The wageworker. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1904-????, 1909-01-16
NEXT FIGHT WILL
BE HlS,.>.LAST . ONE,
BATTLING NELSON DECLARES He
WILL ENTER THE. RING =
ONLY ONCE MORE.
HAS EARNED A SNUG FORTUNE
lightweight Champion Says He Is
Willing to Meet Winner of Four
Cornered Elimination Contest
Tells Of His Ring Experience-says
Stage Work is Easier Than Fight.
ing. ''t &.r.

s. Il will fight bat one more fight in
defense of the championship.
Battling Nelson has spoken. The
great Dane impaired that decision in
New York city the other night Y
Il realize that / have fought many
and many hard battle for my honors.
took more thumpings tina never any
man did in the world to- gain title.
and | deserve a rest. I've made lot
of money out of the game, but 1
earned every penny of it honestly
Now this final battle which l in
tend to engage in is this: There are
four men who are claniOring for. a
chance at me, and believe them to be
the foremost lightweights in the world.
They are Murphy, Thompson, McF'ar-
land and Welsh. That'is what they
will have to do: Say Murphy and
Thompson are matched. They must
go IS rounds. There must not be any
argument as to who is the better man.
Mcfarland and Welsh must then go
through the same process. Forty five
rounds, mind you. Must not be any
hitch there, either Then the winner
of the first bout will have to go As
rounds with the winner of the last.
Then | will meet the winner, and not
till then will l pay the least attention
to these fellows. believe, and the
public will by that time, that the win
ner of these bouts will be pretty fair
sort of a fighter and he is bound to
be great drawing card.
rr1it tn Enht HOY
is As rounds. and they can't even get
my ear unless they come to me under
those circumstances. I will give my
word and l stand ready to make good.
1t will be my final fight. I've made all
that care to in the fighting line and,
if it was not that it is, due one of this
/ quartet to get chance to win the title,
wouldn't bother about going into the
ring again. I will make plenty OF
money on the stage in the future, and
| it will be much easier work than train
| ing and fighting. ~
Il don't think that any of them will
! fight Joe Cans, and. if the great darby
keeps out of the game much longer he
will never be able to get in any sort OF
condition again. l don't regret haying
|
has been for eenttlIies-and guess !
come to be a fighter of some sort ma
turally. People think that the hard
knocks that have received during my
pugilistic career have destroyed my vi
tally.
| Boxing has made me better and q
| stronger man than ever would have
4 been otherwise Conditioning has kept
4 me healthy and thank my lucky stars
and the man who first showed nue. {
! pair of fighting mitts with a little in
formation as TO what they were uset
for.
In my own country they have hon
ored me in numerous ways. I have ;
letter in my pocket from the Danish
consul telling me of another hono
which they have, conferred upon me. II
Hegewisch l can be anything from
mayor to poundkeeper for the asking
4 There they don't bar me from hotels
but look upon me as a remarkably sue
cessful youth. 1 may not be the mos
popular lightweight the world eve
saw, and l guess its because I mine
my own business, invest my owl
money in my own way and live quiet
sober life. I could not do anythin.
else, because it wouldn't be my mature
to be the fool that some of the grea
champions have been. After l. hav'
left the fighting game, which l hav
followed in clean, honest way, I will
lead the same sort of an existence a
an ordinary citizen