Los Angeles herald., 1908-11-02


minded sportsman in the southlal
1t is a tribute to the leyel-headed
Judgment of his former manager
Frank Mulkern. that he severed his
relations with Wolgast after the scrap
with Webster. Mulkern warned the
.Jeffries club management that Wolgast
is a stubborn, childish and unreliable
fighter and that 1t would be necessary
to humor and pet him all the time to
prevent him from running out on his
matches. Since he and Mulkern quit
company. Wolgast has been acting like
a spoiled child and has dwindled from
championship possibility TO the level
of a pork-and-beaner, as his drop from
the class of a contender with Attell
for the championship to the rank of the
local pork-and-bean preliminary class
fully attests.
Wolgast startled coast fans by his
audacity in refusing to fight Atten after
he had paraded his name in print from
one end of the country to another as
a determined near-champion on the
trail of Attell. Baron Long went to
San Francisco, after telegraphic nego-
tiations had failed, and finally signed
up Attell to meet Wolgast on most
reasonable and fair conditions-the
championship limit at ringside and
over 20-round distance Wolgast was
scared 10 uGdlu Wilcu lC lO0Alu tAAehl AAO
could get q scrap with the champion
for the title and no amount of reas-
oning or persuasion could bulge him
from his position of refusing to meet
the champion.
First, he wanted to dictate the route
and insisted upon making it twenty
five rounds. Then he wanted to make
the weight at about three TO six hours
before entering the ring. When all eff
forts at getting Wolgast to accept the
fair and reasonable conditions named
by Attell had failed, the little cham
pion showed himself up in new and
more favorable light than ever before
by quietly acquiescing in the stubborn
demand of his challenger and agreed
to let the weight be made to suit VOL
CAST.
When the Milwaukee boy saw that
his efforts at avoiding a fight with At
tell were about to fail, he took new
tack and set up a demand for bonus.
Think OF it, you fans. A bush Lacquer
asking for a bonus from the champion
of the world as a condition precedent
to closing the match Failing to get
the bonus ne again demanded. This
time he wanted a guarantee of $4,000
for his end, win, lose or draw, although
he admitted he never had received half
that sum in his life for a fight OF
course he did not get the guarantee.
Then ne found 1t convenient to bolt out
of the club office and drop negotiations.
Now he is getting back in his class
and proposes to take on Bubbles Robin
son, the clever negro boxer, and give
away hunks of weight to get the match
If the fight fans of Los Angeles will
stand for him they deserve no better
attractions in future and IL the card is
kept on the schedule there is no earthly
reason for refusing to give Jack
O'Brien, Boer Unholz, Aurelio Herrera
and a host of other dead ones a resus-
citation benefit performance. The club
has made a serious mistake in giving
Wolgast a match and it will have no
cause for complaint If the fans give
substantial evidence of their disap-
proval by staying away from the show,
as they probably win do.
AtteII and Welsh May Sign
Negotiations for a scrap between the
two greatest little fighters in their
class-Abe Attell and Freddie Welsh
still are in progress and these boys
probably will come to an agreement to-
day with one Of the local clubs. Attell
is anxious to arrange the scrap over
the ten-round course, but Welsh wants
the twenty-round route. Both have
agreed as to the other important de-
tails of the match and If they can get
together on the question Of the distance
over which they will box articles will
be signed today
Attell very frankly admits that
Welsh is not an ordinary lightweight,
any more than he is an ordinary fea-
overweight. Each ranks as the clever
est and speediest boxer in his division.
Abe says that he much prefers to box
the smuggling lightweights, like Nelson
and Memsic, to taking on a speedy and
superlatively clever boxer of the Welsh
p A 4 IL T. n. L.
where speed and cleverness would
count as the most important factors,
he fears he might not be able to carry
the extra weight over the twenty-round
course and do Justice to himself and
his prestige as champion.
Welsh tustifies his objection to the
ten-round route by saying that he
would 7 at a decided advantage be-
cause Attell might outpoint him at SO
short distance, and he. too, has a
reputation that might suffer If he
should sustain defeat even on points
in a battle with a lighter scrapper
Freddie is anxious for the match to be
closed, as is Attell. because 1t would
be popular one and would attract the
fans In great droves.
Baron Long has suggested a compro-
mise on the question of distance, max
ing the boys a liberal offer to go fif-
teen rounds Welsh has accepted the
proposition and both boys will meet
him at noon today and give him their
final answer. The compromise prob
ably will be accepted, as it is a meet
me-half-way concession on both sides
In the event they accept the fifteen
round proposition they viii box before
the Jeffries club. If they agree to GO
over the ten-round course the bout Will
be staged at McCarey's pavilion. Both
promoters are bidding for the match,
and It seems assured that the boys will