The San Francisco call., 1908-08-09
Thomas Has Another
Chance to Show Fans
Many Believe That Abe AffeH
Is Afraid of Owen
Moran

hght next Friday evening with Stanley
hetchel at the Coliseum should bring
IL out. If Joe has gone back any since
the last time he squared off in the
roped arena, then he viii meet defeat
quickly. At all events, Thomas will be
SlNen a splendid opportunity to
demonstrate TO the fight fans of the
country whether or not the making OF
weight Ia his last battles with the
middle weight champion rendered him
incapable of lighting his fight.
me coming battle will be one be-
tween heavy weights There is no dis
putting this fact. Thomas will enter
tne rlng weighing in the neighborhood
OF lf5 pounds. while his formidable
opponent viii tip the bar at about five
pounds less, according to his own calcu-
1auons. 1t will be the first heavy
weight mill carded in this city for
many months and, for this reason
alone II gives promise of being an IN
teresting affair."
Though figured from past perform
ances Thomas does not stand chance
70 beat the young Michigan lion, still
he has friends in plenty who believe
that Joe viii take the measure of the
champion This may seem ridiculous
on the face of ii, but still stranger
things have come to pass in the ring.
THOMAS FOUGHT
HI RRICANE BATTLE
Everybody who saw their second
meeting at the Mission street arena, q
little less than a year ago, will recol-
lect that Thomas came very near
putting Ketchel TO the carpet for the
on him in that memorable thirty second
round Thomas fought a hurricane bat
lie that day and came back time and
time again after being apparently on
his way TO sleep.
The next time the men fought,
ketchel practically beat Thomas with a
left 10 the Jaw in the very first round.
Though he battled gamely from that
time till the mill ran its course in the
twentieth, Joe failed to show any of
has old time steam. He could not block
kctcheIs rushes and he seemed in
cspaole OF leading as ne used TO DO in
his palmy days But still KetcheI
could not put him away.
On both occasions Thomas claimed
that the making of weight hurt him.
he came out with statements TO the
euect that he was half starved and
weak upon entering the ring both times
and that II was impossible for him to
fight his fight. This time, however, no
such excuses viii go. Joe can weigh a
ton II he chooses. Already he is train
ing 20 build up his body and make
every ounce count. As Thomas never
fought at a heavy weight limit before,
the fans viii have a good chance this
time TO see what kind OF a big fellow
he is.
The coming mill will also give the
sporting public a line on KetchePs
ability to trim big, tough, rugged
fellow when he IS not handicapped by
weight himself. Now that Thomas has
come out with the complaint that the
taking of of flesh injured his former
chances in the ring, Ketchel also has a
license TO make the same kind Of a
talk.
Ketchel is little more than boy yet.
still he r. fighting the hardest big
fellows he can dig up. In the past he
has made weight in every fight and
when ne fought Kelly and Papke he
found il rather difficult TO come down
10 the required notch. Though his
showing against these men did not in
dlcate that he was not at his best, he
claims ne viii be a far better man at
40 pounds. which he claims is really
his best nghting weight
ATTELL'S TACTICS
NOT UNDERSTOOD
is Abe Atten afraid Of owen Moran
or are his present tactics only a sort
Of ruse 10 ma-ke~the public and Moran
tioa That sl IS BEING f Z pOpped and ahe does do@n
the line on all sides ever since Abe
tried 10 dictate the referee policy to
thc little Britisher when they met to
name that official the other evening
Every body knows that Moran gave
AttcH the hardest battle of his career,
barring the Nelson affair, the last time
they met From the moment the bell
brought them together till Jim Jeffries
called the fight a draw at the end of
the twenty-nfth round the boys were
at each other hammer and tongs, and
Abe was continually forced to break
ground and run in order to avoid the
hurricane rushes Of the sturdy little
Britisher.
Attelrs title means more to him than
lot OF money, for without it he will
be minus the power to draw good
houses. He may figure that he is TAX
ing too much of a chance against
Moran, 3nd that an easy way to get out
of the match would be by stalling
around and then disgusting the pro-
moter till the latter viii be compelled
10 call il of.
some sort Of an ace in the hole or a
card UP his sleeve. He is one of the
foxiest men in the ring today, and
there is method in every one Of his
fits of apparent madness. Those who
have seen him go since his fight with
Moran last New Years day will admit
that the little Hebrew has improved
wonderfully, especially in his ability
TO wade in and mix II with an Op-
pOnent- For this reason many figure
that the worst Attell can ever get with
Moran is a draw.
Then there is a story In the wind that
Coffroth wants to sidetrack the match
between the feather weights, so that
II viii not interfere with his Cans
Nelson fight. This is admittedly the
card, and If there is any sacrificing TO
be done the willy promoter sure viii be
the first one to throw the harpoon into
the Moran-Atteu affair. Two big fights
within two days of each other is a big
undertaking for any promoter.
WELSH NEXT ONE
FOR MCFARLAND
The decisive victory which "Packey''
Mcfarland gained over the tough, hard
hitting Phil Brock In Los Angeles the
other evening has caused the stock OF
the Chicago lightweight to rise several
points Now, II he can show speed
enough to beat Freddie Welsh, he will
rank right with the best of them and
figure as q real aspirant for the cham
piOnship-
land looms up as the most formidable
opponent for Battling Nelson A care
ful survey of the lightweight crop
VIII fail 10 bring forth a more likely
looking one than the pride of the Chi
cago stock Yards. But in the mean :
time. he viii have to show little more
than he has shown in the past in order
TO figure in Nelson's class.
After his coming fight with Cans
on Admission day, which he surely hg-
ures to win, Nelson naturally will be a
vcrv much sought young man. Though
be has announced that he does not care
now whether or not he ever sees q
boxing glove again, it is only reason
able 10 suppose that the Durable Dane
viii do some more lighting, especially
when he sees so many thousands OF
dollars waiting for him to pocket
Taking ali these things into consid-
Grafton ii would appear that meeting
between Mcfarland and Nelson for the
lightweight championship Is not far
distant And il should prove great
ngif. too. for -Packey is strong
,lIgged Young fellow, with punch
n - lr, f1,o