Page Eleven PHOENIX TRIBUNE—ALWAYS IMPROVING

by couldn’t help but brag a little about and he won over the champion a Tiger Flowers’ Climb what a fine boxer her husband was. big margin in a no-decision contest. From Obscurity Was “Didn’t Mr. O’Brien say so himself?” Then came the bouts with Jack A local promoter hearing of this Delaney. Flowers seems made to That of a Thorobred persuaded the “Tiger” to take a try order for Delaney, but despite the at professional fighting and in one quick suffered in these God Fearing Parents and Good Wife of his earliest bouts Flowers broke contests, Flowers was in no whit Figured Prominently in Success. his right hand. Which, incidentally, discouraged. These were the only Is Also a Musician. is how he came to change about to defeats he has suffered in the last “Tiger” Flowers credits his ob- his southpaw style of fighting*, three years. servance of the rules of careful liv- Gets First “K. O.” Habits ing and big reliance on religion as Has Good Then Walk Miller, who owned a the things that have counted strong- Despite the lack of early advan- gymnasium at Atlanta, got interest- er in his climb to the title of world’s tages Flowers has learned to play ed in Flowers and gave him a job middleweight champion* He makes both the violin and saxophone and as porter and started him off fight- it a practice to read three verses of Rls greatest pleasure in life is when morning ing in earnest. Fie had sixteen bouts the New Testament each he and Billy, as he calls his wife, in 1921 and one of the men he met and afternoon of his life, even when can entertain their friends. Mrs. practically in his first year was he is training he prayed a little Flowers plays the piano and they Panama , a Negro cham- harder than ever before his battle can spill plenty of harmony. Flow- pion, who was far too experienced for the title. ers is now well fixed financially. an opponent and Flowers was knock- Week The first sls he made from fighting First Job Paid sls ed out in five rounds. Later on he is still in the bank and he has man- It has been a long, hard climb for bested Gans. aged save over 80 per cent of his Theodore Flowers from a job of por- to In 1922 Flowers had a busy year ring earnings. owns consider- ter at Sls a week in the gymnasium He and was forced to give away weight able property in Atlanta, Ga. of his present manager, Walk Mil- in many of his battles. He lost on ler to the fistic heights. He was He has only one regret in connec- a technicality to Jamaica Kid and born on August 15, 1895, at Camilla, tion with his ring career. His moth- was stopped by and Lee Ga., though most of his life he has er has never quite become recon- Anderson. Later on he boxed Nor- lived in the little village of Bruns- ciled t 0 his fighting. For a long folk to a draw. wick. Ga. He is the son of God-fear- time she never referred to his work ing parents who brought him up to Make N. Y. Debut in the ring. There’s nothing else drinking, smoking gam- boy she need be ashamed shun and Flowers made his debut in New about her r in put of, say those who know Theodore bling. It w as 1917 that he York about two years ago at the on his first pair of boxing gloves. Commonwealth club and finally Flowers best! And now that he is a champion, maybe his mother will Felt the Call broke into a bout in the old Gar- proud pro- Johnny be just a little bit of his It was Philadelphia Jack O’Brien den. where he won over Wil- son, ex-champion of the mid- fession. who was in away responsible. This the dleweights stopping sensa- same O’Brien happens to be the pro- him in style. came prietor of the gymnasium where tional Year before last They call them “wings’ on airplanes Greb always trains for his contests his first meeting with but no aviator wants to see them flap. here and where he trains for the match that has just cost him his title. In 1917 Jack O’Brien was con- ducting a gym in Philadelphia. He EAST LAKE LUNCH ROOM was schooling Flowers wr ho had been at work in the shipyards in that city, SOUTHERN COOKING happened to drop into the gymna- sium. Cigars Tobaccos Confections “I don’t know what came over me,’' relates Flovrers, “but I found MRS. C. P. COLEMAN, Prop. myself just itching to put on the gloves with some of those novices.” 1445 East Jefferson St So he spoke to O’Brien and the latter consented to let Flowers spar with some of the heavier pupils. He had speed and natural aptitude for C. Scrivener Jack Wauson all his greenness and O’Brien has A. some nice things to say to him on Radiator Repairing Body and Fender Work his showing. That was what start- ed the “Tiger” off, though his wife Fourth Ave. Garage and Welding Co. was in away responsible for his first professional bout. GENERAL AUTOMOBILE REPAIRING Broke His Hand Welding, Brazing and Soldering It happened that a chap named Rufus Cameron wr as in training at Phone 6057 116 So. Fourth Avenue the “Tiger’s” home town for a con PHOENIX, ARIZONA test. When Mrs. Flowers saw Cam- eron doing road work she just