Boxing's New-old Problem Again Arises

Manawatu Times, Volume 60, Issue 227, 26 September 1935, Page 7

Boxing's New-old Problem Again Arises

LATEST NEGRO SENSATION RECALLS JOHNSON’S DAYS

The world-wide interest taken in boxing by people in all walk of life and with all manner of opinions is largely because the ring is so full of surprises. For instance, a few months ago it seemed that the world’s heavyweight championship position was flat and dull. Max Baer was then champion, and there was nobody in sight likely to de-

throne him. When the Madison Square Garden syndicate matched James J. Braddock, tho former out-of-work stevedore, with tho champion it only served to emphasise what appeared to bo tho poverty of heavyweight talent. Then tho unexpected came about. Baer was beaten by Braddock and all had to reshuffle ideas. Baer had been considered the equal of many of tho giants of the past. His punch was terrific and his toughness something to marvel at.

Ho had battered tho gigantic Camera into such a state of helplessness that the referee had to intervene in the eleventh roqud. That was considered to be a notable achievement.

A few months ago a mild-looking negro, only twenty-one years of age, named Joe Louis, of Detroit, gave Camera such a terrific beating that the referee had to step in to avoid what might have been a fatality iu the sixth round. The Italian colossus was beaten more decisively and in much quicker time than Baer could aeomplish the feat. This Joe Louis has been making his presence felt iu American rings ever since he joined the professional ranks after-having n successful period as an amateur.

Apart from his bland and almost cherubic face—if one can use this expression with a negro—Louis is every inch a lighter. A fine physical specimen, he stands 6ft. lin. and weighs over lost.

When in tho ring his face is. as devoid of any signs of emotion as is the charming countenance of the

efiicient Mrs. Helen Wills Moody, on the Centro Court. One physical peculiarity about Louis is the extraordinary size of his thumbs. They arc so large that the boxing gloves have to be specially made for him. This feature will be of particular interest to students of chiromaney. In the science of the hand—and those who make a study of it declare that it is indeed a science—tho thumb :is regarded as tho key to what the hand has to reveal in character.

Perhaps it will not be out of place here to quote what an authority has to say on the subject. “It is the master finger. It sums uf our vital force, our will. Tho Ancients looked upon it as the f very smybol of man. Cowards had it cut off. In Sparta, the teachers as a punishment bit the thumbs of their lazy pupils. The thumb is man. Idiots have a short thumb. The new-born baby, as yet without will-power, holds its thumb hidden in its closed hand; tho epileptic, who has lost his will-power, does the same. The long thumb, indicates the dominating will-power of tho leaders, tho ambitious. Many of tho world’s great men had largo thumbs.’’

Even if wo had not been told about the large thumbs, it is now fairly obvious that Joe Louis would wipe the floor with all the heavyweights. The negroes throughout America havo hailed him as a second Jack Johnson, and there’s the rub, says the Sunday Pictorial. Directly the news of his victory over Camera swept like wild-lire through the negro quarters oi all the big towns in the U.S.A. wild demonstrations were the result.

One message read thus: Detriot Harlem went wild after Louis's victory. Thousands of negroes paraded tho streets; sirens, drums and other instruments added to the din. Traffic was disorganised for hours. Windows of trains were shattered. In Harlem, New York, 100,000 negroes celebrated until dawn. Every instrument which might make a noise was used.

When Jack Johnson had lost his world’s title Americans in Boston said “Never again’’ and in New York “Never no more.’’ And the two' expressions meant the same thing—that for public peace and security it was not advisable to have a negro holding the world’s heavyweight title. Since then every negro fighter of promise in U.S.A. has been put forward as a deacon of the church or a Bible reader.

Probably many people in this country may dismiss tho subject with a mere shrug by saying: “Well, that’s America’s problem; it doesn’t affect us.” Perhaps it will bo as well to point, out that- the British Empire is more largely affected than America. If it is a serious matter in tho United States it is much more so in so many parts of the world that come under the Union Jack.

If Joe Louis is to be a champion, let him be the coloured champion of the world. There are enough negro fighters to have a championship all to themselves.