Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-06-15
By W. W. Naughton.

q AN FRANCISCO, June IA
y Champion Willie Ritchie's de-
termination to force an extern
sion of the lightweight boundaries
will be far-reaching in its effect. For
one thing, it will bring Packey NJ
Farland to the front as a candidate
for the title.
While Richie was working his way
over the footlight circuit and keep
ing close lips as to what was pass
ing In his mind in respect to the
weight terms he would impose when
lighting began again. a good many
| thought that Willie was confronted
with double-horned dilemma
He is a growing boy and If ne
elects TO stick to 1873 pounds ring
side he may weaken himself making
the weight said one sporting man.
ION the other hand, n he raises the
limit a couple Of pounds he VIII
have TO box Mcfarland and l am not
sure that he is looking for trouble Of
that kind,
When these remarks were repeated
to Richie, at the time when the ar
gument over weight with Rivers was
in progress, the champion said:
That's all mistake I'd just as
soon meet Mcfarland as the next
man"
Continuing, Richie said. AT one
stage Of our tour Nolan agreed 20
allow Packey TO weigh 1875 pounds az
| six o'clock in the evening II McFar-
| land and myself We're matched. For
a night fight that would mean
weighing in three or four hours be-
fore and no offer that has been ma lie
since would be an improvement on
that so far as Mcfarland is CON
cernpd ! wanted the weight for the
match with Rivers TO be 1874 pounds
three hours before fight time, and
Mcfarland is as welcome az the
flowers In May TO this arrangement
| If he cares TO accept II.
Asked n he did not consider Nc
Farland his most formidable oppo-
nent al the new weight scale. Richie
said.
Not in "A championship battle. l
know PaCkey very well and I like
him personally. / have worked with
him In training quarters and with an
eye to the possibilities that are NJ
ways attached to pugIliSm / made
a close study Of him. He is an amaZ-
ingly clever boxer know of none
better. in faCt-but he is not a
puucher What is more. he does not
like the long route If YOU look over
his record you viii find that he has
h..d only two or three twenty-rOupd
matches. and won only one Of them,
and that by no very great margin.
] mean his twenty rounds with Tom
my Murphy. in San Francisco.
Packey is a grand performer over
a short distance but 1 am satisfied
that / can take his measure when I
get him IN the ring for q contest of
the regulation championship length.
Boxers Fib About Weight.
II is a long standing belief that
boxers fiji Systematically about their
poundage and Tor this reason every
thing that any of them has 10 say
on the subject is taken with grain
OF salt. Richie insists. however.
that under suitable conditions he
can make 1873 pounds just as easily
as he did for WolFast We want
little leeway for that Fourth Of
July match because / had been a
long time out of training and did not
care 10 reduce at too short notice.
said Willie Right here ] want 10
brand that story that was weak
after doing that ringside weight for
WolgaSt. ! weighed less than 1872
when 7 stepped on the machine for
that bout and did not take any nOur-
ishment after weighing as has been
claimed. They gave me a little hot
beef tea and the taste Of its did not
suit me and I refused IT, And an
other thing. Even though I may
want TO weigh hours before / WI
not take on more than a pound -t
the outside by fighting time. This
is mainly because | don't eat or
drink anything TO speak of between
the weighing hour and the time TO
begin boxing know that any
weight gained by putting stuff into