A BOXER’S ROMANCE

Northern Advocate, 22 April 1933, Page 12

A BOXER’S ROMANCE

THE LATE ERNIE -SCHAAF,

ENGAGED TO MILLIONAIRE’S DAUGHTER.

‘' Ernie Schaaf, who was knocked out last Friday night by the giant boxer, Prime Camera, in the thirteenth of a 10-Tound contest, died today.” So ran a cable report from New York a few weeks ago, concluding the career of a fighter who might have gained Avorld’e heavvAveight title honours; who achieved as much fistic greatness ns ho did through the genius of a previous mentor' —and a girl.

Dame Fortune had her last smile on the being she look from the humble life of a private in the .Marinos, gave fortune and fame, in the ring, affianced him to the beautiful daughter of a millionaire book publisher, offered him the opportunity to become world’s heavyweight champion, and •then—finis. Who can say that but for a chance glance from Phil Schlossberg at a big raw-boned 16-year-old boy, with an aggressive jaw, and the slow walk of a fighter idling round an American Navy yard, Schaaf might be alive today, unheard of as a man of the American Marines?

But for the fact that later on, Schaaf and Schlossberg parted, and Schaaf joined the camp of the official world’s heaA’yweight champion, Jack Sharkey, the late boxer might not have fought Primo Camera in that fatal Ncav York bout (Avrites Jack Elliott in the Sydney Referee).

It seems that Fate had much to do with the erratic course of Sehaaf's life. Born of poor parents, he had at sixteen the physique of a man easily developed into a star athlete. He had a strength of body that greatly overshadowed his will power. Boxing Possibilities. From the time Schlossberg saw boxing possibilities in the boy the finances of the Sehaaf family took a decided turn for the better. Hs was signed to Schlossberg, and in two years the process of moulding tSchaaf into a fighter —supporting his family in the meantime—cost the mentor near seven and a half thousand dollars. During this tiihe, Schlossberg, a first-class lightweight in his day, taught the boy all the necessary tricks of the trade, one by one and thoroughly. It is said of Sehaaf that he was per* feet in his punches. His hooks, jabs, uppercuts, and a variety of others were delivered with perfect case and utmost accuracy.

It Avas nobody’s fault that Sehaaf was not born with- the fighting brain necessary to combine his fighting assets into one flaring fighting machine that makes a boxer a great champion. But, Avhile .Schlossberg Avms behind the boy in the corner, directing the campaign and “thinking” for the boxer, this ex-marine never looked anywhere but f o i’avu rd iu the leather-glove game, Schlossberg managed Sehaaf to earn £20,000 in one year. He sold him and watched him earn £25,000 in the next eight months.

Then Schaaf changed pilots in midstream, joined the Sharkey—.Buckley camp, and altered almost overnight from a bright potentiality to ono of the best of a poor bunch of heavyweights to be rated about tenth best in the world.

It has not yet appeared in print how a scheme thought out by Schlossberg and a Saturday Evening Post feature writer and playwright, Charles Coo, side-tracked Schaaf from the wild life indulged im after training grinds and bouts, to the straight and narrow path of a Spartan athlete imperative for a. champion boxer if he wishes to succeed, and isn't a “Griifo, ” a Harry Orel), or a Maxie Eosenblnm. Dislike of Training. It was near the end of the Sehloss-berg-Schaaf regime. Schaaf was suffering from too much quick success. He had taken a sudden dislike to training. Ho refused to go to his bed before early morning. The time had come when Schaaf had to be reformed or “given up.” As he was a big money spinner, it was worth while “reforming” him, especially as most good fighters are inclined to be fond of the city highlights, Schlossberg and Coe put their heads together. They decided that the influence of a fine woman might cause Schaaf to give up his wild life. The change had to be immediate. Drastic methods were necessary. At that time a millionaire publisher ot New York City was a. friend of botli Schlossberg and Coe. The publisher had a beautiful daughter. She had recently returned from Europe with all the polish and culture of a European education. The conspirators know Schaaf had never seen such a woman. Ke would be impressed with her. The question was whether she would agree to act an the. uplifting one.

That night Schlossberg and 'Coe visited the publisher. The plan was put. before him. lie was agreeable. He sent for his daughter, and the girl became enraptured with the idea, and the anticipated fun. The following night Schaaf was made to break an appointment, and to join a party at the publisher’s home. The uplift; scheme started. According to Schlossberg, the boxer was in a dream from the time ho met the girl. The fighter had not one party trick — at least not for parlies usually attended by the girl. The girl, slightly interested in the shy boy with the lingo frame, took him seriously in hand. She commenced to teach him bridge. And then, to the morrow.

After road-work, Schaaf said ho: av;is going for a Avalk. Schlossberg insisted on Availing with him. Schaaf tried to lose his mentor during the- Avalk, and eventually Schaaf confessed that he had a lunch appointment AA’lth the girl of the previous evening.

They Avere standing at the junction of two streets. Almost immediately a Rolls-Royce sounded its bom and Schaaf blazed red in confusion.

“Waal, you didn’t think she Avould walk to meet you?” ventured Schlossberg. The girl and the mentor exchanged glances. The boxer entered the Availing car and departed. The Romance Started. ’ The romance had started. As weeks passed by the tighter altered from a “rough neck” to a man with leanings toAvards culture. Schl.ossbcrg Avould find him reading dictionaries, Avith a guilty look on his face. He commenced tc- use many syllable words in his couA’ersation. He began to patronise good tailors. He assumed taste in his apparel. Schlossberg found him Avorking hard in tl\e gymnasium, and training hard on the road in the morning. The scheme was beginning to Avork.

Schlossberg even had to tone doAvn his endeavour for an immediate polish. He laughed at hie use of the dictionary.

'‘See here/' Schlossberg would say, “don’t bother about long words. That girl likes in you the very opposite to herself. You are a rough, big, lout, and that’s all there is to it. Keep on building on the rough diamond! You’ll never achieve anything in the way of education and culture as a hundred other men she knows.” But Schaaf went his own way. There came a time when he not only attended concerts, but could discuss the relative merits of one artist against another.

The conspirators rubbed their bonds with glee. The girl hnci crocked hardy, and whether she was genuinely interested could not be ascertained at the time. But, as promised, she saw the plan, through to the bitter end. One morning, Schaaf woke up as the fiance of a millionaire’s daughter! Eventually Schaaf and Schlossberg parted, and Schaaf continued on an oven keel under the management of Jack Sharkey and Sharkey’s manager, Johnny Buckley. He did not live up to his early promise. Schaaf needed the constant training, care, and direc-tion-that only a man of Schlossberg’s determination could give him. BuckIcy and Sharkey hadn’t the time to do other than manage Schaaf. A few months ago Schaaf announced that his contract with Sharkey and Buckley had expired, and that' he would seek another manager, probably Jack Kearns, manager oC Mickey Walker, and former manager of Jack

Dempsey, Had Schaaf beaten Camera ho would have met Jack Sharkey for the world's heavyweight title, hut Fate stepped in and Schaaf collapsed in the thirteenth round and died three days later in hospital. But the (scheme that "started as an experiment in the millionaire publisher’s home, proved something more. When he died, Schaaf was still engaged to the publisher’s daughter.