Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-04-28

Ssssss4A. thin8 Tor the
Fourth Of July. and Las Vegas Is the
town that lands the prizeC7) champion
ship contest OF recent years.
In the face OF the hardest knocks q
proposition Of the sort ever encounter
ed Curley proceeded on the even tenor
of his way. and, with the aid of q
friendly legislature has at last located
a site for the fracas. Apparently all
distractions have been removed and
Jack has nothing to do till tomorrow"
to quote the eminent T. Aloysius Dor
gan. except to slip the sum Of thirty
and some few odd thousand bones into
the massive mitt Of the champion. For
it is to be presumed that johnson will
insist upon the cash in advance, as is
his prerogative under the agreement
/ have enjoyed Jack Curley's friend
ship for some time and am one of the
greatest admirers of his genius for sue
cessful promotion of athletic affairs.
and am also an adherent of the Pueblo
scrapper, Jim Flynn, in whom / recog-
nize an earnest. willing and powerful,
pugilism. Needless to say Il would az.
ford me- much pleasure to boost" the
proposed exhibition to the full extent
that my modest efforts as a contributor
to boxing literature would permit could
i see In the affair anything that looked
nke good sporting proposition. AS it
is the match to me looks as uneven and
unequal as could be figured with the
aid of dope book
Ii johnson and Flynn met once before and
the contest was only an exercise gallop
for the smoke. The disparity in the skill
or the men was plainly patent. Sam
Langford has twice placed the Pueblo
or three years; Al Kaufman has the
credit Of *. o." as well as defeat in
two battles with Johnsons challenger
In answer to all this Curley. asserts Flynn
a mi INN rod 0v,l %h~A -
champion has greatly deteriorated during
two years Of idleness. Jack could
not very well say anything to the con-
trary in view of the fact that he is
financing the match and is F'lynn's man.
iager. He will have hard time bringing
patrons of the sport to his way of
thinking. Should Johnson be licked the
pictures would prove gold mine. but
"a deficit Of vast proportions. But Curley
is q good gambler and willing to take the
long chance.
Since AID wolgast signed to box Joe
Rivers he has been numerically grilled by
dozen or more rivals, each of whom adj
vances claims as the logical contender
for the title. The fact remains, however,
that very few Of the 133 Founders ex-
pressed any great desire to meet the
champion prior to the closing Of the
Rivers match.
/ rather fancy the majority Of the gang
is well satisfied to let Rivers be the
goat" notwithstanding all the buster
and even though Ad Is a doubtful guam
tity in the eyes Of many experts since
his sick spell. Recently I had a chat with
a well known specialist in regard to the
Wolgast matter, and in answer to my
Query about the after effect an operation
for appendicitis would have he replied
that the champions youth and unusually
rugged constitution would stand him In
good stead. but that as rule the entire
system Of patient experiences shock
that is difficult to overcome.
On the record Of the matched pair there
is nothing to suggest anything but an
easy win for Wolgast. Still, IT Ad ex-
periences difficulty in rounding to form,
Rivers may be considered lucky young
man. doubt very much, though, that
the champion would be permitted to go
through with the match II it Is found
after a course of training that he is no
longer the wonderful little piece Of fighting
material of yore-before the doctors sepa-
rated him from his appendix.
f Leach Cross is one of the numerous
New York lightweights who wants to box
the champion. At least he says he would
like that pleasure. Cross recently met
Harlem Tommy Murphy in ten-round
no-decision contest. and the majority OF
the newspaper critics gave him the ver
dict. AS a result. he Is all swelled up.
and processes to believe the public clam
ors for match between Wolgast and
himself.
Personally, think Cross a very ordi-
nary boxer. He has been getting by in
New York recently, and was very lucky
in q number of instances. He Is the
.cover-up'' type of miller. and not above
resorting to Questionable stunts to beat
his opponent. did not see Cross battle
with Murphy. but my representative and
several other experts advise me 1t was
Murphys fight all the way. They also
expressed the opinion that Murphy would
win decisively in a twenty-round contest
n a chance
Wolgast goes, II would look like joke
match. The champion would HEX half q
dozen of the kind In the same ring. Il feel
ing right. The only time In his career the
New Yorker essayed the long route was
at Colma two years ago. and Dick Hy-
land knocked him out or made him quit
on that occasion. II the champion makes
good in his comeback effort with Riv-
plenty; he will not be forced to pick out
mediocre performers Of the Cross type
to keep busy.
marks the passing OF one Of the oldest
Characters that ever held championship
title In this or any other country. Ddner-
ing from the average pugflist in that he
is the stock in trade OF most successful
boxers. Bats chief assets were stamina
that q middleweight might boast Of and
a heart Of oak. With these he fought
s ahn 1n me ideal ssnssr. wno%
time alone could batter down, would be
one with the cleverness Jet us say, OF
mcfarland. the craftiness OF an Atteii
and the never-say~dfe spirit 01 Bathing
Nelson
The newly organised Garden Athletic
Club has put q erfmp In tho activities OF
rs rival organizations. and this Ia re-
nected in lack OF quality In the majority
OF matches now being served New York