Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-06-29

order Of the day here just as it is in America.
Certainly do not mean that the affair IN
fixed, /" but do mean that business is OF more
Importance to the promoters of the affair than
glory or real merit London is full of pugilistic
factions and some of them are thoroughly
honest in their desires to put their cham
pions against others in bona fide contests
for honest stakes, Among these is the party
behind Alex Roberts, who this week has issued
a challenge to fight any man in the world at 10
stone pounds, or 144 pounds. for as much as
$4,000 side. know that this challenge is gem
uine. Roberts is very clever young man and
can hit hard. His forte is in a A-foot ring. l
cannot say whether or not his challenge will be
taken up here. but the city and country are full
of pugilists, or at least of persons who claim to
be such. The weight, IA pounds, might not be
bad for either McAuliffe or Carroll The Brit
ishers would like extremely well to see Jack
McAuliffe come here, but they don't expect
that he will ever come. OF course they class
Carney above him. But If McAuliffe could
hight at IA pounds fear that he would De
beaten by Roberts. j say this believing the
most of what have heard about Roberts. l
will see more of him in q few days and then
will be better able to judge.
They Don't Last Long.
During talk I had with Mr.. Atkinson, of
the Sporting Life, he informed me that almost
all the London pugilists are broken down
almost as soon as they get to the 'front.' he
cited many instances. and among them referred
to Ted Pritcnard. This is the young man who
sprung into prominence not long ago. and who
offered to fight Jack Dempsey. As soon as he
attained prominence, however, he became
physical wreck and, although he is still willing
to fight anybody of his weight, he has no
hackers. he is completely broken down,
Mr.. Atkinson tells me. He may get
into something like condition again, but he
will never be the man he has been. Mr.. At
kinson ranks him as the cleyerest man of his
weight there has been in this country and that
when all right, he was vastly superior to either
'Totf' W all or any other middle-weight in the
world. This then would mean that Dempsey.
La Blanche and others of our American
middle-weghts need not expect TO be bothered
much by Pritchard.
While on this feature, may state that Jem
Smith is not by any means done with yet. He
has toIerabiy good following, and Mr. Atkin-
son argues that he was in no way to blame for
the dIsgraceful proceedings at the Smith
Slavin battle. 1t is claimed here that had
Smith been allowed to use his own judgment
he would have defeated Slavin, as the latter
could by no means hurt Smith. The
latter's hackers however, had gang
OF toughs who had been paid to do some
work and they insisted on doing it whether it
was required or not. 1t is not unlikely that an
effort will shortly be made to have Smith
matched again against some leading man. The
Pellcan Club, however, won't have anything to
do with him.
siaviu Overrated.
Many pugilistic authorities whom have met
here claim that Slavin, the Australian, is a very
much overrated man. Mr.. Atkinson is very
pronounced in this belief, but his opinion may
be taken with little discount, because Slavin
is not of the Atkinson party. Slavin has good
following in London and there are many who
do not rate him anything near first-class The
general opinion is that Peter Jackson is his
superior by heavy odds and that Charley Mitch
ell could soon do up" Slsvn. Mr.. Atkinson,
who has seen both Slavin and Jackson perform
emphatically claims that Slavin will be a
mark for the big colored man. Mitchell calls
Slavin big soft chump," and declares that
nothing would suit him better than to have
MIN within A-foot ring A few nights ago
Nj chell and Slavin were drinking together in
West End saloon when they commenced to
talk about their respective wrestling abilities
and ring tactics. They took hold, and Mitchell,
without great struggle, laid the big Aus
tralian down, ana he regained his feet looking
just like big baby. This account was told
me by gentleman who saw the affair. All
this about Slavin may or may not be true,
but my readers will remember that have
ever held good opinion of Slavin as pugilist
don't intend to change that opinion merely
because of the statement of his enemies.
write the statements, however, because
il is the policy of THE DISPATCH to
always give both sides of an argument. II
Slavin fights a frst-class man may be wrong
in saying that he will do we'll He may do well
and be beaten, but still think that he is a bet
ter man than Mr.. Atkinson and others make
him out to be. All the excuses in the world
will not explain away the fact that he was vast
ly superior to Smith. and that he would have
beaten the Englishman there is no doubt. At
anv rate battle between jackson and Slavin
NAV take place and if it does it will be a great
international event. / don't know why they
stand away from each other. Every admirer of
boxing in England desires to see them meet.
and jackson would certainly be the favorite
here. 1t seems safe TO say, however, that If
Slavin is beaten in England he will never visit
America.
Fogarty May be Matched.
Before leave London think we will have
made for a match between Jack
FogaTty and one of the leading mlddle-weights
of this country. Some time ago Fogarty and
his hacker, Mr.. Quinn, requested me to try and
arrange a contest between Fogarty and either