El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1912-06-29

Vegas, n. NJ. and the principals will
be Jack Johnson and Jim Flynn. The
other affair viii take place at Vernon
out side of Los Angeles. 1t will be
for the lightweight Championship and
Will be between Ad Wolgast and Joe
Rivers.
CandidIy neither of these events is
attracting the attention that usually
attaches to worlds championship dis
putes, and one does not have to look
for the reason. In neither instance
is the contest regarded as tilt be-
tween a pair of evenly matched men
The suspicion that Jack Johnson may
have slowed up during a couple Of
years Of inactivity and high living is
the one peg on which the admirers or
Jim Flynn hang their hopes The
thought that an operation for appendi-
citis may have robbed WOlgaSt OF his
snap and speed is the one thing that
makes Rivers's chances of success ap-
pear the least bit rosy
1t is easy enough to verify this view
of things II Wolgast had not been
taken down with appendicitis and
forced to lay off several months, RiV-
ers's chances in match with the
champion would be considered so small
that the idea of the men signing would
have been generally ridiculed- Prob
ably the old lghtWeights would have
risen on their hind legs and Joined in
the one concerted round of protests,
weight Johnny Kilbane not so very
long ago Moreover this meeting with
Wolgast will signaliZe Rivers's entry
into the lightweight division, and to
have a green light weight striving for
the worlds championship the first
time out does not seem by any means
to be in accordance with the eternal
fitness of things.
But WOlgast was under the knife
and the suspicion existed that WOlgast
nn-~-- ~
put the thing to the test it was neces-
sary for some one to be sent against
Wolgast-it mattered little who, and
Rivers was the handiest.
The men who consider themselves
best fitted to 4 crack at Wolgast-
towit; Packey Mcfarland. Freddie
Welsh and maybe Knockout Brown,
would have objected strongly TO this
WOlgast-Rivers affair if there had been
no appedicitis, but as matters stand all
Ads most formidable rivals are view
ing things cOmplacently.
They regard the match as a test
case. If WOlgast shows he is the VOL
CAST of old he viii be more harried
and challenged in the next few
months than he has been during all
the years he has held the title.
Meanwhile down in Los Angeles they
think so well of Rivers that they are
willing to accept odds Of 10 to Z against
the Mexican boy and il is the popular
belief that even money wagering will
be the rule before the light weights
enter the ring This means that while
a reverse for WOlgast might appear
something sensational away from Los
Angeles. the sports of the southern
town are specializing largely on such
a possibility.
A Sunday or Two ago. in discussing
the Flynn-JohnsOn outlook, I took oc-
casion to refer to the fact that there
was not a great deal OF difference in
the mems ages, the record books show
ing that Johnson was 81, while Flynn
has passed his SOD birthday The pub
LEGATION of the article brought me a
note Of protest from one who is GER
tainly in a position TO acquire inside
information on such matters
Flynn Six Years Younger.
Said the note: For your own guild
ance I want TO tell you that the rec
ord book does not state facts. John
son is fully Sc years old, while Flynn
is only 80"
If this is so Flynn's chances are
somewhat better than I figured. But
whether Johnson be "a or IS, the ques-
ton in a nutshell is-how much has