Los Angeles herald., 1908-09-22
WALSH LEAVES
PRELIM RANKS
WILL REFEREE ONLY MAIN
EVENTS
--
RESIGNS POSITIONS WITH BOTH
LOCAL CLUBS
Believes He Has Had Sufficient Ex-
perience to Be Entitled to Promo-
tion-Will Handle WoIgast-
Webster Bout In Debut

Tommy Walsh announced last night
that he had decided to resign his office
of preliminary referee for the Jeffries
Athletic club and the Pacific Athletic
club and confine his refereeing stunts
In future to main events. After maxi
ing this decision, he conferred with
Baron Long and Tom McCarey. and
both managers congratulated him
upon the move.
This will be good news to his numer-
GUS friends in the local sporting world.
Tommy has refereed preliminaries for
quite awhile and has given universal
satisfaction and made himself poular
with the fans because of his conduct
in the ring. That he gives ms oecls-
ions ON the level and after figuring out
in his own mind which fighter Is en-
titled to the decision is proved in the
fact that upon two or three occasions
he has found 1t necessary to oner 10
do a little pugilistic work himself in
defending his opinion.
After having served in the subordi-
nate position for long time, until ne
has acquired that necessary expert
ence expected of a referee of main
events, built up his stock of self con-
fldence and tried his hand at a few
ordinary main events, he believes ne
is qualified to referee main events ana
holds the opinion that a main event
referee should cut out preliminary
work Inasmuch as the Jeffries Atm
letic club has given him a few main
event bouts already and there are 9TH
ers in sight that he can handle, he
will graduate out of the prelim ranks
at once and will be seen In future only
as referee of main events.
Tommy is not so stuck up that he
thinks he can get all the main events
floating around or that fighters like
KetcheI, Papke, Burns and Bat Nell
son are going to break their necks to
get him to referee their fights, but he
expects to prove his worth and ability
as a main event referee just as ne
proved up in the prelim ranks, and
after awhile he hopes to become recog-
nized as on a par with any OF them.
This is laudable ambition and he mas
hundreds of friends in Los Angeles
who will be greatly disappointed If he
fails to get to the top of the heap.
He said last night:
"Of course, 1 do not expect to jump
out and get rGh quick at the business,
but do believe that as long as a ref
cree is content to drag along In the in
ferior division he will have to stay
there. He must promote himself by
his work, and 1 feel that now is the
time for me to cut out the prelimi-
naries and go a notch or two higher.
'I am sure that Charley Eyton and
myself will get along nicely in the
same line and there never will be any
friction between us. I am not going
to bid for any jobs and do not ex-
pect to begin handling championship
scraps until I am able to prove my
right to them. But there are plenty of
minor main event bouts that can get
and 1t is in handling them that ex-
pect to make good. I appreciate my
friends who have encouraged me In
the preliminary ranks and hope shall
not disappoint them higher up"
George Blake probably will break
into the refe4ee game and get the
positions vacated by Walsh. Blake Is
official club referee at San Diego, but
has made only occasional appearances
in the local rings. He is boxing in
structor and a classy fighter, so he
should know the game well enough to
fill the position. George is a popular
boy and If he is selected to succeed
Walsh 1t will be a popular move.