Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-03-23

great mysteries OF professional pugilisn
for several years past. He agreed to lS3
to get match with Ad Wolgast when
that young man held the title, but as
the bout was called off the public re-
NAMED skeptical Of his ability to make
it and be in condition to put up a good
argument. Evidently Mcfarland knows
just what he can do, and his willingness
to accept the terms and conditions OF
Ritchie's proposal without kick or pro-
test of any kind will act as a silencer
on the critics who have insisted that he
is no longer eligible to fight in the light
weight division
At that, l doubt il Packey and Willie
ever meet. They would make an ideal
match, much better than the proposed
Ritchie-WolSast or Wolgast Mcfarland
affair. Both boys are clever and of
practically the same school, and repre-
sent the best there is I'm scientific boxing.
But Billy Nolan Is too shrewd to PIT
Richie against his former teacher be-
fore he has had a chance to corral an
easy purse or two, which is recognized
nowadays as one OF the privileges to
which a new champion is entitled. There
are any number of lightweights who ara
easier than the peerless Packey, and as
Nolan knows the ropes pretty well he
will no doubt find some plausible excuse
for avoiding the match IL 1t ever comes
to a showdown. And, between you and
me, one can't blame him very much
from a business, ii not a sporting, point
OF view.
Leach Cross admirers are now touting
him for the lightweight championship.
There is no denying that as result or
the recent victory over Joe Mandot his
stock has doomed. But Leach will never
become champion. In the first place,
doubt IL his heart is in the right place.
He Is like many another ''near-champfon.
Give him q mark and he boxes like Q
world-beater, but put him in front OF q
good man and he fights like dub. If
any one will take the trouble to look In
the dope books he will find Cross has not
been the most consistent boxer In the
world.
The detailed reports Of the Cross-Man-
dot bout do not make Leach out the great
fighter his press agents represent him.
He was on the losing end until a lucky
one connected with Mandot's jaw. or
Leach's hitting power there Is not the
slightest doubt. He packs hefty punch.
and let him once get the other fellow
going and he sails In for keeps. But
any one who has ever boxed or who has
followed the sport closely knows that the
element Of luck frequently figures promi-
nently In a boxing match, and I Judge
Leach to have been a fortunate young
man in the Mandot encounter. Many q
boy has had victory within easy grasp
overconf1dence.
Cross viii be put TO the test in few
weeks when he takes on Joe Rivers in
return ten-round bout. / rather fancy
Rivers will do even better this time. al
though he put up a corking good battle
on the other occasion, considering the
handicap he was under in lack Of famili-
arity with the rules in vogue here. Man
dot, while fairly clever boxer, is not .
hard hitter. Rivers is a combative young
ster. who can give and take the hardest
knocks and answer the bell for more. lie
can hit harder. IL anything, than Cross.
although Leach punches hard enough to
bring home the bacon. Joe is not irwin
chile; he can be knocked out. as Johnny
Kilbane showed US, but / imagine he in
bit too hard proposition for New
York's foremost lightweight. II Leach
succeeds in defeating Rivers I'll take my
hat Oh to him and admit he is the right
sort. but I'm from Missouri, and having
seen him in SO many mediocre battles am
inclined to regard his latest victory large
ly in the the light of a fuke
While on the subject OF lightwcights and
possibilities II might not be
amiss to call attention to Bud Anderson.
the young western phenom" who gave
such a splendid account OF himself In
last Saturdays twenty-round contest with
Knockout Brown. Making allowances
for comparative inexperience Anderson's
showing was every bit as creditable as
that Of Joe Rivers In stopping Kaye. in
eleven rounds. In fact, Bud came close
to duplicating Joe's stunt. as he twice put
the New Yorker to the floor In the Glove
enth and had him practically out when
the gong came to the rescue.
OF course. TX. o. is not of champion
ship class, but he is AS strong AS a young
bull and a hard man to lick decisfvcly.
Rivers is the only one who stopped him.
would have duplicated the feat. As It
was Browns recuperative powers en-
abled him to rally and by forcing mat
tiers in the last round earned a draw.
which decision II reports are correct, WAS
hardly fair to Anderson.
Another lightweight who has been at
tracing considerable attention lately Is
Pal Brown. a product of Hibbing, MINI.
ready selected this boy as their candi-
date for the lightweight honors. Pal has
beaten few topnotchers. but his friends
claim that lack of opportunity explains
that. He has done everything asked OF
him to date. and his work among the
second raters has been little short Of sem
sational at times.
It didn't take long for Gunboat Smith
TO put Bombardier Wells in the ''also
lighting and 1t was over. and the Bonn
bardier's name wiped from the list OF as
pirants for the heavyweight champion
ship.
1t was q 0attle between a rugged HRnter
and clever boxer with frail physique,
and the fighter won. Wells lack OF stam-
ina is difficult to explain. His is a puz-
cling case. He trains faithfully and al
WAYS seems to be the picture OF health
and strength In this last fight ii was
established beyong any doubt that he is
not cut out for a successful boxer, or
-ather fighter. for he certainly knows
more Of the scientific end of the game
han the rest of the bunch put together.
with Wells eliminated from the situa-
ion there remain but three white heavies
n whom the sporting public has any
aith These are Luther McCarty. Jess
willard and the Gunboat or the trio
NcCarty looks the best on his victories
,ycr Kaufman. Flynn and Palzer. Neither
II the others has defeated men of the
of the men mentioned. Willard,
t is true, earned a popular decision over
dcCarty at the Garden last summer. but
L a time when both were novices. Tn
McCarty has improved Inn
nensely since that time. Willard. too.
las been going along fairly well, but has
lot met man of the class OF the trio