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_ NEW YORK - One
carelessly
thrown punch, a short, powerful
left hook, cost Jack Sharkey the
heavyweight title and its accom-
manying riches and prestige last
night before some 80,000 customers
in the mommoth Yankee Stadium.
_ The blow, conspicuously
low,
thudded into Max Schmeling's groin
in the fourth round, after the Ger-
man had taken a boxing lesson and
a rather severe beating up until
the time of the foul.
_ That the pinch was low
was
without doubt, although some of the
Sharkey standard bearers thought
other wise and loudly voiced their
rebuttals, insisting that the punch
landed in the pit of the stomach.
Since then, however, the Boston
heavy's partisans have probably
cooled off and are willing to accept
the fact the ex-gob landed one out
of bounds.
Sharkey in Front
_ Although unintentional and
com-
ing at a time when Sharkey was far
out in front, that punch carried a
heavy penalty for the chap who
fought his way from the deck of a
battleship to America's premier
heavyweight. That Sharkey was
the better man last night was clear
to all present.
_ In fact, he outclassed
Schmeling,
who will go down in ring history as
one of the poorest of heavyweight
champions, unless he takes a sud-
den turn for the better. Schmeling
compared with Sharkey like Tom
Heeney against Gene Tunney. He
lacked Sharkey's ring skill, his speed
and experience. And his famed
punching power seemed to have no
effect on the American - whenever
one of his swings did find the target.
_ The low blow was not unlike
those
that floored Phil Scott in Miami last
winter. Only, on that occasion,
Sharkey was credited with a techni-
cal knockout over the Englishman,
whereas last night Schmeling was
more fortunate. In any event, it will
aid Fainting Philip in his campaign
for a match with Herr Schmeling.
Scott will take the stand that he is
the rightful holder of the crown, and
after last night there are many will-
ing to side with the Briton.
Finish Is Dramatic
_ Schmeling carries the
title to Eu-
rope for the first time in modern
ring history, but it is the second in-
stance of an alien holding the
championship since John L. Sullivan,
as one must recognize the reign of
Tommy Burns, a Canadian.
_ The finish last night came
drama-
tically. The fourth round was nearly
over when Sharkey let fly with that
low left hook, aimed for the body,
but palpably a painful foul, as the
lad from over the seas groveled on
the ring floor in agony.
_ Then the storm broke.
Referee
Jim Crowley didn't know how to
proceed. The seconds and managers
of the contestants scrambled about,
protesting, arguing gesticulating and
imploring.
_ In his quandary, Crowley
sought
the opinion of Judge Barnes, be-
fore whom the fighters were mill-
ing at the time. Barnes insisted
that Schmeling had been fouled.
The other judge, Charles F. Mathi-
son, was non committal. He claimed
he wasn't in position to see the
blow. But Judge Barnes affirma-
tive vote was strong enough to
swing the wavering Crowley over to
the side of the German, and right-
fully so. At first, Crowley told news-
paper men he had seen no low
punch. Ten minutes later he ex-
plained how and where it landed.
Sharkey Is Stunned
_ While pandemonium
resigned, the
bell sounded, ending the fourth
round with Sharkey standing in his
corner and Schmeling writhing
helpless on the floor. The German
had to be carried to his corner. It
was evident that he was through
for the evening. There was no
chance of his continuing after the
usual short rest given fouled glad-
iators.
_ The bell rang to start the
fifth
round, and Sharkey leaped across
the ring to Schmeling's corner,
where the invader sat helpless, sur-
rounded by his handlers. Crowley
then stepped forward and an-
nounced that Schmeling was the
victor on a foul.
_ The award stunned Sharkey.
For
once in his life he couldn't say any-
thing. To the crowd it was satis-
factory, although it involved the
winning of a heavyweight title on a
foul for the first time in modern
history. In defeat, Sharkey was a
pitiful figure. He was crushed and
heartbroken. He didn't rant and
rave about the ring like in the Scott
fray. He was the other extreme. He
realized what it all meant to him.
He was shocked beyond emotion and
excitement.
_ Considering what the
heavyweight
crown means in the way of riches,
Sharkey had no reason to become mo-
rose and melancholy. He had flipped
away at least a million dollars with
one blow after he was well on his
way to victory.
Schmeling Game
_ The opening round was
about
even, but the second and third and
the fourth, until the fateful five
seconds of its conclusion went to
Sharkey, who boxed splendidly. The
Boston man looked the part of a
perfect ringman. He was cool,
methodical and calculating. He did
not charge madly as he did against
Scott, swinging punches at random.
He had mapped out a different cam-
paign against Schmeling. He was
out to wear the German down and
win by a knockout, if possible, in
the closing rounds.
_ In the third Sharkey had
Schmel-
ing going under a barrage of lefts
and rights, but the new titleholder
took everything tossed his way with-
out hitting the deck and at the end
of the round he had practically re-
covered from the severe buffeting
that sent him wobbling against the
ropes.
_ Schmeling in that one round,
dis-
played commendable courage and
strong resistance to punishment, the
traits of a real fighting man.
Whether or not he goes on to make
a real titleholder remains to be seen,
but in view of his performance
against Sharkey the odds are
against it.
_ In his favor, however, is the
class
of the present crop of heavies. He
has little to fear from them - unless
old man Dempsey decides to take
another fling at the ring game. That
looks like the next big bout.
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