Arizona republican., 1912-11-29
Although the Decision Is Given on a Foul in the Sixteenth Round He Had His Man Webbing and Groggy.
SHOWS COURAGE
 WITH ABILITY
It Is Generally Believed the Stopping of the Fight By Referee Griffin Saved the Champion from a Clear Knockout.
ASSOCIATED PRESS DIsPATCHI

ASSOCIATED PRESS DIsPATCHI DAILY CITY ARENA, Cal, Nov. 28-
 Wobbling around on leaden legs, his
 eyes glazed and body reeling, Ad Vol
 gast, the cOnqueror of Battling Nelson,
 fouled Willie Ritchie two times in the
 sixteenth round of their fight here to- day. wave of Referee Jim Griffin's
 hand disqualified him and Ritchie be-
 came the lightweight champion of the world By cool calculating ring gen eralship, courage and all around fight ing ability, Rtchie won his spurs in
 the championship division.
 Although the record books do not show a knockout to his credit, he in- disputably punched his way round af- ter round to victory.
 The end of the fight came after
 those at the ringside noted in the fif- teerth round that Wolgasts strength | was waning. The boys faced each oth-
 CT in the sixteenth, Ritchie confidently | carrying out his milling of the cham | pion from whose face the sneering smile had passed. As Wolgast was going away, Ritchie made him vince with two handed volley to his mid l section and then quickly shot crash | ing right which caught the Cadillac | fighter fairly on the jaw. He fell back | the rope sagged, pitching him forward l in another instant into his own corner. Ritchie crowding, repeated the right 1 cross and WOlgast went sprawling. At 1 the count of four Wolgast whose brain
 was clouJled, flung himself by sheer instinct at his antagonist. Ritchie true
 to his agreement walked to the oppo- 1 site side of the ring and his opponent 1 went to the canvas. As Wolgast came | and rushed to meet him, the two eX- changed blows.
 Badly dazed, Wolgast yet covered | and Ritchie couldn't send a finishing | smash while only twentyfour seconds l remained of the life of the round. Ritchie was near his own corner, poised for a deadly right cross again, | when Wolgasts left took him low. Bill ly Nolan, his manager leaped to the
 edge of the ring and shouted to Ref cree Griffin while hundreds of voices | raised a cry of foul, foul.'
 Griffin cautioned the champion, but another instant a left rip of Wolgast found the same spot. Ritchie tried to fight back but was plainly in distress. Griffin rushed between the fighters, pushed Wolgast aside and raised
 Ritchie's hand as a token of victory.
 The crowd at the ringside cheered
 while hundreds rushed to shake the hand of the new king of lightweights. | Wolgast had the better of seven
 rounds, four were even and the re-
 mainder easily Ritchie's. In the first
 two the local boy lead and outboxed the | ch "a in bn fOurth ho nutfOnpht
 him, and the tenth, which was really
 the turning point of the fight, stood
 shoulder to shoulder with him and
 slugged his body and head. Wolgast
 was much more willing and Tom Jones, his manager, increased the allowance of brandy, the champion had taken
 during each intermisson. All through
 the fight, Ritchie blocked and ducked
 cleverly, but Wolgast's left hand was bruised and his left eye nearly closed. In the fighting Ritchie's right eye was , slightly damaged and his lip puffed bit but Wolgasts blows did little other damage Wolgast seemingly was lack 9 ing in condition. The round before the
 finish, his legs were so heavy he could
 hardly lift his feet from the mat, while Ritchie, fresh and breathing easily,
 danced around his puffing adversary , and pecked him right and left. Vol gast says he did not Intentionally foul 2 Ritchie and thinks this poor way to win a championship.
 2 "I didn't hear Griffin caution me and do not believe I struck a foul blow $ he said after the fight
 "Ritchie was rough when first got } in trouble in the sixteenth. from throw . ing me against the ropes instead of l hitting me. I would fight him again a tomorrow"
 2 Ritchie protested that he was fouled but said he was strong and could have n finished WolgaSt in another round. l The new champion, known to the : sporting world as Willie Ritchie, was r | reared in San Francisco as Gary Stef- , 1 fen. He drove sandwagon teams for his older brothers until fifteen years T old. when he began boxing He showed h quality in the amateur ranks and soon t blossOmed out in preliminaries From e day work he rose to the dignity of
 1 Chauffeur and automobile mechanican. His first bid for the limelight was one year ago today, when he was sub s stituted for Ad Wolgast in Los Angeles r when the latter underwent an opera l ton for appendicitis, and boxed twenty
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