New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-03-23
COVET R|TCH|E'S Title
LightweightS C'amor for Bout
with Present Champion.
RIVERS A STRONG BIDDER
But Gross, Britton, Murphy and
Many Others Are Camping on
Trail Of Western Boy.

twelve years the lightweight division. a,
that class i'm which men who box Al II
10 13j pounds has been known. has alway.
been one Of the busiest divisions. In n.
old days. when Frank lcrne. George Ne.
Fadden. Jack McAulifo. KID" McPar.
land. kid" Iayiene. Dal Hawkins, j.. .
Cams and dozen others whose naInes
are still known To all followers Of the
sport engaged in battles OF the ring, SOM
of The best sport WAS witnessed. With
tho passing of these boxers came Jimmy
Britt. Young" Corbctt. The one and oniy
Battling Nelson. and after Nelson. Al
WolgasL The last named boxers. witt
The exception of Nolgasi. have passed on,
through the ropes. 40 return no more a.
principals. but lighting their way upward
have come other men who arc recognized
by the enthusiasts to-day.
Willie Richie, OF San F'rancisco-Gsr,
stcffcn ne is. ia private iie-is the pres.
ent champion Of the class. Uneasy lies
the head that wears crown Is an ex-
preston that has endured through ages.
and never did 1t apply with more force
than To Ritci,ic. Striving t. shear him Of
his titlc and laurels is a brigade OF light.
weights, which. II II does not compare
equally with the former champions. is, 70
say the least, formidable. There are Joe
Rivers. that remarkable little dread.
uought of Los Angeles; Leach Cross "
This city: joe Mandot. The New Orleans
lad. Jack Britton,\ Of Chicago; Tommy
Murphy, the ever importing lrishman Of
Flatbush, and the somewhat damaged
but still capable former champion Al
Wolcayt. Freddie Welsh. the Lightweight
champion of Great Britain. AMI liughie
Neaghan. of Australia, are also worthy
Of consideration.
Ritchic has done no boxing save exhlb.-
ton work in theatres since he Won his
title from Wolgast last November. II his
statement that he VIII not box before
July I, and then only II ne receives
guarantee of $4,000 FOR a twenty-round
battle. rs to- b. accepted. 1t IS more than
probable that he will die II old age be-
fore ne defends his title against any OF
his numerous challeugers. The statement
OF Richie, however. must be- taken with
several grains Of salt Like many Other
athletes who have tried 10 elevate the
stage. he will undoubtedly return 10 b.
own game. M thar event he VIII NJ,
sigh in vain for spirited action.
In the opinion of more than one en-
thusiast. Joe Rivers is the man who VII
give Richie most trouble. Rivers rep
rescnts the ideal type of the clever fight
err. he is fast Is a boScr. and a mo's
eavaee. hard-hitting lightweight never
lowers his head and rips I'm To hght some
thing has to yield. and II IS gonerslg
his opponent Tho New York fans WI
long remember how Rivers took most
of the fight out of Leach cross ana Won
bv a SLIGHT margin when all seemed iost
II Wa agreed At the tim" that IN one
more minute hc would have won By
knockout for cross was lettering on the
brink from In. yylicy Of sicdge-hainms-
wa'lous that had crashed through M
guard. Right after defeating the New
York lad Rivers defeated hnocAou'
Brown i'm ten rounds.
Rivers Is regarded to-day &. the res
champion 10y many although "n'hN
holds the title There Is little doubt mat
Rivers defeated Nj Wolga-t on hia merits
last July f. The referee. however nso'
one Of the rarest decisions when NJ
raised "a tighter 10 his feet Who had ts'h
Knocked down boy a fair blow declaring
that hc had Won. Riycrs had zone do"h
from a blow i'm the groin rs several Pho
tographs snapped at tho riusside tesuneO'
and Nolgast foll over him. foofed o!
body blow. which took effect lust a.
Rivers received the foul blow. but me
latter AaS counted out Rivers 81 'ie
present time hopes 90 defeat Leach Oros'
a.ain. and Will then 20 ont after ktche'
CroNding close on the heels Of RNsr'
comes the man he outboNed once tn'
win soon meet again-Leach cross. CiV's
az tho present time Is regarded through
ont the country as one of the most can
gerou- men IN the ring. and his reesp'
sensational victory over Joe Mandot "
ten rounds AT New Orleans has boonea
his stock 10 the skies. Tho New iciA
man Is not the most scientific boxer
tho world but he j. crafty ana sh"u
with his hands aud feet, and there
no denying that he can hit as hard as
not harder than, any lightweight IN 'n'
world.
Some there arc VINO believe Jack d."
ton 20 bc the boy who may take wv
crown away from Iitchie. Britton
clever boxer. but he seems TO- iacS u'.
Intangible something that makes the s'es'
fighter lie can box with great spe'O
and when confronted by a man oil o'u'
nary ability shows like 4 champion !"
is a different man. however, when lS0"'
really high grade man.
The older Harlem" Tommy Mufp~
grows the better ne becomes. grlf'so
veteran of thirteen years in the rolV,
arena. Murphy has risen to the top T"
the class and to-day he is looked nl"'
as one of the most formidable men N uN
aroma. The namc-hsircd lrishman Is poa
ing better to-day than AT any time 10 ~
lie. and there are few who care 20 W
gage him IN battle. Ia his recent ps',
with Al Nolgast he outboNed him aps
outfough, him ia fifteen OF the "sn'
rounds. but was given only q draw. ~,
onr falling that stands between Mu'PH
aud the title to-day is his lack of h'u''
power lie is clever and aggressive w.
fault. but ho cannot snap his punches
way 10 bring victory. ,-,.h.
once highly rated and still well iho"s
of, joe Mandot and All Wolsast sN"e
along The defeat of Mandot by ''o
put II decided crimp in his prospe.~
while Wolsast has shown signs OF sio""s
up II was. IN fact. his deep-dycd o''"s
for Murphy that kept him going J"
battle at San Francisco as much a. o..
thing. for that was enc bout nc "a"''
TO win above all others.
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