Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-09-16

too. Personally, think he is a trifie shy
In the mental equipment necessary TO de-
veIop into a great fighter. But If he de-
cides to start at the bottom again and
try to fight himself back into popular
favor he will have plenty OF rooters for
as fight fan said to ME the other DAY,
courage" And Al is as game a man as
I've ever seen under punishment.
The Garden and st. Nicholas clubs have
, ford -Jeanette match. Both institutions
claim the bout, and neither is sure where
1t stands. Langford has expressed a pref
erence for the Garden-on account OF It's
greater seating CAPACITY while While, jean
thought to be interested in the manage
ment of the st. Nicholas, and naturally
would like to have the mill held there.
Joe WOodman, Langford's manager. told
me tho other day that there is no truth In
the cabled story that the Jack Johnson
Langford bout is off. Joe says the bout
is a sure thing for December 20 in Paris,
and that the only thing that can now pre-
vent the match Is q deliberate "1unk'' on
If the boxing "commish' rescinds the
anti-black vs. white rule match VIII
be clinched between Langford and Gun
boat" Smith. And there will be no delay
or waste Of time over details. The man
ayers of both men have already agreed
UT on terms, and the Garden will get the
big bout. Possibly 1t will be staged the
night Of September 19-next Friday.
Sam Langford will be very busy man
for the next few months IL he goes
through with all the battles his manager
plans for him. First, the affair with the
"Gunboat," providing, of course the au-
thorities stand for 1t: then, If victor over
| Smith, and on the dope he looks bit too
classy for anything In the white heavy
weight line, will come the long-delayed
set-to with Jeanette. And after thet
! he hopes to do battle for the champion
| ship of the world.
There are one or two obstacles in the
way OF Langford's program leading to
the title. In the first place, Mr.. Gun
boat Smith might land one of those
| hard right swings on the tar babys
! vulnerable spot-wherever it Island good
| bye, coon. Then again. even If Smith
gives him little trouble. Sam must go
! through ten rounds with that exceedingly
tough proposition, Joe Jeanette. Should
Sam trim these two huskies he Will
enter the ring with Johnson next De-
cember hot favorite in the betting.
An indignant reader of this column
| has written me lengthy rebuke because.
| as he puts 1t, I praised the ability OF
| Freddy Welsh in a recent article MY
| correspondent says / "go out OF my way
to boost foreign boxers and to beiittle
| the Americans etc, etc" Also that 1
1
| the title from one of the greatest light
| weight champions in the history Of
American pugilism.'
The letter is certainly the limit. To
pan me for boosting Freddy Welsh
/ and roasting Willie Richie. The
article the particular correspondent re-
| fers to was printed in this column last
week, and had my peevish critic taken
time to read 1t carefully he would have
found that / praised both Welsh and
Richie. Furthermore, he would have
discovered that I picked Richie to win
| over Welsh in next weeks contest:
At that, readers. I don't think Willie
| will have such a cinch as some people
seem to think. Welsh is a great boxer
and can step fifteen rounds to as lively
| a tune as any one in the game can play
! for him. Freddy is not a novice-he Is
as much a champion as Ritchie himself
No dub can win the lightweight cham
| pionship Of Great Britain, and Welsh
| has twice turned the trick. Don't let
any one tell you Freddy hasn't a chance
with any boxer of his weight in the game
| today.