Chapter Eight
The ChallengersGranville, New York
May 30, 1926
“This is the hottest ticket in Washington County!” Mayor James exclaimed. The first challenger, Bobby Billow, stood ringside next to his opponent, Mike Kelly.
It was anticipated that the audience would exceed one thousand spectators – a huge event for this little farm town on the New York-Vermont border. In 1926, the only sport in America more popular than boxing was baseball. And the only athlete more famous than heavyweight boxing champion Jack Dempsey was Babe Ruth himself.
As the two fighters stood in the ring, it was obvious how one-sided the bout would be. The champion outweighed the wiry Billow by at least seventy-five pounds. Hardly a fair fight; but then again, this was the Granville Memorial Day Celebration, not
