The TS is just trying to paint a gloomy picture for Boxing this saying "Boxing is dying" or "Boxing is Dead" is older than most sports.
Read this article from the Ring Magazine from April 1923.
(The Ring, April 1923)
By Nat Fleischer
TIME TO ELIMINATE JUDGES
Twice within a period of six days American championships changed hands in the arena of Madison Square Garden, and twice a howl went up that almost raised the roof of this historic sporting center. The reason? Keen disappointment on the part of thousands of persons who on each occasion felt that the titleholder was unjustly deprived of his crown.
The Ring, unlike the Chairman of New York State Boxing Commission, who on both occasions was publicly quoted by Sid Mercer of the New York Evening Journal as having expressed an opinion the decision was a frank injustice to the champion, will not add to the turmoil by giving an official opinion on the winner of each bout.
Regardless of the merits of the decisions, however, The Ring feels duty-bound to offer a suggestion for the elimination of verdicts which are doing such tremendous damage to a sport otherwise healthy, for there is no telling what such decisions may lead to.
In the case of Frankie Genaro, one of the judges, Barnes by name, made a statement after the battle that he was through. He had awarded the bout to Pancho Villa, while Judge McPartland and Referee Andy Griffin has decided on Genaro.
In the of Harry Greb, a similar turmoil such as was in evidence at the Genaro-Villa fight, took place when the winner was announced
“I was jobbed!” yelled Greb.
“He fouled me throughout!” cried Tunney.
Just one more illustration that the system in vogue in the judging of bouts in New York City is all wrong. William Muldoon, chairman of the New York State Boxing Commission, issued a statement after the Tunney-Greb battle that the decision was unfair to Greb. The referee and judges were appointed by Muldoon and, right or wrong, we think he should have stood by them.
The question arises as to what constitutes a foul, according to the rules. Holding and hitting is a direct violation of the Walker Law, viz:
Sect. IV —Fouls.
1. Hitting below the belt.
2. Hitting an opponent who is down or getting up from being down.
3. Holding an opponent or deliberately maintaining a clinch.
4. Butting with the head or shoulder or using the knee.
5. Hitting with the inside or butt of the hand or using the elbow.
6. Holding an opponent with one hand and hitting with the other hand.
7. Hitting or "flicking" with the open glove.
8. Wrestling or roughing on the ropes.
9. The failure to obey the referee or any physical action which may injure a boxer except by fair sportsmantlike boxing.
Harry Greb in his battle with Tunney and every other in which he has taken part used the above tactics, as shown in Rule 6.
Patsey Haley warned the Pittsburgher at least a dozen times in each round, and like the good referee that he is, did not want to spoil a night’s sport for the fans who had paid their good money, so he simply penalized the offender for his unfair tactics, and at the end of the bout awarded the decision where he felt it belonged.
Now, to get back to Chairman Muldoon, who by his statement was embarrassed by the rest of the commission, whose members privately are credited with endorsing Referee Haley and Judge Meeghan. It must be taken into consideration that Mr. Muldoon’s opinion was his personal one. It seems only fair that as Haley and Meeghan are his appointees, they should not be criticized by their superior.
Haley, in the opinion of experts, is the most competent referee in America, while Meeghan is a former sporting editor and boxing critic of long experience.
There is at present in New York City, the greatest boxing center in the world, one radical and unpardonable flaw in the boxing game, a fault exclusively its own and not existent in any other form of athletics. This is the difficulty of arriving at a just verdict as to the merits of the contestants in bouts that do not end in a knockout.
At no affairs in recent years has this unfortunate phase of the sport come to the attention of the sport’s loving public, nor has it ever been better illustrated than in the unfortunate ending of the Tunney-Greb fight and the Villa-Genaro battle.
In both battles a hue and cry followed the crowning of Tunney as the American light heavyweight titleholder and the rise of Genaro to the American flyweight championship.
In either case there is no doubt there is no doubt that the public would have left the famous Garden arena cheering madly the verdict of a draw, which would have protected the crown wearers.
If the boxing game is to survive in New York State, a quick change in the personnel of the judges assigned to officiate at important bouts must be made.
Better still, let the State Boxing Commission change its rules to place the entire matter of judging in the hands of a referee and eliminate the judges. But, in our opinion, there are too many inefficient judges assigned to important contests, men who lack the ability to judge properly the points that bring victory to one and defeat to the other. Hence the suggestion be judges be eliminated.
The referee's standing depends upon his honesty and ability, and there are plenty of good referees in the State of New York whose honesty never can be questioned.
Let one man, a capable referee, perform the duty of picking the winner.
The game demands this change and the sooner the better.
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Read this article from the Ring Magazine from April 1923.
(The Ring, April 1923)
By Nat Fleischer
TIME TO ELIMINATE JUDGES
Twice within a period of six days American championships changed hands in the arena of Madison Square Garden, and twice a howl went up that almost raised the roof of this historic sporting center. The reason? Keen disappointment on the part of thousands of persons who on each occasion felt that the titleholder was unjustly deprived of his crown.
The Ring, unlike the Chairman of New York State Boxing Commission, who on both occasions was publicly quoted by Sid Mercer of the New York Evening Journal as having expressed an opinion the decision was a frank injustice to the champion, will not add to the turmoil by giving an official opinion on the winner of each bout.
Regardless of the merits of the decisions, however, The Ring feels duty-bound to offer a suggestion for the elimination of verdicts which are doing such tremendous damage to a sport otherwise healthy, for there is no telling what such decisions may lead to.
In the case of Frankie Genaro, one of the judges, Barnes by name, made a statement after the battle that he was through. He had awarded the bout to Pancho Villa, while Judge McPartland and Referee Andy Griffin has decided on Genaro.
In the of Harry Greb, a similar turmoil such as was in evidence at the Genaro-Villa fight, took place when the winner was announced
“I was jobbed!” yelled Greb.
“He fouled me throughout!” cried Tunney.
Just one more illustration that the system in vogue in the judging of bouts in New York City is all wrong. William Muldoon, chairman of the New York State Boxing Commission, issued a statement after the Tunney-Greb battle that the decision was unfair to Greb. The referee and judges were appointed by Muldoon and, right or wrong, we think he should have stood by them.
The question arises as to what constitutes a foul, according to the rules. Holding and hitting is a direct violation of the Walker Law, viz:
Sect. IV —Fouls.
1. Hitting below the belt.
2. Hitting an opponent who is down or getting up from being down.
3. Holding an opponent or deliberately maintaining a clinch.
4. Butting with the head or shoulder or using the knee.
5. Hitting with the inside or butt of the hand or using the elbow.
6. Holding an opponent with one hand and hitting with the other hand.
7. Hitting or "flicking" with the open glove.
8. Wrestling or roughing on the ropes.
9. The failure to obey the referee or any physical action which may injure a boxer except by fair sportsmantlike boxing.
Harry Greb in his battle with Tunney and every other in which he has taken part used the above tactics, as shown in Rule 6.
Patsey Haley warned the Pittsburgher at least a dozen times in each round, and like the good referee that he is, did not want to spoil a night’s sport for the fans who had paid their good money, so he simply penalized the offender for his unfair tactics, and at the end of the bout awarded the decision where he felt it belonged.
Now, to get back to Chairman Muldoon, who by his statement was embarrassed by the rest of the commission, whose members privately are credited with endorsing Referee Haley and Judge Meeghan. It must be taken into consideration that Mr. Muldoon’s opinion was his personal one. It seems only fair that as Haley and Meeghan are his appointees, they should not be criticized by their superior.
Haley, in the opinion of experts, is the most competent referee in America, while Meeghan is a former sporting editor and boxing critic of long experience.
There is at present in New York City, the greatest boxing center in the world, one radical and unpardonable flaw in the boxing game, a fault exclusively its own and not existent in any other form of athletics. This is the difficulty of arriving at a just verdict as to the merits of the contestants in bouts that do not end in a knockout.
At no affairs in recent years has this unfortunate phase of the sport come to the attention of the sport’s loving public, nor has it ever been better illustrated than in the unfortunate ending of the Tunney-Greb fight and the Villa-Genaro battle.
In both battles a hue and cry followed the crowning of Tunney as the American light heavyweight titleholder and the rise of Genaro to the American flyweight championship.
In either case there is no doubt there is no doubt that the public would have left the famous Garden arena cheering madly the verdict of a draw, which would have protected the crown wearers.
If the boxing game is to survive in New York State, a quick change in the personnel of the judges assigned to officiate at important bouts must be made.
Better still, let the State Boxing Commission change its rules to place the entire matter of judging in the hands of a referee and eliminate the judges. But, in our opinion, there are too many inefficient judges assigned to important contests, men who lack the ability to judge properly the points that bring victory to one and defeat to the other. Hence the suggestion be judges be eliminated.
The referee's standing depends upon his honesty and ability, and there are plenty of good referees in the State of New York whose honesty never can be questioned.
Let one man, a capable referee, perform the duty of picking the winner.
The game demands this change and the sooner the better.
http://www.kdsmarketing.com/kappanew...nghistory.html
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