The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-08-04
SHOULD THE CHAMPION RETIRE WRITER HOLDS OPINION THAT RITCHIE WOULD PROVE BET TER CLAIM TO TITLE THAN RIVERS
HrM. ". NAuGHToy


 San Francisco. August 3.-Al things considered, Champion Ad Wolgast may consider himself a lucky fellow ne showed conclusively in his four iou,iua with Willie Ritehie in San Francesca eit'' his stamina had been 1mpalreo os nis appendicitis operation, and if he hau hs- tened to the advice of some Of ms pest friends he would have postponed ms alz fair with Rivers at Los Angeles. The faet that he refused to hearken to counsel given him suggests that Wolgast had Xiv CTS sized up pretty well. The champion had seen Rivers in most of his fights, and had watched the Mexican training many a time and oft
 He felt probably that even if he was not AS good as formerly, he could account for Rivers, and the result proved that his diagnosis was correct. But at that he ran quite a risk
 Wolgast is free to confess now that he needs more building up, and he may thank his stars that he is not in the po- sition of the man who locked the stable door after the steed had been stolen. He has gone to his farm near Cadillas to lead the simple life for few months, and just what the future holds for him in the fighting line is problematical. There is room for doubt as to whether he will ever be as sturdy as he was before he be- came a subject for the surgeons knife. If he decides to hold aloof from the activi- ties of the ring for the balance of his days, the lightweight championship ques- tion will be in as bad 8 tansle as the he in tbn event of Jack Johnson retiring. There is not a thinking man who could say off hand which pugilist is best entitled to step into Wolgast's shoes.
 Rivers Has No Claim
 Of a certainty Rivers has no claim on the lightweight crown. The only thing that justified the Wolgast- Rivers match was the suspicion that Wogast had retro graded-through no fault of his own-and the fight, If 1t did nothing else, proved that the suspicion was well founded. But even though Wolgast was far from be- ing the Wolgast who trounced Battling Nelson, he was a match for Rivers; but this should stand as testimony that Rivers does not belong in the best light weight company,
 This is not a one man view of the mat ter by any means. The newspaper ex- perts who reported the Fourth of July fight in Los Angeles differed in many essentials, but there was one point on which there was striking unanimty of opinion. The majority of the scribes said that for many rounds before the finish Wolgast was outpunching Rivers and wearing him down.
 Away from Los Angeles there is diff ference of opinion to who really di- rects the fistic fortunes of the Mexican, but whoever it is, Rivers is well advised. Willie Ritchie, probably San Francisco's premier lightweight at present, has claimed many times during the past few months that he is as well entitled to bout with Wolgast as the next man. When doubt arose in regard to Wolgasts read- mess to continue boxing, Ritchie went to Los Angeles with an exceedingly fair proposal. He asked for match with Rivers with the understanding that the winner was to have the privilege of box ing the champion when the latter decided he had recuperated sufficiently to re-enter the ring.
 | Ritchie Is Considered
 The Ritchie proposition was turned down and Joe Mandot of New Orleans was signed up to be Rivers next opponent at Los Angeles on Labor Day. It is a safer
 
 as lightweight development Is concerned it will not mean a great deal, ase Ritchie a short time ago, defeated Mandot sig nally in the Iatters home town.
 The fact that Rivers has given him the cold shoulder will not mean so much of a bar to progress in Ritchie's case, as Rivers is by no means the pivot on which the lightweight question swings. It will be easy enough for the San Francisco sap ling to make his way in the lightweight world if he has the necessary fighting qualifications and can do the weight.
 Right here, it may be stated, there is grave doubt as to whether nature intend- ed Ritchie for simon pure 13S pounder. He says he is one, but fighters, you know. are notoriously unreliable in their declar- ations of poundage; and Ritchies friends fear that he is a second Packey McFar- land and that he cannot conform to the weight requirements of the class of which Wolgast is king without weakening him. self
 As matter of fact genuine 133 pound- CTS are as scarce as hens teeth, and such being the case, Johnny Kilbane's announcement that he is going to try for Lightweight laurels bears more signifi- canoe than it ordinarily would It will not do to pooh-pooh Kilbane's pretensions, either, for he has already knocked out Rivers, who considers himself a rival of Wolgast, and has defeated Abe Attell, who declares Wolgast is afraid to