The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1913-05-17

SBy James J. Corbett, Former Heavy
 weight Champion of the Worldly (Written for The Evening Farmer.)
 A lew weeks ago we read in the sporting columns that Johnny Kilbane had made up his mind to re1inquisn claim to the feather-Weight title after the bout with Dundee, and that he would shy his castor into the light weight ring.
 It turns out the story was a bit of press agent spoof1ng to add interest to the bout for the feather-weight championship Kilbane does not en- certain the slightest intention of quit ting the ranks of the feath ther-weigl1ts where he appears to have a copper rIveted cinch on the championship in search of trouble among the 13S pounders-
 The press agents make up a good story but it would have been a better and a more truthful one had they 1n- serted Johnny Dundee's name in place of the cI1ampion's. For the little Ital- ian has given up the idea of trying again for the feather-weight honors and will campaign as a. lightweight in the future.
 This may be a wise move on the part of the New Yorker The task of making 122 pounds has long been 7an arduous job for him. Around New York he was not compelled in re- cent bouts to make the feather weight limit as most of his matches were at catch-weights. It was only the opportunity to fight for the title that influenced Dundee and his man ager to agree to 122 for Kilbane.
 Dundee may give a better account of himself at the heavier scale. There was something lacking in the young zters recent work as a featherwe1ght and it may possibly have been that the strenuous job of reducing not only slowed him up but took a great deal .F r.R Yaq .r46zo tain1y Dundee has made no great headway in the past year. Twelve months ago he looked the best pros pect in the division. but recent per formances have not borne out the promise indicated by his earlier work in the ring.
 Dundee has. been matched to box twenty rounds with Ad. WoIgast, for ner lightweight champion, at McCa- rey,s Los Angeles club on June 10. It is believed by many we1l-informed sporting men that this match was ar ranged sometime ago and that knowl- edge of its existence had consider able influence on Referee Eyton in making the recent draw decision in the KiIbane-Dundee match. Newspa- that the champion was clearly entitled to the victory. The announcement of q Wolgast-Dundee bout strengthens the arguments of those who have COnI0nQ00- all along Cn6C LnerSs was method in the referees madness in giving Dundee the benefit of a draw.
 Right here it might be pertinent to ask the New York critics who are continually trying to be1fttle Johnny Kilbane and who question his class as boxer just what they expect of a, champion. Knbane won the feather weight title from Abe AtteIl a little over year ago, and in such deei- sive manner as to leave no doubt of his superiority. Since then Johnny has engaged in something like fifteen limited round matches besides the re- cent twenty round affair with Dundee, and in every instance has acquitted himself splendid1y. He is the busi- est champion the ring has known since Abe AttelPs pa1my days. When Atten was good he averaged a match or two, a year with every ambitious boxer in the division. But Abe was a past master at nursing them along and could generally manage to make a bout look close enough to create a public demand for a return engage ment
 KIbane's record since he won the title will bear the closest scrutiny. He has given every feather-weight who wanted 1t chance to box him. News paper writers have not found it necessary to prod Johnny to make him fight-like champions in other divis- ions. KiIbane has boxed in New York alone five times since winning the title, outpointing Frankie Burns, Johnny Dundee, Eddie O'Keefe, Young DriscoII and stopping George Kirkwood in few rounds Pretty good showing and if 1t doesn't sug- gest class then don't know a. thing about boxing.
 A champion has a hard time trying to please everybody. If Ki1bane had not yet climbed to the top of the di- vision he would unquestionabIy be proclaimed one of the cleverest and headiest boxers the feather-weigft class has produced in recent years. Johnny follows the Packey Mcfarland d method and believes contest won on points every bit as impressive a knockout victory. The clever Pack ey adopted that system years ago. But Mcfarland is not a tft1e-ho1der. He can go right down the line outboxing his opponents and gathering the coin and applause of the public and the praise Of the criticsEwhdch, by the way, he richly deserves. But Kil> bane, because he is the champion of his class, must knock his men out or be labeled a lemon" or joke fight eff we take some of the boxin 2 critics seriously.
 The attacks on Ki1bane which have appeared from time to time in a New York evening paper have no founda- ton in fact and appeared to be based solely upon personal dislike of the feather-weight champion. It is a mighty snaall-caItbred individual who xses the space allotted him as sport ing editor of a great daily to give vent to his personal antipathy towards a Aoxer.
 The Garden Athletic Club has re-