Los Angeles herald., 1908-08-17

"HOSE lightweight near-champions
who are fussing around on the
Il trail of Battling Nelson for
match for the championship of the
world will get better results by turning
their attention elsewhere. 1t is big
cinch that the fight Admission day with
Cans will be the last in which the
battling Dane ever will participate.
Nelson will not say that ne mtends
retiring with the title after he whips
Cans again, neither will he deny 1t, but
his general conversation indicates that
this will be his action. He has at
tanned his life's ambition, getting TO
the top of the heap and grabbing OH
the championship plum, and is giving
Cans a return match because 1t was
from Cans that he won the title ana
because he desires to prove beyond all
question that he did not win by any
fiuke.
Bat indicated that he probably will
retire after his fight with Cans when
told last night that Freddie Welsh had
deposited $1,000 with Charlie Eyton to
/ bind a match with Nelson, including
the $4,000 side bet. Bat was asked what
he intended doing about it. "Oh, moth
! ing at ALL" he said. IF it will do Welsh
any good to make this little talk let
! him have his fun. [ am TO night Cans
again, and after that-Well, / may fight
again and l may not. l shall make no
future matches at this time, anyway
The terms proposed by Welsh do not
come through with $4,000 side bet for
a 25-round fight. refusing to post 1t for
a 45-round scrap. He will fight Nell
son at IS rounds, but the $4,000 side bet
would not go. In no event, however,
would Nelson consider an offer of a
match with any fighter at this tlme' ne
said, regardless of distance, side bet
and financial inducements.
Wants to Quit Game
Following up this line of talk, Bat
further indicated his desire to get out
of the game soon by the following
statement:
81 have attained my ambition by
beating the best man in the lightweight
division who is fighting for the title,
and 1 won the championship. There
really is nothing more for fighter
! than to win this great glory and honor.
, 1 want to get into business, and be-
, lleve that if I should retire with the
championship the fact that 1 always
have fought on the level and proved
myself the best lightweight fighter in
} the world would be a valuable asset
2 for me.
3 "There is more money in business
than there is in fighting now, and ii
comes a lot easier. A successful fighter
can make a lot of money at the game
but it certainly comes by hard knocks
8 have made a nice fortune out of the
Q game and have invested it profitably.
9 have large interests now that demand
2 my attention, and If 1 retire l will
: have plenty of time to look after my
business interests instead of delegatine
r it to others.
= "Of course, may go on fighting In
2 definitely. I am not decided upon this
2 question; but 1 have given it consid
z erable thought of late, and just nov
Y 1 feel that I will not be in the rint
much longer. 1 expect to whip Gam
2 easily and retain my title, and If
. am not disappointed 1 may decide II
q quit, at least for time. For the pres
70 ent, anyway, l will not consider offer
y of matches.
- Welsh Is In Earnest
u There is no doubt that Welsh is yer,
y much in earnest in making the chal
y lenge, however, and he is not such
4 Joke as at first glance might appear
He believes he is fast enough an
y clever enough to defeat Nelson in
u twenty-hye-round fight and is nc
n afraid to tackle the Dane over tn
u forty-five-rou route. Nelson does nc
u regard him seriously, however, as h
saws he would fight Welsh just a
- quickly as any other fighter and woul
y consider it rather easy money over
D7 route.
Is Bat believes he is fast enough to mi
90 II with any of them and he does nc
believe that Welsh could hit him har
enough to ruffie his temper, while h
:. would be able to punish the Englis
- champion so severely in a long figi
y. that cleverness would be of no ava
against him, even if Welsh should