The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1910-09-30
ABE ATTELL HAS
PLENTY Of NERVE
As a Featherweight He Has
Always Been Willing to
Tackle Heavier Men

Tackle Heavier Men
j
After considerable wrangling and
exchange Of more or less crooked
compliments Ad Wolgast, lightweight
champion, and Abe Attell, king of the
feathers, agreed to meet in a 90
round bout. at 1873 pounds ringside.
The match will be decided next No
vember before the club offering the
best Inducements. There are few
fighters in the business who would
care to take chance against the &C
knowledged leader of heavier class.
But this Is not the first time that At
tell has made a flight into the next
grade and on only one occasion had
he much cause to repent his daring.
That was when he tackled Freddy
Welsh, the 1.-THE, elusive British light
weight. Attell and Welsh collided at
Los Angeles in 1908 and the boxer
from across the seas won decision
over Abe in fifteen rounds. Attell's
feaghter weight title was not involv-
ed, so that the loss Of the verdict did
not hurt his reputation to any extent,
but It touched his pride on the raw
bit, for Abe ranks among the CLASH
est Of classy boxers, and to be out
jabbed by the Britisher was an un-
welcome surprise. Eight months be-
fore meeting Welsh, Attell has held
Battling Nelson to 15-round draw
in San Francisco. He knew the Dane
like book, for Attell is one of those
brainy ring artists who study pros
pective opponents to some advantage,
and he had watched the Battler per-
form on more than one occasion.
Also he had boxed a Ground no de-
cision bout with him three years prior
to the Frisco event. To draw or out
point Nelson was therefore cinch
for the fleet-footed, clever Abe in a
15-round affair, and for the matter Of
that he could probably have covered
another five rounds without suffering
any serious damage. Nelson always
was slow beginner and never shone
brightly in contests where he was
slated for a short distance.
AS matter Of fact the men who
have given Attell the most trouble in
the ring during his long and brilliant
fighting career have ben the clever
chaps, not the sluggers who bore in
and try to sweep an antagonist of his
feet by dint Of furious attacking meth
DDS. Owen Moran and Jem Driscoll
have come the closest of whipping
Attell of any men he has faced since
he became featherweight champion,
outside of Welsh. Neither Moran nor
Driscoll gained a decision over Abe,
but each gave him every bit, some
critics say more, punishment as he
administered, and the feather weight
monarch earned every cent he got for
his seances with Moran. Driscoll &
Co.
Wolgast is cleverer than Nelson,
but a big shade behind Attell in point
of scientific knowledge. Like Nelson
he bores in all the time, carrying the
fight doggedly to his man and forcing
matters continually. Attell probably
had this fact in mind when he went
after the Michigan crack for a match.
In twenty rounds he figures that VOL
CAST cannot penetrate his defense,
and he feels sure that he can outlook
him sufficiently to earn decision
over the lightweight leader. The adj
vantages of the match certainly lie
with Attell. 1t Is by no means I'M
conceivable that he may outpoint
Wolgast, and in such an event he
would lay claim to the lightweight as
the featherweight title. Wolgast
would have his troubles trying to
land Attell for battle over a long
er distance II this should happen. But
II Attell should lose, he can retire
placidly into his proper class, and de-
clare that he lost to bigger man.
Wolgast has a couple of minor
matches on, he having arranged to
box frankie White in Milwaukee and
Tommy Gary in Fond du Lac in the
near future. Neither of these men
should be hard for Wolgast to whip,
barring accidents, such as happened
during the champions last appear
ance in fight. On that occasion he
fractured bone in his arm, but luck
lily for him his then opponent, Jack
Redmond, was not aware of the in
Jury, and the champion finished the
bout as scheduled. Just before VOL
CAST signed up with Attell he was
subjected to good deal Of unfavor-
able criticism for making matches
with boxers Of such mediocre caliber
as White and Gary. Why he should
he thus criticised is a mystery. 1t Is
taken for granted that pugilist is In
the business not for love of 1t, but for
the hard dollars, and Wolgast would
have been several different kinds of
fool had he sidestepped any sort Of
financial proposition which promised
we'll. But because he refused to con-
cede ton Of weight to that would
be-member of the light brigade,
MInnAN,CMl