Al Palzer and Luther McCarty By Rob Snell

[Mofo2]

By Robert Edgren

30 December 1912

Al Palzer and Luther McCarty are to meet Wednesday In Los Angeles, where promoter McCarey is holding a series of heavyweight bouts for the double purpose of getting the coin and bringing out a new heavyweight champion When his series is over the final winner will have as good a claim to the championship as any one He will be the best of the present heavyweight crop.

The heavyweight situation is peculiar It is a situation never before seen in connection with any sport. Jack Johnson, once heavyweight champion, is barred from competition in any boxing club situated in America, France, Australia or England.

So far as boxing is concerned he might as well be dead Pugilisticaly he does not exist .So he is no longer recognized as champion. This leaves the title, without a claimant who can establish his right to it without further fighting . Al Palzer has about as good a claim as any one, as he knocked out Wells, champion of England. However, Palmer's claim amounts to little as yet as he has not met a number of other good heavyweights right here in America. He has not fought Luther McCarty, Jess Willard or Carl Morris or Gunboat Smith.

Any one of these men might have a chance to trim him. McCarty has a decision over Morris and a few days ago he knocked out Jim Flynn .But he has a number of good men to meet. The same can be said of each aspirant to the crown. One of the most promising heavyweights in the whole lot is Jess Willard, a former cow puncher who came here several months ago to take up fighting Willard had two or thee bouts in the West. He came here without a record. When he was introduced at two or three fights in New York even body laughed. Willard certainly looked like a good joke. He wore a wide, pleasant smile and stood six feet six in his socks. When he was at last given a chance however he showed himself to be anything but a joke His last fight in New York , a few months ago, was with Luther McCarty and to the utter amazement of the spectators the smiling giant outboxed outfought outpunched and outgamed McCarty, winning the bout with ease

His tremendous reach gave him one advantage McCarty is a rushing close range fighter Willard jabbed his head off before McCarty could push into range But it was the big fellows infighting that made the real hit He uncorked an uppercut that nearly lifted McCarty from his feet every time it landed. That uppercut was delivered with a speed and force that made it a very dangerous punch. Unless I’m much mistaken Willard will have something to say about that championship. After fighting McCarty he retired to some quiet corner for a while and went on studying the game. When he came out again a week or two ago he knocked out tough Sailor White In a couple of rounds. That's better than Palzers best with White. Willard’s ability as a punisher was shown in the fight with McCarty. At the end of the ten rounds Willard had a puffed eye from a swig that had landed on his left cheekbone Aside from that he didn’t show even a bruise. But McCarty, in the picturesque vernacular of the ring was beaten to a pulp

All Are Youngsters.

All of these new heavyweights are youngsters with comparatively little ring experience. McCarty was a globe trotter before he ever thought of fighting He was a cow puncher a sailor, a bridge builder —a lot of other things between jobs he "hoboedâ€. That is to say he satisfied his longing for a change of scene by roaming around the world and not being possessed of a bank account, he didn't pay out much money in railroad fares. When he began fighting he had his full growth, his matured strength. He started well, and after half a dozen Western engagements leaped suddenly into fame by knocking out Carl Morris. There is a story, seemingly well authenticated that Morris was robbed in the count in that fight, that he got a 1, 2 ,3 5, 10' count, and that he was

waiting to get up at "nine' when the official unexpectedly yelped "ten. However that may be McCarty knocked Morris down and that indicates the possession of a genuine championship punch Before that nobody had succeeded in even jarring the Oklahoma giant .

Palzer Has Experience

Al Palzer the town farmer who fights McCarty next, has done more work in the ring He has defeated a number of good men. Tom O'Rourke knows fighters, and Tom O’ Rourke obstinately refused to match Palzer against Call Morris when Morris was fighting well here In New York. However, Palzer has been coming along. He defeated "Bombardier" Wells of England in three rounds , Palzer got no glory with that victory it must be admitted. Wells gave him the most terrific beating in a round and a half that any heavyweight ever took in that short time. He knocked Palzer down and all but out. He had ''Big Al†reeling and staggering about the ring. Still, that fight brought out the qualities in Palzer that may make him a champion. He showed a bulldog gameness in getting up after taking an amazing amount of punishment. He never will be a clever boxer. He hasn’t either craft or quickness of thought But as a slugger he has few equals, if any.

As for Carl Morris, I think that affair with McCarty can be thrown out of the calculations. Morris is part Indian, and he doesn’t talk. He makes no excuses. Others have said he was unhurt, was taking the count deliberately ready to get up. There can be no question of his gameness. He’s wonderfully game. He is a giant in height, weight and strength, and he has become a fairly good boxer. Since losing to McCarty he has knocked out a number of other heavies, and he’ll have to be given a chance.

Smith Has A Chance

Gunboat Smith is a good boxer and hard hitter. Lately the men put against him have been afraid of his punch He has a knack of dropping the left over in a long range hook that has a terrific! Jarring effect, and he can hit like a kicking mule with his right. The way he polished off Jim Stewart and Jim Savage showed that. Smith is cool too, deliberate and calculating. The only things against him as a championship candidate are his weight 135 pounds and some doubt as to his gameness. In his California fights he earned a poor reputation by showing the white feather. And although he has never quit here he has been over ready to take advantage

of opportunities to foul. I doubt the gameness of any fighter who is anxious to "get away with" a foul blow.

This is about the pick of the heavyweight crop of to-day. Of the black aspirants there are Joe Jeanette who seems to be going back in form of late and Sam Langford The latter is in Australia, where he has been fighting Sam McVey every now and then, for the championship of the world. In Australia Sam is champion. That doesn’t go however, when he gets on the steamer He’ll have to clean up pretty well before he can take the title here, and he won t find the new heavyweight giants as easy as Jim Flynn, whom he used to knock out every now and then when he needed pocket money.