El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1913-09-06

q Originally sched-
~ - uled for Labor day
II = t5'f fbn 8pit a9 a c6576nt
ian brought about postponement of
several weeks, and gave Richie a
Grand opportunity 10 shake down" the
promoters FOR a little more change
s-VOH IN good hard coin Willie was TO
have received $4,000 and d percentage
OF the receipts from the moving pic
sCres had the match gone through as
framed on Labor day; as the postpone
rnent was due 20 no fault OF his Richie
was prompt to call attention to the
TACT that ne was on the ground pre-
pared to carry out his agreement and
should therefore be reimbursed for
valuable time lost The promoters
were compelled TO grant whites de-
mand or call the whole show off Since
flIchle mas been flXed' everything
looks rosy for the match taking place
unless Welsh sOuld decide to balk over
some unimportant detail
Ritchie's holdup of the Vancouver
promoters suggests that he was an
apt pupil Of the celebrated Billy No
ian during the short time that enter
prlsing young man held the manager
ial reins for the champion. 1t was a
stroke of financiering that would have
reflected credit upon Nolan himself.
Those who follow the game closely
are not inclined to agree with many
sporting writer's that the coming in
ternatiOnal match will prove a soft
snap for the American. Considering
that Welsh has been boxing a long
time and that during his career only
Two unimpOrtant bouts have been de-
cided against him-one in a 10-round
so with the great Mcfarland and again
when he lost the British title to Matt
Wells-it is a bit out OF order TO pre-
dict an easy time for Richie on Sept
ember 20.
Two years ago when Welsh lost the
English championship TO Wells he was
not at his best by a great deal He
proved that beyond all argument when
he beat Wells in a return match last
winter. being one of the very defeated
champions in the history of the ring to
pull a successful come. back. And Wells
is a great boxer himself, as he proved
TO the satisfaction Of New Workers IN
bouts with Abe Attell. Leach Cross and
others. The only boxer who succeeded
in taking Weiss measure here in New
York was Packey Mcfarland, and that
young man would be good bet to re-
peat the trick with anyone at or any
where near the lightweight limit, not
excepting champion Richie and Welsh
Ny opinion is the bout viii 90 the
limit of fifteen rounds and that it will
be a very close thing for the decision.
Welsh Is undoubtedly a clever boxer
and possibly a shade or two faster than
Richie, but the latter is no SLOUGH with
the gloves and viii have the advantage
of youth and superior hitting power.
Freddy will go awful fast for fifteen
Ritchie's cap If he succeeds in corner
ing the elusive Englishman and admin
istering the knock out wallop. No
other boxer has yet been able to do II
to the BritOn and Freddy has fought
the best of them for the last half
dozen years or more Still like every
one else he viii get his" some time
or other, and September 20 may be the
day appointed for his pugilistic ex-
Jinction.
If Welsh is in good trim I don't be-
live EQf~rhfa nv p
get him in fifteen rounds. But if he
has gone back physically, as many con-
tend, well that's another story. At
his best Welsh is about as close to the
real championship standard as 1t is
possible TO come.
On the other hand there is no doubt
that Richie has improved a great deal
in the last two years. When ne boxed
Welsh as a substitute for Ad Wolgast
a year ago last Thanksgiving Willie
was a mere novice in comparison with
the finished workman he is today. That
he was able to go the twenty round
limit proved then and there he was
made of the right sort OF stuff. and
while Freddy has never been celebrated
for his hitting powers any youngster
who can stay twenty rounds with him
must have a share of that indefina bic
something of which champions are
made.
The defeat Of Ad WoIgast for the
title and the more recent conquest of
Joe Rivers have established Richie as
a fighter of the first class and the
most worthy holder of the American
lightweight title since Joe Cans. How
ever he is meeting another champion
in Welsh and a boxer who has held
the peerless" Mcfarland to two draws
over the twenty round cOurse-Which
should not be forgotten when trying
to dope out the winner of the coming
engagement
Richie has every advantage except
that of boxing skill-and at that he
is not so very far behind his English
rival-and I therefore look for referee
Griffin to give him the verdict if it is
possible to determine the winner on
points But I do not look for the one
sided contests number Of writers
have predicted. I am stringing along
with the fellow with youth in his ia
vor, the one who is now at his very
best. and in possession of that double
distilled confidence born Of the recent