Evening star., 1912-11-24

e4 honors. This pre-
diction is based
upon the splendid showing Ritchie has
made during short but eventful
career
i wear ago Willie was employed by
Packey Mcfarland at the San Fran
cisco camp where the Chicagoan was
busily engaged in preparing for bout
with Harlem Tommy Murphy Practi-
cally unknown a the time Ritchie :;
chance for fame came with Ad VOL
2asts attack of appendicitis on the eve
Of ~hc proposed Wolgast-Freddie Welsh
contest. Tom McCarey, promoter of
the match. sent out a hurry call for
volunteer TO sub" for Ad against the
clever Welsh. Ritchie responded. and
in the short space of twenty-four
hours made the trip from Frisco to Los
Angeles. stood Freddie off for twenty
rounds. and incidentally carved niche
in the pugilistic hall of fame. APP
parently the youngster had improved
tGe golden opportunities while assist
ing the mastery Mcfarland at the
raining tasks.
round bout with Wolgast, which estab-
lished the youngster as the real thing
and not a flash in the pan, as many
thought when he startled the world by
trip east. None of the talent in this neck
of the woods wanted Willie's game. A
novice who could hold Welsh fairly even
and slug for four rounds at top speed
with the champion was too dangerous to
take a chance with, the local bunch de-
cided. 1t is matter of record that Willie
did not show his wares in Gotham. A
little later he boxed Joe Mandot ten
rounds in New Orleans. According to the
newspapers Joseph was on the receiving
end throughout the contest.
Some going, that, for youngster in his
first year as glove singer. For be-
ginner to take on a boxer of Welsh 8
caliber. barely losing the decision, and to
follow ii up with a draw with WolgaSt
and a popular verdict over Joe Mandot.
recognized as championship timber, is
stepping some and proves the boy has the
real fighting stock in him.
Many critics will have it that Wolgast
is through, has shot his bolt, so to speak,
his recent Indifferent performance with
Mandot being used to emphasize their as
sertions- The operation of a year ago is
blamed for the decay in the physical
powers of the champion. Be that as it
may. / believe Ad 10 be the daddy of the
legitimate 1}3-pounders and that the COM
ing encounter Will show he has plenty
good fight left in his makeup. No boxer
ever held title who boasted greater cour-
age and confidence when facing an op-
ponent and whose qualities are hard to
down, in the ring or elsewhere. Possibly
he may not have completely gotten over
the i'll effect of the appendicitis carving
Il can bear testimony that 1t takes some
time1, but / know for fact the champ
Is satisfied with his physical condition. !
mad a long talk with the little fellow at
the time he called on me in the Philadel-
Fhia hospital. and. if he was "bulling''
me Wolsast is a corking good actor.
While admitting mis- work in the Joe
Mandot job was not particularly impress
Ii
that he never was a star over a short
distance. The twenty-round and finish
contests are far more suited to his par
ticular style of milling. He is very con-
fident of victory over young Richie
AZ tia: Willie has an outside chance
TO vanquish the champion. He is young
en- q niftier boxer, and the splendid ac-
count he gave of himself in their four
round meeting instilled him with conf
oence that be VIII prove the master in a
longer bout But the odds are that he
will not be able to turn the trick
Thanksgiving day, 1912, as Wolgast has
gradually fought himself back into
shape and when close TO top form is
practically unbeatable at the weight and
distance In forecasting a battle at 49,
pounds in which the champion is to be
q contender 1t must be taken into con-
sideration that Ad Is a natural light
weight and makes the mark without
having TO resort to strenuous training
methods in which a portion of his
stamina might be left on the road or In
the gymnasium. 1t will be seen that he
has a great advantage In this respect
over aspirants who are compelled to put
IN weeks Of hard work and continue the
heavy stunts up to practically the last
minute before entering the ring. How
ever. II Ad wins by a Knockout 1t will
surprise me, as Ritchie's splendid battles
make the task look a difficult one for
even an tndomitable little scrapper like
Wolgast
Ont Los Angeles way Tom McCarey
presents Joe Mandot and Joe Rivers for
Thanksgiving card. while here in
Gotham the former Iron man." Battling
Nelson. hopes to convince doubttng
Thomases that he is still as spry as he
was before the war. Which will take
considerable convincing" by the way
Bat is 20 box local celebrity, Leach
Cross, who applied the chioroform punch
10 "One-Round" Hogan IN three rounds
last week. Cross IS a bear at times
especially when confident ne has It "on'
2 fellow. On such an occasion he fights
Ike = champion, but when up again q
= classy lad reneges on the job Opposed
- Jack Britton. Cross looked the bigges
slnd q dub; when boxing Hogan h
and Cross one OF the dirtiest boxers il
the business but If memory serves m,
TiGht Nelson himself could hand out tn,
I@uIh stuif pretty well in the old days
lie may md II necessary a matter o.
defense 70 resort TO all his INSIDE.
stunts when boxing Cross
Eddie Morgan. who claims the English
hantanWejght title Gt seems all British
boxers who visit US are champions) ha.
grabbed match with Johnny Kilbane
NMte no date has been announced, IL |.
likely Los Angeles viii get the bout for 9
Christmas attraction. On the surface 4
would appear that Kilbane will have
much the better of the weights, but a.
the English bantam limit is 11S ant
anrff. Ta.4 u
pounds il Will be seen that there will b,
little, If any. difference in actual pound
age. And Morgan is rather heavy fo
even a British bantam. When he boxet
Eddie O'keefe the visitor weighed within
n few ounces of his opponent. BY tn,
way. Eddie Morgan Is not q false alarm