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NEW YORK, June 22. - (UP) -
Jack Sharkey challenged the
heavyweight fighters of the world
to come get the world's champion-
ship he took from Max Schmeling
Tuesday night - a title many critics
said should have remained the
Germans.
_
Within fifteen minutes after two
judges decided Jack Sharkey had
defeated the dark haired German
champion, thereby restoring the
title to the United States, Sharkey
announced he would be a "fighting
champion."
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"I won the title honestly," he
said.
"Now I will defend it. I will be a
fighting champion."
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What matter to him the boos the
crowd gave the decision? What
matter the protests of Joe Jacobs,
Schmeling's manager? What mat-
ter his own closed left eye?
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_Not Hurt He Says
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"I was not hurt," he said. "I am
going back to Boston and will de-
cide on my next plans. But you
can say for me that I will keep on
fighting."
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Sharkey drove his left hand to
the heavyweight champion of the
world.
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The 75,000 fans in the new Madi-
son Square Garden bowl watched,
often apathetically, as the gob flick-
ed that arm to the face of the young
Uhlan. Sometimes it was painful.
Other times it was just a tantalizing
fist which blocked the German
champion.
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In the late rounds, Sharkey's
left
seemed to lose its sting. Schmeling
rushed. He jabbed a left that had
been held almost tied in the early
rounds. He flashed a hard right
which jarred Sharkey and closed
his left eye.
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Maxie Back Strong
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In fact Schmeling came back so
strong that at the close, as the
crowd waited tensly for the ver-
dict, there were intermitted cheers
for "Herr Maxie." When the de-
cision was announced boos, catcalls
and jeers greeted it. The jeers sur-
prised, for Sharkey had been the
sentimental favorite.
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The crowd was not happy that
Gunboat Smith, the referee, and
George Kelly, a judge, overruled
Charley Mathison, who thought
Schmeling had won.
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Joe Jacobs, Schmeling's manager,
called the decision a "robbery." He
recalled that last week he threat-
ened to keep his man from the ring
if "a certain man" was referee. He
said he meant Gunboat Smith. Joe,
however, did not keep "his man"
from the ring, nor did he protest
formally the selection of the Gun-
boat.
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__Sharkey at Outset
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It was all Sharkey at the outset.
He flicked that long left arm con-
stantly in Schmeling's face. He
was on the defensive, a strange pic-
ture of the contender waiting for
the champion to come on. His right
arm was held cocked, ready to go,
but never seemed to have anywhere
to go.
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There was little excitement in
the
ring, or in the crowd. Schmeling
seemed confused.
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"If this was in the Coliseum,
they
would throw them both out," a
prominent St. Louisian remarked.
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And so it went up to the tenth
round. Then Schmeling seemed to
recall that he had a left. he tried
it a few times and it worked.
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From then on, the big bout be-
came more of a fight. Sharkey's
left eye began to close.
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"The worst trouble I had with
Schmeling," Sharkey said after-
wards, "was that he hit so fast
coming out."
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Sharkey Is Tiring
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In the fourteenth and fifteenth
rounds there was real liveliness.
Sharkey seemed tiring. The young
German from the black forests
as untiring as on of the trees of
his Vaterland. But he was eager.
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Schmeling pecked and hammered
away at the contender's left eye, al-
most closing it in the final round.
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The crowd was cheering, as the
fight ended. They stood. Joe
Humphries walked from judge to
judge, then the referee. All was
silent as he held up his hand and
announced:
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"The winner and the new...."
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That's all the crowd could hear.
There was tumult, cheers and jeers.
Sharkey had to fight off his ad-
mirers. Johnny Buckley, his man-
ager, held him to keep him from
dashing about with joy.
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_Robbery, Says
Jacobs
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The two fighters shook hands
Jack Sharkey walked out, the new
champion, happy that after eight
years of effort to gain the title,
after tossing away four chances at
the championship, he finally was
a "champ."
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Schmeling in his dressing room
was quiet. He permittted Jacobs to
talk for him.
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And Jacobs said it was "robbery,"
but he would not protest formally
as it "would do no good."
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