Evening Republican, Volume 16, Number 304, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 December 1912 — FIGHTERS NOW LACK PUNCH [ARTICLE]

FIGHTERS NOW LACK PUNCH

Few of Modern Pugilists Possess Sufficient Force In Their Blows to Produce Knockout. Few fighters of the present day are gifted with the “punch,” say experts of the game. The boxers either spar for time and drag along for draw decisions or the sporting world must be forced to the conclusion that there is a dearth of battlers of old of the type of Nelson in his prime, Fitzsimmons, McGovern and Ketchell. This trio, especially Fitz and Ketchell, had wallops like kicks from a mole. Billy Papke of Kewanee, a contemporary of Ketchell, is still living, to be sure, and only recently defeated Carpenter, champion middleweight of France, but Papke at his best is only a shadow of the husky lad who gave Ketchell the battles of his life. Johnny Kilbane has yet to demonstrate that he possesses the punch, and Wolgast Is dabbling around in limit contests without handling his opponents the K. O. potions. Fighters must have the wallop to mAa the greatest successes and shine as drawing cards like Battling Nelson, Joe Gans, Stanley Ketchell, Fitzsimmons and Jeffries. In the heavyweight division there is not one lighter of class who deserves to eat the crumbs from the table of the old timers so far as real fighting ability is concerned. Old speckled Bob Fitzsimmons might clean out the whole bunch in a single night were he in his prime. There is no pugilist who is to the fight game what Frank Gotch is to wrestling. Had Gotch been a prize fighter, instead of a grappler, he might have remained the champion of the world for many years. He has speed, endurance, weight, strength and a wonderful brain. He would have raised the level of pugilism just as he has elevated wrestling.