Still, the world' s best fighters have been men who stood between 6ft. and 6ft 2^in., and the couple of inches advantage over all others boasted by Fulton may make a big difference when opposed to a man of Joe Beckett's caJibre. TALL CHAMPIONS. Jess Willard was the tallest champion of the world, his height being 6ft. 7in. w-ithout his socks. His reach is 83gin. However, although Willard is the tallest glove-fighter that has ever figured in ptrominent matches, he is not the tallest fighter in ring history, as that distinction belongs to Charles Freeman, an American, whom Ben Caunt. a Prize Ring Champion of England, brought to England in the year 1842. Freeman stood seven feet in altitude, but. he was not a recognised flghter, although he subsequently took part in a couple of matches with William Perry, the "Dipton Slasher." They attracted oonsiderable attention at the period, but Freeman had little but his strength to recommend him. Both the famous blacks, Peter Jackson and Jack Johnson, stood 6ft. O^in. high ; Jim Jeffries is 6ft. l^in., as also is Frank Slavin ; whilst John L. Sullivan was only 5ft. 101, in. FULTON'S FEATS. Tommy Bmns was one of the smallest heavy-weight world1 s champions, his height being but 5ft. 7in. ; but the conqueror of Gunner James Moir possessed an extraordinary reach. With the exception of his sensational defeat by Jack Demysey, Fred Fulton, the former plasterer, has done all that . has been asked of him in workmanlike fashion, and that master-csraftsman Sam Langford, for the first time in his wonderful carser, had to quit to Fulton at the end of seven rounds because, as the "Tar Baby" tersely expressed it : "He's too big for me." Fancy Langford, of all fighters, making such a confession ! And the famous negro was little more than a welterweight when he fought Jack Johnson fifteen furious rounds. He gave Massa Jack so much to think about that the latter, fbr the. rest of his career, deliberatoly side-stepped the greatest twelvestone fighter the world has possibly seen. Fulton, who, by the way, bears a sim,ilar facial resemblance to Young- Josephs, the former British welterweighi champion, is a good-humoured giant, and; although he failed to win the world's heavyweight crown, he nevertheless may be considered one of the most formidable big men of the boxing ring. A TALK WITH THE BIG AMERICAN. I had a long chat with him one morning recently and found him an interesting conversationalist. "What made you take to the boxing business ?" I enquired, straining my neck for the purpose of catching his eye. "Well," h© drawled, in his casual way, "you see, my trade proved very awkward for my height. We had to work under ceilings from a seafield, and myhead kept bumpmg the top so often, with unpleasant feelings for my brain-pan, that I decided to seek some other mode of eaniing a few dollars. So, after watching a few fighis, I decided to butt into the sport, and I've certainly no regrets to offer, thank you, because I have found it a plcasant profession. "Where was I born? Oh, at a place called Blue Rapids, which is Kansas, twcn-ty-eight years ago. I was a big boy at school, and none of the lads ever trouhled to take me on.

"My first taste for actual boxing for money, and the shouts of the crowd, happened in 1913. Since then I have met all of the best in my country, and until Dernpsey knocked me out, I had rever had a decisive reverse registered against me. I certainly had lost four matches, and I regret to say that, according to the referees, they wrere in alleged fouls. SOME OF FULTON'S FIGHTS. "Some of the fellows whom I licked are well known to you in England. Arthui.' Pelkey, who was here several year3 ago, I put down in five rounds; whilst Terry Kellar, who, I understand, accounted for Frank Goddard, was beaten in four rounds. Then Porky Flynn, whom friends tell medurnished a clever exhibition with your. Billy Wells, was also one of my victims. I ' beat him first over twenty rounds, and afterwaxds twice stopped him in four- and then in two rounds. "Tom Cowler, the Englishman whom, as you will know, prior to visitirg the States was a Cumberland coalminer, went down and out in less than a round.; but in our second meeting Tom nearly caught me hending. I was touring with a vaudeville company, and paying less attention to training than I ought to have done. We were starring a.t St. Louis, and the fans there wanted to see me fight, so Cowler was wired for, and eventually arrived on the trrin. I had decided to make the bout as short as possibl© on aceount of my condition rot being first-class, and told the management so ; but they begged me to let the bout go a few rounds, and in goodness of heart I consented, Well, to cut a long storv short, as heavyweights are expected to do when in action, Cowler caught me a real corker in the opening round, and down I went like a sack of wet maize. I certainly could hear church bells, but, somehow, I managed to rise before the 'ninc— out' came round. "My head was singing all sorts of jaz z music, and had Cowler landed another real haymaker it would have been 'goodnight' for Fred Fulton. However I etalked round, and helieve me, I was blowing like an eighty-mile-an-hour gale. But I made up my mind to give Cowler no more chances, and in the end I managed to finish him in five rounds. But, my friend, it was a close call for Frederick, and taught me a tremendous lesson which I shall never forget. The mora! is : 'Never enter the ring unless you are feeling fit to fight for the world's title, no matter how raw your opponent is supposed to be.' "