The sun., 1909-11-10
CURRENT SPORTING GOSSIP
WELSH, ENGLANDS CHAMPION,
COMING AFTER NELS0N.
VIII ReUew Challenge te FISht tho Pane
for worId,s Lightweight Title and n
@s.OOO BET st'l8S Pounds NieFAr-
land-Thompson BOut Causcs M Feeling

I
BY defeating Johnny Summers on point.
in a decisive manner in London Freddie
Welsh has the undisputed title OF Eng
lands lightweight champion pugilist
| Welsh has received from the National
Sporting Club diamond belt emblemstiS
Of these ring honors and has become the
most popular boxer. with the possible
exception Of Jim Driscoll. Ia Great Britain.
! Welsh is coming TO America soon for the
expressed purpose OF forcing Battling
Nelson to hght him for the lightweight
championship OF the world. The little
| Englishman has been vainly seeking a
| match with Nelson for two years. but IN
view OF his grip on the British champion
ship he believes that this time Nelson
will have to either fight OF crawl. Welsh
IL we'll known in this country. where
he hsa bowed in ALL the large cities, He
Jumped into tho iinlellGht when ne boxed
twenty-five round draw With Packey
Nc FBrland At Los Angeles n year ago last
July In that affair Welsh. In the opinion
OF many competent critics, had u distinct
advantage and should have received the
verdict. Later the Briton made Abe AtteIi
look like a selling platter in a fifteen round
bout in the same place. II is true that
Welsh had the advantage In weight. but
the way he ed the scientific festher-
weight champion left no room to doubt
his quality. ...
Welsh has challenged Nelson repeatedly.
but without receiving recognition. He
has posted S. 200 In cash as a forfeit and
side bet on several occasions. but Nelson
has ignored him. He has threatened to
claim the lightweight championship by
default. but the Battler has merely laughed
Once or twice Nelson. when corpered. has
expressed willingness to tight Welsh
some time, but that Ia about all.
Now Welsh Is coming back to this country
with increased prestige and just demand
for q match. He says he will post q tS 900
forfeit upon his arrival here and will issue
a challenge to Nelson to fwht twenty rounds
forty-flve rounds or to a finish at i33 pounds
ringside. the American lightweight limit.
He says the 81. 900 can go as q side bet and
that he will let Nelson decide upon the
division OF the purse. Welsh declares that
he will agree TO California as the battle
ground and viii be ready to fight within
two months after he reaches here. The
English champion. also sets forth that he
has nrst call on Nelson and that the latter
will not be called upon 10 meet the winner
OF the Wolgast-Powell hGbt ON November ~
In a battle to a finish Welsh might be q
hard proposition for Nelson unless the 10 T.
ter possessed his old endurance. There
Is not a scientific thing about boxing that
Welsh doesn't know. He has a phenomenal
II
blows with either hand. But he lacks
knockout punch. as his recent mill with
Summers well illustrated. He is physically
strong, though, and has undoubted stamina,
being generally regarded by ring sharps
as essentially q long distance fighter. With
superior endurance he might be able 20 tire
Nelson out unless the latter happened to
reach him with n knockout blow. In a
twenty round bout. however, Welsh mi ht
k.a N In nn ranin -. l.
not a boxer in the strictest sense OF the word.
At any rate il Is the prevailing opinion that
Welsh IL entitled to be heard and that he
and Nelson are far and away the beat light
weight pugilists in the world to-day. Will
Nelson come forward like a real champion
and accept welsh's sportsmanlike challenge
when the proper time comes?
From Kansas City comes = prolonged
wall OF distress from Cyclone Johnny
Thompson, who hooked UP with Packy
Mcfarland in a ten round bout there Mon
dav night. Thompson has been trying
to get a crack at either Mcfarland or Nelson
for more than year. He is tough
proposition for anybody and is a ring
veteran Of much expert ence. Mcfarland
was forced TO meet the Cyclone by the
Thompson says he vas robbed by the
referee. that he beat Mcfarland up so badly
that a doctor had 70 be. called in and that
ar about i.s poands 70 TSo%pson's la
Reliable reports Of the nght say that Mo
in the second round and that in the fourth
he was bleeding from the. nose and mouth.
but that in ring science he was easily the
the way. There is so much bitter feeling
between the men over the result that
.ss. ss be- ssS w One be 70 !.
from this affair Is that Mcfarland is no
longer in the lightweight class and that
l. A.zx- - Nml.
at catch weights.
There's a widely circulated rumor to
received q cash bonus OF 5000 from Pro-
moter Conroth 10 return for q written
4 q for the Gsht with Jefrries' IL Is said
that this is the much talked OF ace in the
sleeve that Coffroth is supposed to hold
battle-ground jer viii have 70 fsht at Colms
or not at all Coffroth naturally denies
hs s ErS and ,S fSys he has no no,
dsy were busy telling the story and pre-
in the negotiations. These sossips did
not confne their talk to the alleged Conroth-
johnson combinatton, but went so far as
OF some kind binding Jeffries. Berger and
Promoter Gleason together NJ any cost
true. il would be an easy matter for e either her
Jeffries or johnson TO block the fight per-
manently, so that until the purse and battle
ground have been selected many sceptical
per rsons will keep their tongues wagging.
Harlem boxing club tried TO life the I'D
Monday night but IL was q diftcult task a.
the bluecosts and a number Of Anti Vice
detectives svarmed around the doors OF
the building. Meanwhile the boxing game
continues to thrive in mum erous cities nm |
the State, including Albany. without the
slightest indication of trouble.
The Cleveland club again insists that IN ere |
is no chance for the transfer OF Napoleon |
Laiole 20 the Hishlanders 10 view of the |
TACT that the New York American League
Club has never contemplated such a deal |
clev Gland appears to be unnecessarily exer- !
cised. Lajoie has been playing major |
league ball for nearly fifteen years and |
cannot last forever. The Highlander have \
a brilliant young second basenian in Earl /
Gardner, who is just beginning what seems |
70 be a remarkable career on The ball field |
II has been the policy OF the New York club !
officials 20 build up the team with young /
blood and for that reason IL Ia not hard TO J
understand why there is no demand for old |
players. The success OF the Phllad elphia !
Athletics and the Boston Red Sox this wear
was IN a great measure due 10 young
talent, including such stars as Collins
Barry. Baker, Krause. Morgan, Lord Wood.
Mcconnell, Speaker and Others, who were |
Unhesrd Of several years ago, Players who