Evening Republican, Volume 17, Number 11, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 13 January 1913 — “ILLINOIS THUNDERBOLT” REGAINS FORM [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

“ILLINOIS THUNDERBOLT” REGAINS FORM

When Billy Papke of Kewanee, HI., returns to America it will be to battle for the middleweight boxing championship of the world. When he is to return is not known at present, but it is thought it will be within a few months. At present he is fighting in France and England with much success. He has been across the pond less than six months and in that period has won the championship of his division in England and France. He has had three battles and won all three on knockouts- ~

Papke is in the form displayed when champion of the. world and stood as a rival of Stanley Ketchel for the honors. Then he was referred to as the “Illinois Thunderbolt,” and he was deserving of the appellation. Defeats by Ketchel took most of the aggressive fighting spirit out of him and he has been some time in recuperating. It is said he has fully recovered and is a “Tipton Slasher.” He has his former knockout punch back and Is as fast as ever. His condition, reports have it, could not be improved upon and he is making the middleweight limit without any trouble. There will be considerable aclion in the middleweight ranks when Papke comes back. Aside from Ketchel, no 158-pounder was more popular

than the Kewanee‘lad since the days of Tommy Ryan. His style of milling was liked, as > was his willingness to “scrap” while’ in the ring. Papke, when struggling for the title a few years ago, never was known to stall. Getting Into the ring and slashing toe to toe with his opponent was his chief hobby, and he made himself famous with his “loop-de-loop” punch* which he first used successfully against Hugo Kelly in Milwaukee, when he conquered the then crack middleweight fighter. He has not changed his style of' boxing any, It is said. This means there is trouble- ahead for Eddie Mo Goorty and Mike Gibbons, who are striving to settle the middleweight championship Of America among themselves. Neither has met a fighter of Papke’s type and will find the going a bit rough when they ~ meet one. Neither can hit hard enough tOi stop Papke. Ketchel was known as the assassin in the ring when he knocked out thirty-three men in fortysix fights, and this included the best; sluggers of his day. Papke, in his bouts with the late champion, staged! a bitter and desperate fight and gave* as good as he received until he was knocked out. He lost because Ketchel carried the stiffer punch.

Billy Papke of Kewanee.