Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1911-12-24
CHAMPION FIGHTERS AILING
Ad Wolgast Heads Long List of Ring
Men with Complaints.
CAN woLGAST REGAIN STRENGTH
las six Months in which 20 Pre-
pare to Defend His Title--Ques-
ton rs to whether Any Man
Can Heat Him.

Can Heat Him.
NEW YORK, Dec. 23.-What is the mat |
ter with all the champion boxers of late p?
Are they more subject to the Ills, espe-
cially appendicitis. than the ordinary
boxer, or does It just happen 70 be u
coincidence that several Of them are laid
up at about the same time? Ad Wolgast, |
the lightweight champion Of the world, Is |
not the only champion who has the high |
toned complaint. While Ad is recuperat-
ing at Los Angeles, Sammy Kellar, the
British 40 pounder. who claims the title |
in England, is also recovering from APP
pendicitis in London, having been oper
ated on Just on the eve Of his battle with
Sid Smith for the championship. The
French champion. Marcel Moreau, was
also threatened with the same complaint,
and 1t is not long since that Dave Smith, |
the Australian champion, was operated
on; also Les o. Donnell. the crack middle
weight of the Antipodes, and Jack Red
mond, the Milwaukee lightweight, were
q bit cut up, but have fully recovered.
II has been fortunate for most OF the
boxers, however, that they have been in
good physical condition at the time OF
being stricken down, and that has helped
wonderfully to pull them through safely.
And still some of the timid ones says
boxing is not a good, healthful exercise.
On top of Ad Wolgasts illness comes a
report from England that Matt Wells,
the British lightweight champion, has
been taken to the hospital for an opera
tion, and that 1t will be three months
before he will be able TO box again. This
will interfere with the plans of the New
York promoters, who had hoped to bring
the British champion and Wolgast to-
gether in ten-rouRd contest. Terms
had practically been agreed on and Wells
had arranged to coma back to the states
with his manager, George Mcdonald, in
three weeks time, but Wolgast's sudden
illness stopped all proceedings. and right
on the heels of the champions trouble
comes the ink after Matt. This will
leave the field clear for time for Pacley
Mcfarland and Freddy Welsh. which is
again a peculiar incident Welsh Being
the next man in England to Wells while
, Mcfarland is considered next to Wolgast
} here by the fans.
Mcfarland Has No Punch.
A great deal has been said and written
about the failure OF both Freddy Welsh
and Packey Mcfarland to qualify as real
contenders for the crown OF Champion
= wolgast. II is said that Mcfarland has
, no punch and that Welsh cannot hit hard
t enough to ever put dent into Wolgast's
! skin. 1t is true that Freddy failed to
stop Willie Ritchle. the san Francisco
boy, inside the twenty rounds, but 1t may
not be generally known that Welsh took
: on Richie at catch weights and that the
Frisco boy weighed just nine pounds more
! than the Englishman, or in other words,
! scaled at 142, against 1873 for Welsh.
Richie was in the best shape, having
trained for several weeks with Mcfarland
and Others so that it was no novice
against the clever Freddy, nor an UNI
= trained youth. At that Welsh stood toe
10 toe with Richie at times and slugged,
something, he seldom does in a contest,
but at the end he had big margin over
Richie The fact that both Tom Nc
Carey and Jimmy Coffroth want Welsh
for big attraction proves that he must
. have made a good showing. Against VOL
CAST the Englishman would have harder
hitter to face, It is true, but then the
chances are that Freddy would have
: adopted different tactics, too.
AS for Mcfarland not putting Harlem
/ Tommy Murphy away 1t might be men
; toned that Ad Wolgast battered away at
Battling Nelson for forty rounds and
I failed to knock him off his feet for the
: count of ten. Nelson was not a clever
- blocked like Murphy, so there should be
no great surprise because Packey failed
to stop him inside the twenty rounds
s What IL Knockout Brown did stop
v Murphy in one round, or rather one min
y1 ute. Brown was credited with having
o the best OF Ad Wolgast In two ten round
d bouts, but no one believes that he would
o stand a chance against the champion
a for long contest. IL Is different 10 get
!. a fun force blow to a clever man like
5, Murphy than to batter some boxer who
has no skill and does not know how TO
block or keep out Of distance. McFar-
/ land can hit all right but it is doubtful
n whether he will ever be able to be at
3. his best when making 1873 pounds at or
IS 5 o'clock. PacRey has the class all
y right and showed IT against Murphy, even
$ though he failed to knock him out.
: Can WOIgast RecOveFf
With all the mix-ups among the light
weights, the question now uppermOst In
A the minds of the fans is whether Wolgast
a will be himhelf when he RECEIVERS from
a the effects OF the operation. II will be
v at least six months before he can get
o into the ring again in any kind OF shape,
n and II may be longer; it all depends upon
the results or after effects OF the cutting.
Ad will retain the championship. just the
i same, as any champion has six months
a grace before taking up the defense OF
his title, according TO boxing rules and
the chances are that the Michigan boy
m will be ready and anxious by that time
to tackle any one. During the period OF