Judge, 1931-02-28 · page 10 of 36
Judge — February 28, 1931 — page 10: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# "The Battle of the Century" - Judge Magazine Satire This page satirizes contemporary boxing through a biblical lens. The top cartoon shows a shoe salesman—a visual pun on "trying shoes" that relates to the boxing content below. The main article reimagines David vs. Goliath as a modern boxing match, mocking the sport's corruption. "Sling-shot" David (welterweight) and "Hippo" Goliath (heavyweight) are banned fighters after David's suspicious first-round knockout victory. The satire exposes: - **Fixed fights**: Egyptian gamblers allegedly rigged the match; Goliath's bank account suspiciously fattened - **Padded records**: David's reputation built on victories against weak opponents ("third-rate set-ups") - **Dubious outcomes**: Several of David's recent bouts had questionable results - **Corruption**: Money changed hands; Goliath may have intentionally "took a dive" The bottom cartoon shows gangsters discussing opening a "speakeasy"—referencing Prohibition-era organized crime's connection to boxing corruption. Judge uses biblical irony to critique 1920s boxing as a criminal enterprise.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Shoe store salesman letting customer out to try shoes. THE BATTLE OF THE CENTURY If David and Goliath Had Fought Today M Ny fight followers on the inside will not be surpri f “Sling-shot” I liath, heavyweight ed vid, welterweight, and “Hippo” Go- c banned from taking part in further contests under the jurisdiction of the Jordan Valley Boxing Association. It is well known that a great deal of moncy changed hands when Goliath, a ten-to-one favorite, took the count in the first round in his recent mix-up with David. It is now being whispered about that several notorious gamblers from Egypt, known to have fixed the Daniel-in-the- lions’-den fake, were seen in Goliath's tent the evening before the event, and that Goliath’s bank account has suddenly become much fatter than his cut of the ate receipts would lead one to expect. It is not for your correspondent to say whether Goliath deliberately took a dive to the canvas, but several recent bouts in which “Sling-shot” David has figured have had rather dubious outcomes. To put the matter baldly, David's reputation has been built up by a series of questionable victories over third-rate set-ups, many of whom haven't beaten a first-rate boxer in a hundred or a hundred and fifty years. Goliath, moreover, has show Incidental} before David knocked him out has not added any savo: to the whole affair. “From now on I’m going straight—I’m gonna open up Don’t Bet on Ficuts! a nice, quiet speakeasy.” ea a eee —Parxe Cumincs comicbooks.com