Los Angeles herald., 1910-02-14
NELSON FAVORED
OVER WOLGAST
CHAMPION RULES AS 10 TO 7
FAv0RITE
APPEARS MUCH IMPROVED IN
HIS HEALTH
Reports Indicate That Dane and His
Manager Have Outgeneraled the
Dutchman In Preliminary
Details

Details
RICHMOND, Cal, Feb 1S,-Bat-
tling Nelson, lightweight champion of
the world, is in full swing with his
training work at Colma for his battle
with Ad. Wolgast, which is scheduled
to take place in this city on the after
noon of Washingtons birthday. Mel
son has a retinue of training experts,
which includes his brother Art, who
shows boxing ability and skill that
stamp him as almost second Bat
tling; Joe Myers, husky locah~ Hght-
weight; Abe Silvermann of Hegewisch,
and Abdul, the Turk, regarded by Bat
as the best rubber in the country.
Nelson's training methods are ex-
tremely simple. He makes no radical
departures from the beaten paths Of
modern pugilists. He is up at Z, on
the road at and back in the gym
Inasium at 10. The afternoon is de-
voted to the usual gym work, with Art
Nelson, Silvermann and Myers taking
the punishment.
The condition in which Nelson re-
ported to Promoter Sid Hester, who
is engineering the big battle, was a
. surprise to the Frisco fight fans. Mel
son when last seen here, just before
his Los Angeles battle with Wolgast,
gave every evidence of having fought
the last battle of his wonderful pugi-
listic career. He was loggy and his
color was bad. He had none of the
tigerish movements that characterized
his walks and every action, and his
general physical condition was pro-
nounced as far from perfect.
Today, however, Nelson looks like the
great little fighter that defeated every
man the country could produce for
him. He is pink and clear, walks with
the same old springy stride, works
like a piece of machinery in the gym,
and seems the same tireless Nelson
automaton. Had he reported looking
as he did six months ago, betting
would have been on Wolgast. AS it
is, Bat already is 10 to favorite,
and betting men believe he will be up
better than two to one when the men
enter the ring.
Jones Is OutgeneraIed
In the preliminary skirmishes re-
garding the referee, terms and other
business end of the fight, the Nelson
camp has SO far outgeneraled the VOL
CAST and Jones faction, and Nelson and
his manager John r. Robinson, have
forced Wolgast and Manager Tom
Jones to lose almost every point at
issue. And it was not through Nell
sons position as champion that he was
able to win the arguments. Robin
son and Nelson simply outjockeyed
selection of a referee.
Nelson was willing to have either
Welch, Graney or Eddie Smith. Robin
son wanted only Smith. Jones was set
on having only Welch, and would have
rejected Smith in order to force Welch
on the Dane. Jones, however, was
( fooled into naming the first candidate,
thus giving Robinson a chance to re-
ject the man. Jones named Welch and
Robinson promptly rejected him. Man
by man, the pair named almost all the
eligible men, each rejecting the other s
choice. Smiths name at last was
forced upon the pair as a compromise
candidate, and Jones had to accept
him, for the reason that all the other
eligible officials had been rejected by
either himself or Robinson.
The conference which resulted in
Smiths selection is locally regarded
as one of the best pieces of diplomacy
on the part of Nelson and his mana
ger ever seen in California. Smith is
an able referee, and has always given
satisfaction in California and else
where.
lnsures Referees Life
The Nelson interests also introduced
another innovation in the business end
of a boxing match, Smith, being the
only man acceptable to both parties,
was made part and parcel of the
match. Before Robinson, with a
great show of reluctance, finally con-
sented to accept him, he insisted that
the club have his life insured until
after the fight in the Battler's favor.
Undoubtedly, this was a clever Nell
son advertising scheme on the part
of the Nelson interests, but at the
same time it was good business judg-
ment.
Nelson has Cancelled theatrical en-
gagements worth more than $4,000 in
order to defend his title against VOL
CAST In the event of Smith dying be-
tween now and the match, great diff
Guilty would be experienced in select
ing another referee, and the match
might be declared off. Nelson only
protected himself from such an emer-
gency.
When Wolgast and Jones had their
usual twenty-four hours to think OF
the matter, they followed suit and
asked that Smith be insured in their
favor. The club and Smith agreed
The only difference in the method of
insurance was that the shrewd Nell
son interests had the premium paid
by the club, whereas Wolgast had to
be content to pay his part of the in
surance himself
Arena is Being Built
Work on the gigantic arena at
Richmond where Nelson and Wolgast
will meet is in full swing. Two hum
dred men at present are rushing the
great structure to completion. The
building will have a seating capacity
of more than 10000 and a gate OF
more than 100000 is expected by the
promoters. After Hester failed to get
a permit for the 45-round battle at
San Francisco, and also Colma, Rich
mond came to the front and not only
offered to build the arena but to have
the railroads run special excursions
to the arena In all, the Richmond
citizens are expending more than $10,-
900 to advertise the town. Billy Me-
Carney of Philadelphia who is inter-
ested in the club with Hester, will
handle the press work and adverts-
ing for the match, and already has
started a campaign which promises to
exceed all previous publicity promo
tions in the Golden Gate.