Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-10-19

n SPORIlNG writer recently
n stated that Freddie Welsh
- does not figure high up in the
list Of nghtweights." To let such
statement go unchallenged would be
unfair to the Welshman, equally IN
fair to the boxing game.
The writer holds no brief for Fred
die Welsh. IS not the special pleader
for any pugilist, but 1t is his business
10 write about boxers, and write as
the facts present themselves.
Welsh requires no special pleaders;
his record can be offered in evidence
and the fight fans can then draw
their own conclusions.
II Freddie Welsh does not figure
high up in the list Of lightweights,
who does?
welsh holds a decision over While
Richie. He beat him to twenty
round decision In Los Angeles on the
afternoon Of Thanksgiving Day, 1911.
And Freddie Welsh holds decision
over Matty Baldwin. And May
Baldwin holds a decision over Willie
Ritchie.
Freddie Welsh boxed the great
"Packey" Mcfarland three times.
Once, in Milwaukee, Mcfarland
gained a ten-round decision over
Welsh. The late Malachi Hogan ref
I.
the fight fans and newspaper men of
Milwaukee over the verdict rendered
by Malachi Hogan that though Ho-
gan had refereed all the big Milwau-
kee bouts previous to that time. no
was never again allowed to act as
the third man in the ring in any bout
in Milwaukee.
Subsequently Freddie Welsh boxed
"Packey" Mcfarland to 2o-round
draw in Los Angeles, and good judges
Of boxing who saw that affair claim
it was one Of the greatest battles It
had ever been their good fortune TO
witness.
Later. in London, England, Freddie
Welsh boxed Mcfarland q twenty
round draw.
WeIsh's Great Record.
Freddie Welsh beat Matty Bald
win in a twenty-round bout In san
Francisco on the night Of June %,
1911.
The same Matty Baldwin whom
Welsh beat defeated Willie Richie II
San Francisco on the night of August
81. 1911, and unless the writer is hOr-
ribly mistaken. Harry Foley, who Is
now Willie Ritchie's manager, ref
creed the Baldwin Richie bout. Now,
surely Richie could hardly have felt
that Foley gave him raw deal IN
the Baldwin bout. II he did, Harrl
Foley would not be his manager %
day
Freddie Welsh has been fighting
since 1905. In his entire ring career,
to the best of the writer's knowledge
and belief, Welsh has been knocked
down only once. and that was in his
bout with Packey Mcfarland in Los
Angeles. Welsh always claimed that
in reality he slipped down in this
bout Anyhow, the mishap to Welsh
occurred very late in the contest. and,
allowing that Mcfarland did score a
knockdown, it must not have been
very severe one, in view OF the fact
that Welsh got draw with Packey.
Matt Wells and PaCkey Mcfarland
| are the only men in the ring who hold
| decisions over Welsh. The McFar-
| land decision Is explained above. Aft
| cr Matt Wells defeated Freddie Welsh
| for the lightweight championship of
| England and the Lord Lonsdale belt,
| Freddie Welsh came back and rewon
| his lightweight title and his Lord
| Lousdale belt. And right here 1t is
| interesting to note that Freddie Welsh
/ is one of the only three men who ever
| lost championship and then rewon
! it. The other two were Stanley
| Ketchel, who lost his title to Billy
| Papke and rewOn It, and Tom Allen,
] VINO lost his title to Mike McCoole
/ and came back and defeated the same
man who beat him for the crown.
Speaking Of Freddie Welsh, Packey