New-York tribune., 1913-08-10
WELSH AND R|TCH|E
TO SETTLE OLD SCORE
Bout ON Labor Day to Ina
Question of Supremacy
and Right to Title.
FORMER SLIGHT FAV0RITE
Leach Cross and Rivers, Too,
to Meet in Twenty Round
Go at Los Angeles on
That Day.

AaNe
The next series of important boxing
contests will be held in the West OF
Labor Day. September l. On that day
Willie Ritchie. of San Francisco the
lightweight champion Of the world, VIII
defend his tltle against Freddie Neish'
the champion Of Great Britain, and one
of the two men i'm the boxing arena VINO
have decisions over him. The men VIII
meet I'm Vancouver. r. c.. In twenty
round contest which wifi decide whether
an American or "A British champion VIII
be entitled to worlds hOnors.
The other battle. and scarcely or less
importance. will be held i'm California
where Leach Cross. the crafty llghtweish'
Of this city, Will meet Jose Rivers the
Los Angeles boy. who twice outpointed
him I'm tsn-round bouts In local clubs IN
the lattcr's home town.
Naturally. chief Importance centres
about the meeting Of Richie and Freddie
Welsh. Not alone will it decide cham
pionship title. but II will give Ritchle
chance 10 prove that his defeat at the
hands OF Welsh two years ago was a
flukc, as ne has long declared 1t TO be. IL
will be remembered that Welsh "as
matched 10 night Nd Wolgast for the
lightweight title. when the latter fell SICK
with appendicitis on the eve or the hsHt'
and of course. was forced To cancel ms
cugaRement In order that the fans
who had purchased tickets would not be
disappointed. McCarey telegraphed from
anTtggO for Rifcnlt,
and ho at Cnce boarded train rode al
night and went into the ring. lie lost py
only "A slight margin.
His performance was little short Of
wonderful on the surface, but there is
another side 10 the story. which Neish
has often told When Fred was INFORMED
of the sickness OF Wolgdst on the eve
of the battle. which he had waited Ions
time 20 secure. he was unable TO eat or
sleep from sheer nervousness. lie wor-
rled five pounds OF walking around his
training quarters. and entered the ring
against the American lad weighing only
I2Si. pounds Richie. Welsh said, tipI' d
the beam AT i39 pounds. but even with this
great advantage. was unequal 10 the
task OF winning
At that time neither Welsh nor Richie
was champion. Welsh Lad lost nj
title TO Matt Wells. and Richie. a remote
sparrng partner of Packcy Mcfarland
wps uuhaard of until his match with
Welsh. Since then. OF course Welsh re-
gained his laurels from Matt Wells and
Rltchic defeated Wolgast and also de
Tended his title against the furious on
slaurhts OF Joe Rivers.
Both Ritchie and the English hoy have
friends by the tcore in this city -
far. Ritchle has been made a slight IA
yori,e over his coming opponent. and
no, without good and sufficient reason
He rs stronger. more rugged hsht'I
than Welsh. has greater hitting ability
and is equally clever. That he Is game
10 the core is beyond all question. ioE
only "A warrior with the courage of bull
dog would have stood up before the
gruell,rg he took from Wolgast and
Rivers in tho early rounds and then gone
ahead To win.
Ritchlc. AZ the present time Is boxing
with greater skill than ever before IN MS
lifr. and II is believed that at this de-
partmcnt ~ the game Welsh VIII have
little the better of t. Coming into close
quarters. u would appear that Richie
will have all the better OF II. for he has
consistently shown greater hitting ability
than Welsh.
Welsh. however. must not be- under
rated lie has me-, the peerless "Packey'
Mcfarland In three gruclling battles and
has boxed two draws with him. 'Pdckey
cot decision over him I'm ten rounds
I'm Milwaukee. which the press and Welsh
decried as "A robbery Although In recent
contests the English boy has not shown
IA any great advantage. he Is one oi
tbose boxers who hate 10 punish an op-
nonent unnecessarily. being content TO
coast along and win on points. II hard
pressed. however. he has Knockout
punch. and the ability to land H.
Ther, is one side OF the match which
must not be overlooked. II Ntchle ls
uuvls. enough 10 agree 10 box at III
mounds. rngside. ne must be prepared
for squalls He has shown that a
pouudage OF less than l3J. ringside. Is
detrimental TO him. And II VIII proba-
blv be al that weight that he Will meet
Welsh. In his match with Rivers
Ritchle was thin and drawn and rocked
under BODY blows I'm way that caused
his hackers much concern.