Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-07-06
IS AUELL'S FIGHT
CAREER AT AN END?
Slow Recovery of Featherweight
Champion Lends Doubt as
to His Future.

Can it be that the time for the passing
OF that wonderful little fighter Abe At
tell is at hand?
1t would seem so. according to all re-
ports Of the condition of AttelI, who is
resting or at least trying to within the
confines Of little old New York. Abey
has been kept out of the ring for months
now because of an injured shoulder, and
according to those who are in close touch
with the little Jew, it is likely that he
may never enter the arena again to de-
fend the title of featherweight champion,
which he has held for many years and
that, too. without serious contention.
AS rare as snowballs on the Fourth OF
July on the equator In the game of
pugilism will be the case of Abey if he is
forced to relinquish his crown through
inability to defend it. Since the days of
champion who has been forced to give up
his title through an injury received in the
ring. There have been many cases, far
too many. where champion through de-
feat has been dethroned after he had
passed the stage of his best fighting
days Many instances of this might be
cited here, taking into consideration every
class from the heavyweights down to the
little bantamS.
jeff One Example.
There was only one man among the
big fellows who quit before his title
was taken away from him. That was
James j. Jeffries and he was forced to
give up his crown through voluntary
retirement principally because there was
no one capable of making him fight for
1t. But the fact must not be overlooked
that after six years of retirement this
same James j. Jeffries was hauled back
into the ring to meet that inevitable de-
feat which has been traditional since the
start of the game, from the hands of the
negro, Jack Johnson.
Another instance is that of Joe Cans,
the great colored fighter, now numbered
lightweight champion. He continued to
fight until age and tuberculosis. caused
through excessive training, made him a
different man. It made him an easy
victim for Battling Nelson. and with that
defeat went the title he had held so long.
And as indicating the change in the
Baltimore man, it was not long after
that death claimed him.
In Glass Alone.
Those are cases where fighters have
met the inevitable. but in the case of
Abe Attell it is far different. Up un-
til the time his shoulder was injured in
a fight less than year ago with Tom
my Kilbane at Cleveland there were
few able to make Abey step his limit
to win. He fought all the feather
weights that could be sent against
him. And he beat them all and gather
ed in the sheckels all the while. But
since being put out Of commission. At
tel has not been able to stand training.
despite the fact that he has been under
the watchful eye of physicians. Only
q couple Of weeks ago Abey was to
have fought in an eastern ring. The
match had been made and all was
ready for the setting, but the fight
didn't take place. A couple Of days
before fight time it was called off by
Attell, who announced that he was UNI
able to fight.
OF course, If Attell cannot fight
again, the title must revert to the
next best boy. but it does seem I'M
fortunate that the little Jew should
be forced to give up his title when
there apparently was no one capable
of taking it away from him in actual
combat.
1t would be hard to find a more won
derful little fighting machine than Attell.
Ruling the roost for years, he has been
giving away pounds In order to keep
active. He has everything there is in
the pug TSptEtoiIt MS IluSoT tips.
Many declare there never was a more
clever defensive and offensive fighter,
and this. combined with his great head
work, which made him wonderful ring
general, completed the machine which
has proved nvulnerable to attack AS
two-handed fighter, none ever was bet
ter and if there is anything lacking
in Attell 1t is stiff punch. He had a
punch that could score knockoutS, but he
did not display it often.
Wolgast Recovered.
There have been other cases and there
are at the present time where injured
hands or arms have put a fighter out
of commission for a time, and in other
instances for all time; but these men
were not champions. However, 1t Is in
teresting to cite the case of one cham
pion, a present one. This is Ad Wolgast
Of Cadillac. Mich. holder of the light
weight championship. When Jack Red
mond fought the little Michigan bear
cat more thar year ago Wolgast broke
his right hand. He managed to stay
the limit, ten rounds, with Redmond,
and thereby saved his title.
Then it was up to the champion to
take long rest, so that the injured
maulie might mend. For months Ad did
not do q lick of work. and finally he
was informed by his physician that he
might try it out. He did, and the hand
was injured, much less seriously this
time. Then came another rest before