The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-07-14
WHO is REALLY
THE CHAMPION 2
No One Has Undisputed Claim
to the Welterweight
Honors.
JOE THOMAS is CLAIMANT
JOE THOMAS is CLAIMANT

NEW YORK, July 13.-The United
States is practically without 6. welter-
weight champion, notwithstanding the
fact that Joe Thomas of California,
claims the title. The title has really
lapsed, because no fighter Of promi-
hence can make the weight. viz, 142
pounds. The alleged champions who
have claimed it since the days when
Joe Walcott was supreme In the class
have outgrown the weight.
The limit--145 pounds-set for the
match between Joe Thomas and Mike
Sullivan, which was to have bo.n
fought in Denver, and later in San
Francisco, is almost conclusive prof
that one or the other. possibly both
weight of 142 pounds. There has. of
course, always been a question whether
either of them was ever the possessor
of the title. Though both beat
Honey" Melody, there is no proof
that they were at tho weight when
they did so. Thomas insists that In
their first meeting in Massachusetts,
when he Knocked out Melody. he was
under 142, but he did not weigh in.
publicly, nor before any reliable club
officials.
unbiased witnesses, who Is there to
admit that their claims are valid? a
few weeks ago Voting Erne and John
ny Summers fought under an agree
ment that provided that each must
weigh $50 pounds at $ o'clock. They
say they did so; but nobody except
/ their managers saw them. Why, then,
should any one accept the statement
that they fought at the weight?
n III
Foley, insist that Melody was more
than 145 when he beat Walcott Yet,
claiming that Thomas made l42 when
he defeated Melody, they claim the
title. 1t is apparent that If Melody
ever did rightfully hold the title, he
! is now over the weight. And it is
4 likewise apparent that he can be
/ beaten by a half dozen of the light
/ weights if he could get down to even
Has pounds. His claims are, conse-
quenty, ridiculous. Then as to
4 believes that he can make 142 While
in New York after the bout in Phla-
i delphia with Melody he weighed at
4 least 16o. Although his manager made
many offers to fight. and posted
checks as forfeits, none of the offers
4 were to meet real welterweights.
Always Above Weight.
There was time when Mike sulli-
van could set under 142. as, for in
stance. when he fought Joe Cans in
/ San francisco; but there are reasons
to believe that he cannot do SO now.
/ The ten-round match with Thoma S
lthat was to be given in Denver was
to be at 145, and in Denver it is
! easier, on account of the altitude, to
reduce than anywhere else In the
! country. Again. when he heat Melody
in Los Angeles, the weight was las.
I 1t is doubtful II he has been below
/ l42 for a long time
OF the other men who have claimed
TO be able to make the weight. such as
/ Willie Lewis, Tommy Sullivan and
4 Harry Lewis, little need be said. Will
4 lie Lewis now admits that 14s Is mis-
\ best, while Harry Lewis and Tommy
4 Sullivan don't count. There are really
/ only two good men in the class Jimmy
A Gardner and Joe Cans. Gardner can
do 1875. Cans did 133 in the Nelson
fight.
:. Can he do it again?" was asked OF
IA fight expert who saw him recently
lin Baltimore.
IF he does he will blow away in a
/ breeze" was the answer. Every man
who saw that. fight knows that Cans
had weakened himself so much thai
he was not in condition and could not
i hit Does any one believe that Nelson
i could have stood the blows had Cans
4 been in condition."