The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1912-11-27
Thinks Willie Superior to the
Champion in Every
DOPE is STRONGLY
FAyORING CHALLENGER
! He Not Only Beat Wolgast, But
Beat Man Vino Beat
\ Wolgast
sy RlNosipER.


a SAN FRANCISCO. Cal. Nov. 27.--
WIN Willie Richie cop" tomorrow
afternoon?
Is It in the speedy San Francisco
lightweight TO wrest the worlds light.
weight championship from Ad VOL
-east?
The ~dopesters" say he will. while
those prone 10 absolutely disregard
dope" where . championship Ii In
volved, say he Will not They are
willing to admit that Richie beat
! Wolgast In a fourround bout last
May, but that was tourround bout
and Wolgast was not Wolgast" Nor
viii they pay any attention TO the
fact that Richie beat Mandot and
Mandot beat Wolgast.
Taking the Rltchie-Wolgast, Ritchie-
Mandot and Mandot-W Woigast fights as
Z basis, one must come TO the con-
clusioa that Richie Is the better boy
and that he not only has a chance,
but that he figures to win.
Mandot. admittedly clever boy and
possessed OF fair punch, put VOL
! sast down. while Richie, who Is al
snost as good with his hands anj feet
md eye and brain as Packey McFar-
and and who has learned to hit with
Iorce. had Mandot down and almost
out. the bell saving him in the final
round.
Further, Ritchie, In four rounds,
marked Wolgast up more than any
other boy has In 20 rounds. The VOL
CAST adherents contend that this was
made possibly by Wolgast's weakness
due 20 the operation for appendicitis.
Granting that the operation took some
OF Wolgasts strength. boy In such
perfect physical condition as thc
champion always 10, should have re-
sxained at least 95- per cent OF his nor
NAL strength within six months, the
period that had elapsed from the time
that Wolgast went under the knife
until he met Richie.
While the wolgast end may say
that Wolgast was not Wolgast last
May. the Richie end has as much
right. II not more, TO say that the
Rite We of last May was far from be-
ing ~ Richie OF today. Ritchie then
was little more than an Inexperienced
lid. Aside from the fourround bouts
In which he participated In San Fran
cisco, he had engaged In only two 20
round bouts and seven short bouts
with fair bows in the east.
He had shown remarkable clever
mess and speed, but had not learned
how 20 hit. He had not been trained
properly for any one OF his fights. He
had not even thought OF himself as a
,ightweigh championship possibility.
| 70 illustrate: He was tanning" with
a friend and the writer shortly after
| his 20.round contest with Freddie
Welsh In Los Angeles. and the friend
Who was most enthusiastic Ritch'e
man. said: Willie, you ought TO go
after some OF the big feliowg-Mc-
Farland and fellows like that"
"Oh, no. not me- replied Ritchie,
biushing furiously. Il am not good
enough for bows like Packey II
Thought could beat Packey ] would
20 after Wolgast. but Mcfarland IS TOO
good for me. I'm not In his class.
When his four-round match with
wolgast was made, Richie did more
than the usual amount of trainirE, he
| felt that he had a great opportunity,
+ but this feeling did not give hin con-
idence Three days before the fight
+ he felt that he was in for the licking
| Of his life and he has been honest
enough TO admit it since. Every time
| he heard the word champion" ne had
| cold chill.
Al well.meaning friend, who had
taken a great interest In Richie, took
| It upon himself to inject little con-
T ldence In the boy. On the morning
OF the third day before the fight he
called him up and noting a tone OF
despair In his voice. asked: What's
the matter, Willie? Are va losing
YOUR nerve?"
The reply was an nnconvincing
mo- with the unsolicited information
that he was in fine shape.
~It's the world champion that Is
settine on your nerves" said the
| friend. Don't let that worry you
When YOU start away imagine that
the boy before you Is nothing more
than one Of the fourrounders that you
have had so little trouble In trim
ming.
aI.Ii do that" said Willie, with a
more CHEEKY tone in his voice. ITO
| tell YOU the truth. had been thinking
n lot about that champion thing, but
I'll try TO forget H.
The friend called up again next
morning and sure enough his taik OF
he day before had taken.
On the morning OF the fight the per-
formance was repeated. Ritchie had
found confidence
44i fisilt him AZ hard as tan from
the very beginning" he said. ~
stand toe to toe with him and I'll hit
with all my might. =
just before the bell started the
boys away IN the Afternoon, Ritchie
reached over 10 his friend and mil
lngly said: Il have never tried to
punch hard. but I'm going TO DO IL
his afternoon"