Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-01-01

Never before were so many pugi-
listic idols knocked out, upset or
overthrown in some manne It
was disastrous year, indeed, for
several parties who on January 1
last either stood on the top Of the
heap or real close to that position.
The upsets started early i'm the
year and never did stop They kept
coming so fast that critics tho
country over began to think they
knew little about the fighting game
and most of their readers agreed
with them.
Two famous champions lost their
titles in the ring disasters of 1912.
The biggest upset Of all, no doubt
was the overthrow of Adolph VOL
CAST by Willie Ritchie, the first
lightweight champion that Cali
fornia, the home Of boxing in this
big country. has ever produced.
Willie was a to ] shot when he
entered the arena at DAILY City, near
San Francisco, on recent bleak
Thanksgiving day afternoon. But
he emerged from the same arena an
hour later with the championship
as his reward and a few thousand
fans standing around dumfounded
after having witnessed the whip
ping OF the mighty Wolgast.
Fall of Attell Big Upset
Second in importance to the
downfall of Wolgast, Of course, was
the browning of a new feather
weight champion at Los Angeles on
Washington's birthday Little Able
Attell. one of the greatest ringmen
ever known, met his Waterloo that
day, losing title he had held for
years against all Corners to that
sprightly Cleveland colt. Johnny
Kilbane. Attell kept going back all
year, to the astonishmeut Of every
body The climax came a few weeks
ago at St. Louis, when the once
great Abraham was forced to qut
in the sixth round of a whirl with
Ollie Kirk. tyro in the boxing
game. Everybody supposed Atteu
would stay good enough to get
return match with Kilbane. but
that is out of the question now.
Kilbane's Title Is Safe.
No new featherweights Of class
were developed during the year
aside from Johnny Dundee, and
KHbane can whip mat boy every
morning before breakfast, Kilbane
faces 1913 without much danger of
losing his title, as the only lad with
a real chance to lick him is Charlie
White, and ne can't do 122 pounds
and fight. Which is hard luck for
Charlie, as he is a dandy little ring
man.
The weiterweight class was neg
lected as usual All the good wei
tiers, including Patrick Mcfarland,
claim they are lightweights and
work the ten-round, no-decision
game 10 the limit, They think there
is no money in being welterweight
and history proves they are right.
Mcfarland Is the real champion of
the 142- Founders, but refuses TO
claim the honor. Mike Gibbons is
"a misflt and can't do better than
l45 pounds at O'Clock.
Middleweight Race Undecided.
The middleweights got danger
ously near 10 turning out cham
pion. but it will take few more
months for them TO settle the
thing. AS matters now stand IN
the class Billy Papke, Eddie Nc
Goorty and Frank Klaus are the
kingpins. and there will be no
champion until this trio gets to-
gether and fights It out Papke
and Klaus are to battle in Paris on
March ., and the winner no doubt
viii be glad to mingle with Me
Goorty. Jack Dillon, X O. Brown
and Johnny Thompson are not be
ing given serious consideration 10y
the critics.
Johnny Coulon had a sort of
rocky year He whaled Harry
Forbes Frankie Conley and Frankie
Burns early in the year. but did not
pick up much change thereafter.
Then a few weeks ago he tramped
down to New York and partici-
pated In one of the 1912 upsets
Kid Williams. the Baltimore Dane.
giving him an awful fight for ten
rounds. The impression prevails
that John viii not survive another
year with his championship. VII
liams. Burns and Eddie Campi the
coast boy, are his most dangerous