Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1909-01-18
WELSH TO LAY
CLAIM TO TITLE
CHALLENGES NELSON AND
MAKES THREATS
DECLARES BAT MUST FIGHT OR
LOSE LAURELS
Gives Lightweight Champion Thirty
Days to Accept or Announces Re
tirement, or He Will Set Him
self Up as Title Holder
BY JAY DAVIDSON

BY JAY DAVIDSON
FREDDIE Welsh has become exceed
lnsiy weary of waiting for a chance to
go higher up the lightweight ladder ana
insists that he shall no longer s11broit
to the Battling Nelson silent blockade
OF the rungs. He came through last
night With a renewal of his Challenge
70 Nelson for lightweight champion
snip argument, Offering a $4,000 side bet
on the result, and accompanied the
chaLenge with the notification to the
champion that he must accept or de-
cline the match within thirty days, and
tell the world that he has retired if he
decides to decline, or he will proceed
to squat on the title, proclaim him
self the successor to the abandoned
title and proceed to defend it at 1873
pounds ringside, nobody barred and all
accommodated as fast as they come.
Freddie explains his attitude upon
the subject of the lightweight cham
p1onship in an extended and logical
reasoning. He says that the entire
sporting world has become convinced
that Nelson has retired, but that he
will not make any announcement to
that effect until after his book has
been put upon the market. If he had
any intention of ever again fighting,
says Welsh, he would have accepted
some of the numerous challenges
hurled at him, some of which would
have been easy picking, at least.
Welsh insists that 1t is not the right
Of a champion to remain idle for an in
definite period, but that he must fight
occasionally to give his rivals chance
to win the title, and that failure to
consider fight offers after a reasonable
time has expired between his previous
fight and the challenge is equivalent to
abandonment of the job as champion
and leaves the field and title open for
competition by those actively engaged
in mauling out an existence In that
division.
Proceeding upon the theory that Nell
son will turn down the challenge, as he
did q few weeks ago when the same
challenge was sent to him, Welsh JUS
titles his own claim as the vice cham
piOn now and the active champion after
thirty days have expired, as follows:
Joe Cans is dead one, defeated and
stripped of his tituIar honors, and has
refused to fight again. This eliminates
him, along with Nelson, if the latter has
retired. Packy Mcfarland is out of it,
according to Welsh because he cannot
or will not make the championship limit
of 1873 pounds at ringside, having re-
fused to do so and showing to the entire
satisfaction of Welsh by his efforts last
Friday night against Hyland that he
cannot make the weight several hours
before the fight and be strong enough
to be a contender. This causes Welsh
to put him in the eliminated class; but
he adds that Packy can consider him
self also challenged, with the $4,000 side
bet added, for a scrap at 1913 pounds
ringside, if the Chicago boy believes he
can make the championship limit.
Then he goes after Fighting Dick Hy-
land with the offer of a fight at 1913
pounds ringside on basis of 2 to 1 for
a $1,000 side bet, Welsh making himself
l to favorite to start with by agree
ing to post $1,000 against $500 that he
will win. AS for Cyclone Thompson,
Welsh says that Pete Sullivan put him
out of the running last Friday night by
beating him in twenty rounds. AS for
the claims of George Memsic, Freddie
says he will attend to them the night
of February 2. This lot, he figures,
constitutes all the possible contenderS
for the title, and as he has made plain
look to be based upon reason and es-
tablished facts, he has all the best Of
the argument to begin with.
1t is generally believed that Nelson
has retired and never will fight again.
In fact, that was the substance of his
statement to me few days previous to
his last battle with Cans. He said that
he probably would retire and look after
his large business interests in the event
he again defeated Cans, and that only q
defeat by Cans would keep him in the
ring unless he changed his mind.
Figuring the lightweight situation at
this moment in the same way that
handicappers figure a race, the cham
pionship affair seems to be summed
up as follows: Nelson has retired; Nc
Farland cannot make the weight re-
quired in a championship match;
Thompson is eliminated by his defeat
last week; Cans has retired and pub
licly announced this to be a fact;
Welsh is to argue Memsic's claim Feb
ruary 2; Hyland, the only one left,
can have a chance to settle the dis
pute with Welsh two weeks after
Welsh and Memsic meet. So it is
three-man race, on this kind Of dope,
and Welsh, Memsic and Hyland alone
are left to settle the dispute. Bat can
settle it all, however, by accepting the
challenge. His reply will be awaited
with much interest, as a champion
ship battle or big dispute will follow.