Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-12-21

-. should be commits
Grated for losing the
one chance offered in eleven years OF ring
work to battle for the coveted champion
ship crown.
All things considered, il is a good thing
for the sport that It rained hard enough
to Justify Promoter Coffroth in postnon-
ing the match. Had Richie entered the
ring with an abscess in his nose, as II
turned out he was suffering with. he could
not have done himself justice. and had he
been beaten everybody interested would
have come in for severe criticism for per
hitting the bout to go on
Jim Coffroth has rematched the BOYS for
January 3D. with the understanding that
in the event of rain the bout will be held
the following day. The terms agreed
upon are said to be practically the same
as for the Cancelled bout of last week
In the meantime Tommy Murphy win
have to console himself with the thought
that Richie is man of his word and
that IL the champion agrees to give him
first chance he can afford to wait few
weeks longer for n match that he has al
ready waited for more than decade.
1t is hoped that RitchIe's illness does NOT
compel another postponemenL At the
same time announcement of the new
match is a bitter disappointment to local
sports who had counted on the champions
return to New York Immediately after the
holidays. When leaving here Richie
promised to come back as soon as he had
finished with Murphy. and take on the
best boys the matchmakers might select
for him. Willie scored one of the great
est hits ever registered by boxer in a
New York ring since the days OF the Hor-
ton law. His great battle with Leach
Cross is still the talk of the big town, and
any bout arranged for him here--if a
worthy opponent is selected-will mean the
biggest house, both In attendance and gate
receipts. that has turned out to see a box
ing match in many years.
There are several boys who would be
popular matches for the champion in a
local sense. Freddy Welsh would satisfy.
So would Jack Britton. Packey McFar-
land naturally would be the greatest
card. for no boxer stands better with the
New York public than the stockyards
champion. But il what they are telling
about Packey's weight is true. there is
no more chance of his boxing Richie
than there is of meeting between him
and Johnny Coulon
Welsh has a great rep here and
everywhere. He is the champion of Eng
land. and a great boxer Britton also f.
well thought of, and deservedly so. Nc
Farland. of course. is regarded as the
class of both the light and weiterweight
divisions. Still. if I were a New York
promoter, and Ritchie had agreed to box
any of these boys for the first bout.
Young Joe Shugrue, the Jersey light
weight, would be my trump card
While he has been boxing in the light
weight class hardly more than a year.
Shugrue has met and defeated a number
of the best boys. Probably he would have
accomplished more il he had been eiven
the chance. He met Leach Cross sew
eral months ago and clearly outboxed
and outfought the Ghetto champion in
every round of the ten.
Young Shugrue is either a very modest
youngster, or he is poorly managed
With his unquestioned ability he should
have been established before this as one
of the very few real aspirants for the
championship. If any legitimate light
weight-and by that / mean a boy who
can make 1873 pounds without trouble
has earned the right to box for the title
it as this same boy.
Shugrue is only a youngster compa red
with Welsh Britton. Cross, Murphy ana
the other title seekers. I doubt IL h. IS
yet twenty-one. But he Is already rated
above Cross and Murphy ia the estima
ton OF local experts and his selection a.
Ritchie's opponent on the champions re
turn east would be very popular
be ieve Shugrue Will prove that h. is
a real championship contender IL given
an opportunity. Considering his years
and experience. he is the lkeliest-lookinc
lightweight prospect l have seen in a
long time.
/ am not trying to injure Freddy
Welsh's chances for a match with
Richie. Apparently the only chance for
him is bout over the twenty-round
route. Richie is provoked at the stand
taken by Harry Pollok. Freddy's man.
ager. since the Vancouver fiasco, and will
hardly entertain a proposition to box the
English champion in a no-decision affair
of ten rounds.
AS Tor Freddy, he should realize that
every year that passes makes him just
one year older. He has spent about the
idlest sort of "A twelyemonth IN this coun-
try. so far meeting boys of any class
is concerned. His manager, the genial
but talkative Pollok. has done plenty Of
press-agenting for Frederick, but he has
not framed up the bouts that will turn
his fighters fame into money. Ritchies
attitude toward Welsh is. OF course one
excuse, but then why doesn't Pollok
match him with Jack Britton or some ~
the other good ones I'm the meantime
Success over boy such as Britton would
mean a popular demand for a contest
with Richie that the American champion
could not afford to ignore
Bob McAllister, the San Francisco mid
dleweight, made an impressive debut III
the east by easily outpojnting Young
Mike Donovan last week. Donovan. VINO
by the way is a son of the famous Mike
of olden days. is a fair boxer and a hard
hitter. but could make little headv ny
with the clever youngster from the coast.
/ sat back of McAllister's corner the
other night. for / am interested in him 10
the extent that | would like to see him
make good. l was largely Instrumental
In helping Bob arrive at his decision 10
turn pro" after brilliant record as an
amateur and wanted TO help him SO far
as / could in his first battle away from
home. But Bob was quite equal To the
task of outpointing Donovan without as
sistance from me.
His greatest fault, and | told him
after the contest, was that he hit with his
open glove-a rather amateurish stunt.
His desire to make good the first tine
put in New York. he explained, made him
hit lightly so that he could get out or
the way of return quickly. With a few
more bait es he should acquire greater =
confidence in himself and, when he does.
watch out. III he doesn't outgrow the di-
vision McAllister may in time develop