The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1913-09-20
PACKEY M'FARLAND DESERVES
 6 BOUT WITH WILLIE RITCHIE
Jim COrben Says WoIgast Should Have
 Retired As Promised

| Strangest thing in the world about ex-champion boxers. Almost impos- sib1e to convince them they have seen | their best days. I know how it is. So do all those who have been through the mill Wolgast still thinks he can beat Ritchie, and he is honest in that belief, too. But Willie would stop Wo1gast in short order if they ever came together again, or I am no judge. Ritchie was comparative beginner when he beat Ad. He realized that he had to fight cautiously, that the champion was in front of him, that he could not afford to take too many chances, and therefore curbed his natural in- clination to take the aggressive and force the fighting. Now that he knows he is Ads master he would win easily, barring accident.
 Wolgast's career as fighter of the first class is over. But I suppose he will have to have it hammered into him before he will be satisfied. A skill, Ad held the title for several years and might have been on top a while longer but for the operation for appendicitis which robbed him of a great part of his stamina. But sooner or later Ritchie would have beaten him for Willie is of a class considerably above that of Wolgast and to my mind is the greatest cham pion since Joe Cans.
 The white hope" crop is a most pIenteous one. Possibly the current reports of Jack Johnson's tremen- dous increase in avordupois and the belief that the black champion will prove soft for the first fighter who gets him in the ring is the cause of the boom in the white heavyweight market. Not since those lovely times fn1ToWine nf Toff Ioc there been such lively doings in heavyweight society. No sooner is one fellow disposed of by the elim- ination process than another appears to take his place.
 The latest arrivals''-and, readers, he looks like one of the best of the younger crop-fs Al Reich, for sever al years amateur heavyweight cham pfon of the East. who made an i'm pressive professional debut by knock ing out Sailor White, a local trial horse in five rounds.
 For asyearE or more fight managers have been after young Reich, but until recently he turned a deaf ear to all propositions to become a profess stonal. He finally 'tfell'' though, and considering that the bout with the Sailor" was his. first attempt as a pro- AIS showing was little short of remarkable.
 Reich is a splendid looking piece of work. He has everything in the physical line champion needs and. Judging from his one professional bout, the brains too. While White is nothing more than good trial horse Reich handled him in such an i'm pressive way that many good judges left the Garden with the deep rooted idea that THE ''white hope" has ar- rived at last
 In contrast with the ungainly ef- forts of the average heavy of to-day Reich's showing was a treat White is one of those rough and tough slug gers who slams all the time and the way Al protected himself from the Sailors" fierce attacks was a reve- lation to the present generation who are accustomed to looking at rough and tumble mix-ups of the Iongshore- man variety.
 Only time will tell how good Reich is, though he looks by far the classiest newcomer the heavyweight division has known in many years.
 More power to him.
 JAMES J. CORRETT