by Laurel | March 13th, 2014
18 March 1927
Clicky Clark
Home Town Favorite
Phil McGraw Goes Against Clicky Clark at Holyoke
Home Hero Confident of Making Good Showing With Crack Lightweight From Detroit — Dick Lambert and Johnny Kid Blair in Semifinal
by F. J. Collins
For Western Massachusetts boxing fans this promises to be a spicy week. Phil McGraw, whom Tex Rickard rates the fifth best lightweight in the world, performs with Clicky Clark of Holyoke tomorrow night at Holyoke. Boxers from this city, Holyoke and other towns about will compete in the New England amateur championships at Boston starting tomorrow. Friday night the Dante Club of Bridge Street, West Springfield, breaks into the boxing game with a set of events for amateurs.
Supporting the Holyoke headliner tomorrow night at Vaelley Arena will be two 10-round bouts, one eight, and a four. In the semifinal, Dick Lambert of Portland, Me., will go 10 rounds with Johnny Kid Blair of Utica, N.Y. This bout supplants the one between Ruby Bradley (Dark Cloud) and Izzy Schwartz, the later withdrawing because of a lame ankle. Lambert won his 13th straight contest Friday night from Young Brown of Biddeford, Me. Blair has given good account of himself in previous engagements up the river. The men are to weigh in from 135 to 140 pounds.
Jackie Horner, hard-hitting St. Louis boy and Holyoke favorite, engages in a 10-rounder with Johnny Indresane of Boston. About a year ago both Indresane and Johnny Vacca displayed their wares up the river. On the same program, Spud Murphy of Springfield is down for eight rounds with Phil Goldstein of Pittsburgh. This looks the hardest test the local featherweight has yet been asked to face. In the four round preliminary, Jerry O’Neill of Worcester will meet Georgie Karam, one of Springfield’s newest members of the pug league. The show will open at 8 o’clock instead of the usual 8:15.
Big League, Chatier
On the street the main bout has been panned. Phil McGraw should be meeting a tougher opponent than the Holyoke Clark, say the boys. Some of the fans overlook the fact that McGraw against Stanley Loayza or against Ace Hudkins or Billy Petrolle or somebody like that is out of the question for Holyoke. Matches like that belong in Madison Square Garden. That’s the only place that can finance them.
When the Holyoke club signed up McGraw for a price believed to be $2500, it had a problem in finding a “suitable opponent.” That club and its patrons could not afford two McGraws. Think that over. Who is the well-known fellow who would meet McGraw in Holyoke under the same conditions? Almost any boxer some of the critics offhand suggest might be out of the question for Holyoke. it is fair to say the only boxers willing to risk themselves in this vicinity against such a fellow as McGraw are those coming up, who have not arrived yet but are eager for a chance to attempt to better their standing by making a showing against so formidable a ringster as McGraw. Fellows who think they have arrived might attempt to kid the onlookers.
Many of the boys are wise to the fact that the best place to see big league stuff is in the big leagues. Some are not wise to that yet. If the Athletics or Giants should come to League park this summer it will not be to play in American League games with Cleveland or the Yanks, or in the case of the Giants a National league game with Pittsburgh or Chicago. The majors, if they come, will go against the home heroes, the Springfield team. That is all this city and is fans can get or stand. When McGraw comes to Holyoke tomorrow night it will be to perform against a home hero, Clicky Clark. That is all the Holyoke Club thinks it and its patron can stand.
Clark Game Ringster
Often the boys who rate themselves something treat the small town folks shabbily. Willie Harmon and Paul Doyle were thrown out of the ring in New Haven’s new arena Friday night for not trying. That sounded like a good match but it developed into a frost. Clicky Clark is outmatched by McGraw but those who know him are sure he will try and that is one reason he is on the bill.
Another reason is that Clark is game and can stand the gaff and that is he is being whaled about the lot he will keep going and will not quit. This is something you cannot credit to many of the pugs better known than Clicky. Clark is of the old school, the kind that is afraid of no thump, be it from a champion, the kind that cares more about how he looks inside the ropes than outside. Clark is what you could call a tough, strong and fearless opponent against anybody.
If the Clark-McGraw bout were slated for Madison Square Garden one could pan it as a bad match. It may still be a bad match anywhere, even in Holyoke tomorrow night, but as we understand it the attempt is to exhibit McGraw against the best opponent the Valley Club and its supporters can afford.
The Holyoke area seats about 2500 but if it seated 15,000, two McGraws in the same contest would be for New York, not for this part of the country, and because of the regulars here could not finance it, while the tourists in New York could.
Phil McGraw, nee Phil Karmano
McGraw the Attraction
McGraw is the attraction, Clark the ambitious and daring assistant in the performance, but the truth is Clicky is determined to make a showing and in any case to make a fight of it. he says he is sure he has a chance to win, that shows his spirit. The Holyoke boy is outmatched and looks in for a beating if McGraw cuts loose, but unless Clicky has changed greatly he may be expected to force McGraw to the pace that the fans want to see, and which they might not be able to see against an opponent of a different type than the Holyoker. Clark can and will take it. he will not quit. The men are to weigh in at 136 pounds.
Clark has been schooling himself for what he considers his “big shot.” He put in a 10-day spell at a training camp up in Pittsfield way hardening himself, and then he went to Hartford to get some more schooling in Boxing.
Manager Al Caroly thinks his protege, Clark, has a grand opportunity to distinguish himself against the fellow who held Sammy Mandell lightweight champion, to a draw two years ago, and who since then has fought some vicious affairs with Luis Vincontini, Leayzn, Hudkins, and many others. Phil McGraw, nee Phil Karmano, Detroit Greek boy, has fought about 66 bouts, losing but four. He has never been knocked out, but has been on the floor many a time.
Clark ended his training at Hartford yesterday and tipped the scales at 137¼. Manager Caroly reported him in “wonderful shape.” This afternoon Clicky will go through some light exercise at Sweeney’s gym, Holyoke at 2. At Hartford Clark boxed from six to 8 rounds a day with Frankie Mack and Frankie Angelo. McGraw is due in Holyoke this morning and in the afternoon will appear at Sweeney’s gym.
Adapted from The Springfield Republican.
Clicky Clark’s Boxing record.
