BUTLER NOW ALASKA’S CHAMPION:
Outfighting hin for five out of six rounds of
the bout,Ford Butler,Chilkoot Barracks soldier, lifted the Alaska heavy
weight crown fron Joe Collier's keeping,at the Elks’ Big Smoker,last Sat
urday evening# Butlers victory was decisive, Collier never having a look
in, and the decision of the three judges was unanimous* The verdict was a
popular one with fans. Ihe soldier scrapper's ring genex'alship,his know
edge of the game,hitting power,ability to box or slug,aggressiveness,and
speed were all superior to Collier’s* Time after tine Butler beat him to
the punch* Collier's exaggerated crouching defense was more in evidence
than ever before,and most cf the tine he was behind it*
The first round was about even.Neither boxer extended himself
Both were content to feel the other out*Little actual fighting was done
in this round,not a single solid blow being landed* A right cross to Col
lier s jaw landed squarely bu the soldier in the second round,seemed at
the time to threaten a quick end to the natch*Both men cane from their cor
ners quickly at the sound of the bell*Both missed swings*Eutler forced the
Indian back toward his corner,and,feinting with his left, snapped a right
cross to the jaw which knocked Collier to the floor* Talcing the count of
nine before rising, Collier,altho' groggy was able to weather the round.Eut
ler apparently made little effort to push his advantage*Collier began his
crouching tactics after the knockdown, bending Ills body on a level with his
knees*Time and again in thie and the succeeding rounds he dropped into this
position,Butler landing repeatedly on the back of the head and to the kid
neys with vicious blows*
Hie Indian had virtually recovered from the eff/ects of th£
knockdown when the third round opened,but adopted defensive tactics,which
except for brief flashes,he kept up throuout the rest of the fight*Butler
landed with lefts high up on Collier's face and a right to the body in
this roundftHe kept up his. punches to the kidneys when Collier retired into
his turtle-like crouch.Up to this time Collier took them smilingly.He tried
to rally twica but Butler beat hira to the punch and covered cleverly#He
showed no marks♦Collier had not yet landed a single solid blow, In the
fourth round,Collier made his only serious bid to stop the big soldier.
e met the latter s advance squarely and after a brief interval of sparrin
shot his right across,connectingunder Butler's eye,and jarring his head.
The soldier covered neatly and soon forced Collies* back on the defensive*
Butler again scored with straight lefts to the face and head and repeated
blows to the kidneys,
In the fifth round 3utler again took the aggressive,his sp-5-u
proving superior to Collier’s, and nis blows to t^e kidneys beginning to
take the sraile^ from the Indian* s facedn this round, Butler almost closed o,
one of Collier’s eyes and landed a smashing swing on the Indian's mouth.
When he latter went into a crouch,Butler * 3 kidney blows brought him up with
a pained expression on his face*Welts were beginning t 0 appear whei'e the
blows landed* At the start 0^; the sixth ro-u>d. Collier made a weak effort
to land a sleep-producer out But3.er was too fast, feezing was wid^ op^n and
taking the Indian’s punches on his arms and shoulder c«He larded both left
and rights to the Indian’s head an3 body but could not connect with the
vital spot.Collier's damaged eye was almost closed and his lips puffed
and swollen.The punishment he had taken from Butler's blows to the back ari
head had weakened him considerably and slowed down his work.Ihe sixth rouid
was Butler’s by a big margin*
Butler’s training at the Post was under the direction of Cpl
Lepple and Sgt.Schumacher,Eugne iicCloskey joined his camp here,and the 3
men were in his corner Saturday night. (From "Daily Empire" of*Juneau).
AND SO— HATS OFF TO FOUD Bl’^RER, OF C0«!,F" —
THE NEW ALASKAN CHAMP’„U