El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1911-12-16
BOXING GAME IS
BADLY TANGLED UP
Freddie Welsh Makes State
ment; Attell DOdges
Some.
Rr w. w. Naughton1

San Francisco. Cal, December 10
The close OF the year 1911 finds the
boxing situation glOriously confused
With Jack Johnson and Billy Papke
retired with Sam LangfOrd and several
other American fighters in AustTalla;
with AID w olgast recovering from the
effects of an operation; with Abe At
tell deteTminedly holding alOOf from
the coming lads in his class, and with
Packey Mcfarland and Freddie Welsh
set back in public opinion, owing to
disappointing ring work, there does not
seem 70 be much interest in the outlook
for the pugiliStic pastime to glOat over
Wells and Mcfarland are full OF
excuses for their failure to make good
Packey for day or Two after his az
fair with Tommy Murphy, said he did
not know what was wrong with him,
but that he was satisfied he was not
himself Emile Thirty came to the res
cue to the extent Of saying the whole
camp was puzzled at Packeys behavior
in the days preceding the fight. Packey.
according 10 Emil, used to shut himself
up in his room and NOPE.
When taking the train for Chicago.
PacRey, in a burst Of confidence said
1t was the breach Of promise case in
Stltuted against him in Chicago that
unnerved him and left him unable to
treat Murphy the way Murphy should
Freddy Welsh does not claim that
the 'little God Love" deferred him
from doing his best He said TO begin
when ne heard the news of WOlgssts
sudden seizure and that disappointment
kept him from showing his best against
Willie Richie.
Freddie Explains.
Later Freddie explained as follows:
If anyone IS dissatisfied with my
work IN the Vernon arena, let him re-
member this much I was for months
looking forward to and preparing for
the most important contest OF my ca
reer-one that involved the chance OF
winning the championship. I was TO
go against w Olgast, the rugged, rush
ing fighter, by some called the Michi-
gan Wildcat, and by others the human
cyclone. All my training was done with
a view OF fitting myself to handle an
opponent who was expected to come at
me head down and foaming at the
mouth, as it We're Of necessity I had
to think about and practice defensive
tactics Then Wolgast fell sick and the
whole prospect changed. With u hours
notice. I was expected to prepare my
self Tor an entirely different kind OF
a fight I was to become the human
OF the ring II I didn't no excuse was
expected of me. and I think any re-
sponsible person viii admit that a
good deal can be said in defense Of the
failure
Hope To Be Reinstated.
Mcfarland and Welsh are hoping, Of
course. to reinstate themselves, but il
can't be said right now that the pub
lie viii expect very much from them
IN the future The notion prevails that
they are not sturdy enough to hold
their own with WOlgaSt and other able
BODIED Youngsters who are fast coming
to the front. Packey and Fred are fine
boxers and game fellows and all that
but they go off edge far too easily. On
the score that the men who have been
At the game as long as they have sell
dom improve in any direction, Il is not
likely that they will be seriously con
sidered as championship candidates in
the future. When WOlgast gets we'll
we must keep an eye on Joe MandOt
Grover Hayes and the other young
..roughnecks" of the 1913 pound division.
For these are the fellows most likely
to make things interesting for the
champion.
Abe Atteu is doing a full share TO-
ward making the pugilisic outlook as
dull as ditch water. He is certainly a
strange character. Always a shrewd
up with men far bigger than himself
as his matches with Matt Wells and
Battling Nelson will attest. He argues,
no doubt. that a defeat by a bigger
man never acts as a setback.
AttelI Avoids Promising Ones.
Atteu avoids promising Youngsters
of his own pOundage as he does a pes
thence Right now we have Johnny Kill
bane, the survivor Of a series Of feath-
erweig ht contests. in which Toe Rivers /
Patsy Cline, Joe Carter and. Frank Con-
ley were the other cOntenders. Kilbane
is Attelps logical opponent for the
featherweight championship and is not
only ready but eager for the fray.
Atteu seemingly does not want to
become a party to a genuine champion
ship battle.