Evening star., 1913-03-02
BY T. s. ANDREWS.
Special Correspondence Of The star

ison Square Garden in New York. the
Gotham fans will probably be in for an
other series Of heavyweight matches. II
was intended TO open with BomDardleT
Wells. the British champion. and Luther
McCarty. the American champion. but so
far the matchmaker has been unable to
get them together. the McCarty end ot
the deal holding out for more percentage.
According to report. they want 40 per
cent OF the gross, which. with - or ~ per
cent for Wells. would leave the manage
ment with a lemon for their end. 1t Is
probable that Gunboat Smith. who has
been making good OF late on the Pacific
coast, will be sent against Wells. and then
IL the Britisher wins he will be n still
better demand for McCarty match. 1t
is also probable that the ban will be lifteI
from the head Of Jess VII ard. another
white hope who has been chasing Luther
McCarty for match, and in that event
good match would be assured, or vi lard
has had all kinds OF press advertising
and would prove a big card. Al PalZer
is wasting his time in Europe. having
gone over at the worst possible time.
just when the best heavies OF that Eart
Of the world were leaving for America.
1t is possible that big Al will return and
try to set some of the plums to be
plucked during the spiel OF the hcavics
Tom Cowler. big miner from the north
of England. who has had few fights on
the other side. with fair success, heard
about slhe big money Bombardicr Wells
made In New York, and he could not
stand the pressure longer. so set sail for
the port of New York, and should be
there now. He is fine appearing young
fellow, stripping at about 2UJ pounds and
standing over six feet. but he lacks cxpe-
rience. He might have learned "A lot from
the British boxers before leaving for this
side. and it would no doubt have done
him lots of good. for the cast is bad
place for an inexperienced boxer to start,
and Mr. Cowler may return sadder but
wiser young man. However, give hlm
every chance. and if he has the goods
why, off go our hats to him, the same as
they were doffed to Bombardier Wells
The reports Of big purses over here lure
many boxers from the other side. but AS
a rule IT Is only the stars who arc draw
ing down the big coin. and then they want
to hog it all. But talking OF the heavies
again, II can be said that the fans are
moro interested just now in a meeting be-
tween Luther McCarty and Wells than
any other pair. because they represent
the champions of two countries and are
due for a match. 1t is all right to get
some easy money floating around the bur
lesaue and vaudeville circuits. but just
the same fighter is expected to show his
goods in the ring and not on the stage. the
latter place being for exhibitions only
Two of the hardest fought lightweight
battles seen on the Pacific coast in years
occurred on the same day-Washfngton S
birthday-when Ad Wolgast, former light
weight champion. fought terrific TWEEN
ty-round draw with Harlem Tommy Muir
ply of New York before Jim CoffrOths .
Club near San Francisco. while Jose Riv-
ers the Spanish American hundred
and -thirty-three- FOUNDER. put Knockout
Brown. the New York lightweight. to
sleep in ten rounds Both were near
expected to get together to determine
which one will meet Willie Ritchie next
July for the American title. Woigast
put ,rp wonderful battle. considering that [
dition himself For the first half Of the
battle Tommy Murphy gave the Michigan
bearcat as many call him. fierce beat
ing. and had him in bad shape but re-
narkabIe endurance came to his aid again
in the thirteenth round. and he fought
with renewed courage and ambition. AL
though he was near collapse at the final
bell: i'm fact. according to all reports both
were ready to shout enough. Murph!
showed the better form and the most
the battle. and II he could have STAYED
off Ads constant body punches he would
no doubt have gained the referees de-
cision. There seemed to be no dount In
inc HlnQS OF tiie cTILlCS thdt Nut puS
earned the right to fight Richie for the
title even though he has not met and
defeated Jose Rivers
Wolgast also proved that he is far
from being "all in,' as had been re-
ported. but it was also evident that
while he showed wonderful endurance.
still he was not there with the punch
ing powers that characterized some of
his former battles. And while Ad was
fighting like wild man to gain the
ri
rival was handing the New York boy.
Knockout Brown. q heating. only in
shorter time Rivers was the master of
Brown throughout the fight. letting
vicious lefts or rights to the head as
he came in Brown is fighter OF the
Charley Neary order-always boring in
and. being naturally left handed. he is
rather hard to get at sometimes. How
ever. Rivers solved his style early In
the combat. and sent home enough hard
drives to the head and jaw to stop an
ordinary lightweight but the husky
New York German kept plunging i'm for
more. and he certainly got it. until the
to the jaw put him down. and practical
ly out. the referee stopping the bout
as Rivers delivered the last punch. The
chances are now that either Tom Nc
Carey or Jim Coffroth will match up
the two winners Rivers and Murphy
for another big battle over the mara
thon route IT would be great card
for st. Patricks day, and no mistake
Pal Brown, Joe Mandot and Steve
ketchel are all chasing after Willie
Ritchie's crown. and there Will DE
sort of elimination tourney among them
Ketchel and Brown are to meet in MI,
waukee March over the ten-round
route and Mandot is to NEE. heaEn
Cross in New Orleans about March ~
The winners of these two scraps should
get together and meet the winner or
the Rivers Murphy match. providing
they meet. which would bring the real
contender in line for Ritchie, July 4
next
7; will he hard matter to determine
a worlds middleweight champion Wh,le
the weights in the various countries e
where boxine bouts are held vary 1t is
ali right for us (Americans) to claim all
the titles in sight in the fighting game
az in tho past there was little opposltion
tn orr claims, but with so many coun-
tries in the field now it is very diHerent:
Tho middleweight class. one OF the mos
in,nortant divisions in the boxing "orio;
is without a champion in America. ana
there Is no recognized world s champion.
The American weight is. or mas heen:
for the past twenty-five years. paced AT
1JS pounds ringside. while the r-u, opean
and Australian weight is 40 pounds at !"
n.ciock There is no recognized Amer |
loan champion. AS there has been mix
nm regarding the same since STANLEY
\ EetchcIi's death. At that time Hlliy
pa nike was considered the next in iine'
hnt Ruiy went to Australia and made
q verv moor showing. losing to Dave
smith. whom he afterward defeated. Dut
losing g hard twenty-round pattie 10