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Genial host at his Ringside Cafe in downtown Boston is the role now being played by Jack Sharkey, former wearer of the World's heavyweight boxing crown.
Despite his defeat at the hands of Tony Shucco in ten rounds at the Boston Garden Friday night, the Squire of Chestnut Hill was inclined yesterday to look favorably through a slightly puffed eye at his ring future. "I proved to my own satisfaction that I am in better shape than when I were the crown -- a bit slower, but in better all round condition."
Meets Harvard Students
When queried about his contact with Harvardians, Sharkey had to admit that his acquaintances of this nature generally came from his new job behind the huge bar. He was not loath to recall tales of various student parties.
With his elbow on the mahogany counter of his establishment, Sharkey reminisced about his long fisticuffs career. He pointed out former opponents from among the photographs which clutter the walls of the Ringside. When he noticed Joe Louis' it called to mind the previous brown menace. Harry Wills.
Cleared Path for Dempsey
"It was in October, 1926 that I removed Wills from the ring game," mused the Squire, "the papers were as filled with him at the time as they are today with the Brown Bomber. I was pretty busy that year. With not six weeks between that fight and my go with George Godfrey, I had to be in pretty good shape. Godfrey and Wills were the leading contenders of the day, and when I eliminated them the way was clear for Dempsey to win the championships."
An autograph seeker interrupted the ex-champion's thoughts and when he returned it was to dwell on his pet hate, the newspapermen. "Why, in the old days if any writer had dared hint that a fight was fixed he'd have been run out of town, but today that's the first thing they think about. That's the trouble with these writers.
In concluding, the former heavy weight king was inclined to treat lightly the threat of collegiate boxers, claiming, "they fight for glory, not for a living. There's a big difference!" he said.
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