Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1912-01-14
EXPECT MUCH OF JOE RIVERS
os Angeles Sports Like the Ways
Of This Youngster.
HANDY WITH BOTH HIS FISTS
wifhout Question He Is Great Fin
faher-Resembles Action Of
the Former Abe Atteil In
His Battles.
by w. w. NAUGHT0N.

BY w. W. NAUGHT0N.
SAN FRANCISCO, jan 13-The Loi
Angels sports expect great things o.
Young Joe Rivers. and 1t can truth
. fully. be said that he Is as promsins
lightweight as there is in the west Al
he has been bathing among the lea ther
weights d1i .hg me yedI % 50 .ie mas beer
IN the business. il savors OF railroadint
him into higher class to SPEAK OF hiir
as llgh.we ght. but. truth to tell, .sas
ter Joe mas attained lightweight diner
sions ALREADY.
He had to pinch like everythlag 70 msk'
Is at 10 o cioek on New Yeas morn.ns
for Fiankie Cunley. aad 1t Is rossOnAbis
10 suppose that he ADDED at least cOapis
Of pounds to his asoiruupois. " 8 o cloch
the time he entered the ring.
The chances are III ers could fight al
10 right now Without carrying an ojncs
Of deed welght. He IS only 10 years osc
and. as he has gained about ten POUNDS
Of fighting tissue in twelve months. Il
can be readily understood that before
very long he will have 10 pull down 10
iss instead OF having TO build up 10 that
notch.
For his own sake. 1t Is to be hoped thai
In the matter Of putting on flesh he viii
not follow In the footsteps OF packey
Battling Nelson first began 10 sing the
praises Of Mcfarland. who was then a
boy OF H.
when his frame fills out Bit he will
make US al hustle" said the Dane.
Poor Iaskey illed out to the i@ pound
limit and then passed II. and he has been
ahead OF the scale ever since. No doub,
he often wishes he had stopped growing
when be became a full.fledged Hight.
weight tgH it
That Rivers rise has been rapid is
shown bs the fact that his name does
not appear IN last years. record books.
The one black mark against him In a
year Of great activity was his defeat BY
Johnny Kiibane. and we have testimony
Of such men a. Freddie WEIGH ana Al.
woIsast TO show that the reverse spoken
Of was the outcome OF oyerconfidence
on the part Of green younsstsr VINO
pounded his opponent for fifteen rounds
and left himself wide open In the SIX
teenth.
0utsrows. His Glass. +
But that's nsither here nor thots.
Rivers was beaten as q featherwslsht ana
he has now outEfown that class. He viii
not be able,to ask for a return bout With
Kiihane. and for that matter he IL dot
troubling his head about past sesbarks.
He Is wondering how he viii get on after
he graduates into the class that woigas.
i, king Of at present.
Those who have not seen Rivers can
gain some IDEA Of his appearance and
boxing methods by recalling what Abe
AtteIi looked like few years ago.
Rivers retains the Mexlcan complexion
and facial characteristics OF his forbeafs.
He is brown.slsinned ana sharp featured
and Possesses a pair OF heady. restless
black eyes. lie is a sure-footed fellow
and he thinks quickly ana acts quickly.
lie has q rapid. faultless left hand and
while. 70 the trained eye. there IL a
siisht launching OF the shoulder which
presAges a right hand delivery. II must
be- said that there II no buIsiins when
ever he notes an opening for his dexter
glove. =.
He hits with wonderful speed and lands
cleanly. and he varies his method OF
working the right sufficiently to keep
tho man In front OF him guessing.
His very beat effort. In the writer's
judgment, 10 the highlander ne uses
when coming away from clone quarters.
II does not matter whether he Is stand
Ina erect or pulling out In STOPPING
pcsition--hc Is almost certain TO find the
target. II is 4 blow that curves over his
adversary's guard and lands squarely
on the left side OF the fabe and the
accurate manner In which he places Il
shcws that he possesses nice Judgment
both as to distance and direction
Handy with His Riaht.
In his contest with coniey. Rivers
scoring with the right was a revelation.
arguments are stu In progress as ID
whether II Is that he IL Just a wee bll
shy on the Knockout force. or that Con.
ley is more OF glutton than the aver.
aee man Of his poundage.
After thinking Ii over. incline to ths
belief that Conley takes TO punishment
almost as kindly as Battling Nelson did
and that we're Il not for abnormal power,
Of resistance he would have gone dowr
from Rivers smashes sooner.
Rivers is beyond question great fin,
Usher. Whenever a righshandsr some
what harder than the rest staegeres
conley. Master Joe followed up hts id
vantage with showers Of stitginx blows
When he finally had his man going Ii
such q way that there was no doubt II
regard to conley being 'dafed. the emf
came very quickly
Ad woigast was TO have been at IN,
rinxside 10 take mental notes OF the wa,
Rivers handled himself. but a sever
cold kept the champion at home VOL
CAST IL not overlooking the fact that II
may be called upon some day to defefi'
his title against the young Moxican. n
says he considers Rivers one OF the mos
Formidable Of American nshtwelshts.
There are several things In River,
fazor." said wolgast. ''fIe Is young. h
IL gaining weight all the time and n
shows improvement ever time he fights
am keeping my eye on him ali rishl
wouid BE- foolish II tried to cverioo
him. for he will have 10 be reckone