Las Vegas optic., 1911-11-29
THANKSGIVING TO
BE HAPPY FOR
Fight FANS
TWO BIG FIsTlc ENCOUNTERS
ARE SCHEDULED TO BE
STAGED TOMORROW

at the OUTSIDE, Virtues LShI"SiShe
Champion Ad Wolgast from his
training quarters. The Michigan wild
cat is not given to boasting and it is
seldom that he can be persuaded to
make a statement regarding the prob
able outcome of contest in which he
is scheduled to take part. But both
he and Manager Tom Jones are so
thoroughly confident of an ending in.
their favor to the bout between Ad
and Freddy Welsh of England at Los
Angeles on Thanksgiving Day after
room, that they figure it perfectly safe
to issue a prophecy as to the number
of rounds the engagement is likely to
last. Welsh is admitted by boxing
critics in general to be one OF the
greatest defensive fighters in the bust
ness today He is part master in the
art of skillful blocking and his tactics
in this respect bring to mind those
employed by the once famous Young
Critic, the Australian, when the .atter
was a shining star Of the pugilistic
horizon. When Grifr grew bit tired
during the course Of an engagement
he wormed in and out of clinches like
an ell, making an impenetrable
shield of his forearm and gloves, and
successfully defying all endeavors of
his opponent to soak him In a vital
spot. Even Kid Lavigne, aggressive
and strong as he was, found it impos-
sible to break through Griffo's defense
and characterized him as "the most
exasperating man he ever fought"
"Exasperating fits Welsh's case
down to the ground. His bump of
cautiousness is so highly developed
that he seldom can be induced to take
chance by exchanging punches with
an antagonist in a slugging fest, and
for that reason he has never been
4 very popular in this country His
1 forte consist in worrying the man he
is opposed to by incessant, teasing
jabs, by dint of which he piles up a
heavy score of points in his favor
meanwhile guarding his stomach and
J jaw with as much solicitude as she
grizzly watching over a lone cub. Out
! of total of 70 battles Welsh's record
! shows II knockouts. but it is signi
ficant fact that not one of the II vic
tins could be classed as anything
better than third rater. His two
best performances in this country
consisted of a 25-round draw with
Packy Mcfarland and verdict over
Abe Attell in Is rounds. In McFar
lands case it always has been as
|, serted that jim Jeffries, who offciat
ed as referee, handed down bun
} decision, and the victory over Attel
does not go for much when it is re
! membered that Abe is only feather
} weight, who can scrap easily at thf
! limit Of that class-122 pounds ring
, side On two other occasions Welsh
and Mcfarland met in the ring Packy
beat him in ten rounds at Milwaukes
and came within a hairsbreadth o.
; stopping Freddy with a stomach
punch. Welsh claimed foul, but i
was not allowed, and the fact tina
: he was able to continue to the finist
furnished pretty clear evidence tina
the so-called foul blow was a figmen
of his Imagination. Everybody knows
what the result of the 20-round sc
ance between Packy and Welsh il
London, May 80, 1910, was Although
the referee of the National Sporting
club saw fit to pronounce the contes
draw, the London sporting press
with hardly an exception, declare,
the following day that the American
had been cheated out of his rights an,
should have been awarded The dec
. sion AS the British sports are not il
5 the habit of denouncing home talen
5 and boosting visiting athlete ur
necessarily, the inference to be draw
! is that Mcfarland must have wo
from Welsh by city block in orde
:. to obtain such tribute to his prov
. ess.
!. Welsh's last important engagement
was when he lost the English igh
|. weight title to Matt Wells. There wa
n no protest made even by Welsh
4 friends over that decision, for Well
victory was too clean-cut to admit {
> argument. When one looks back owe
{ Welsh's record it is hard 20 see !
: him a difficult proposition for Wolgas
Il to solve. He hasn't improved aII
o since he last crossed arms with Well
that much can be taken for granite,
!. Also, If Mcfarland got to his bod
4 hard enough to make him want |
= quit in that Milwaukee affair, no
q will Welsh feel when Wolgast begir