El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1912-12-07

M Richie enjoys the double dis
- tinction OF being the first Cali
fornian to annex the lightweight
championship and the first Of that
division to win the title on foul.
While the golden state has turned out
many high class lghtweightS in re-
cent years Willie is the only native
son" who ever grabbed the honors. Dal
Hawkins, Jimmy Britt, Eddie HanlOn
and other CalifOrnians made puStltsttc
history in their days, but failed in
their attempts to get to the top OF
the class.
Although Wolgast lost the title
through fouling his opponent it does
not alter the fact that Richie fought
a great battle and it IS entirely con-
ceiVable that Willie would have won
decisively within the limit had the
fouls not occurred as detailed reports Of
the contest indicate Ad was a beaten
man at the time and resorted to un-
fair tactics through a desire to escape
the ignOminy Of a knockout or was so
dazed that he did not realize what he
was doing.
Richie certainly proved his class
Thanksgiving day and 1t is doing MN
an injustice to try to rob him of his
hard earned honors by advancing the
argument that WOlgaSt was a dead
one, or that his title is not clean
one. True, Ad is not the man he was
before his sickness made inroadS upon
for 16 long rounds did not suggest that
he is all in as a fighter. 1t may be
that his well known over supply OF
confidence kept him from properly
conditioning himself, but that is his
own affair and should not be offered
as an excuse by even his most ardent
admirers. Every champion has his
day and Ad had his. Nevertheless his
splendid battle and the fact that he
was not knocked out entitle him to a
whenever
piOn is ready to resume his career in
the ring. For the present Willie viii
take to the fOOtlights as other cham
pions before him have done and reap
the financial reward the new job as
sures him.
The important question before the
house just now is will Richie raise
the limit for lightweight champion
ship bouts from the 1913 pound mark
that Nelson and WOIgast insisted on.
Willie is naturally a heavier man than
his immediate predecessors, and $50
pounds is about his figure in the best
Of condition If he decides to set the
mark at that notch during his reign
he will have precedent to back him.
Lavigne, Erne and Cans won the title
at that weight, and It was not until
Battling Nelson assumed control OF
the situation that the weight lines
were so closely drawn.
Personally 1 would like to see the
limit raised to 135 pounds at, say, 3
L.
This would be in line with the English
and Australian figures and would per-
NIT Of international contests for the
worlds championship, something that
is at present impossible owing to the
Few pounds difference in the scales of
the different countries. Furthermore,
that figure would probably better suit
Richie himself, and would also per-
init Of such cracking good performers
as Packey Mcfarland and Jack Brit
ton entering the lists as competitors
for the title.
Joe Rivers turned the tables on Joe
MandOt, and the reversal of form was
startling to a degree. Those who
thought Rivers could come back so
successfully after the licking Mandot
gave him last September were in the
minority as the betting in Rivers
home town, Los Angeles. indicated.
The Mexican so Clearly OutpOinted and
Outfought MsndOt that there remains
no doubt of his superiority. Truly
Thanksgiving was a day OF surprises. !
It is said that Rivers is a pretty
tough proposition to control, and that
lax training methods brought about
his defeat by MandOt on the former
occasion. This time his friends sue
eeeded in convincing the headstronS
youth of the error Of his ways and
persuaded him to devote more time to
work and less to dissipation, with the
result that he entered the ring in su-
Rivers put up a wonderfully improved
battle and by his victory earned
recognition as legitimate contender
for the championship.
Abe Attell has arrived at the con-
clusiOn that he is finished as a fighter.
In a bout with Ollie. Kirk, a St. Louis
featherweight, Abe could not do JUS
tice to himself. and after taking a good
licking for six rounds "skied the wipe"
and conceded victory to his opponent.
The passing of AttelI is regretted by
all who admire a good game fighter.
The wonder is that Abe managed to
retain form so many years; he has
been before the public as a top notch
er since 1900-a long time for an ath-
lete to stick around.
Jack Britton is cutting a wide swath
these days. His latest victim was
Young Saylor. the Indianapolis light
weight, for whom not so very long ago
great things were predicted in the
fighting line. A couple of months ago
when Britton and Saylor met in Bos-