Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-06-09
WILLIE RITCHIE
DUE FOR FIGHT,
SAYS Ed SMITH
By Left Hook.

IT'S time now that Willie Richie,
lightweight champion. was up and
doing. The public has been mighty
.;o-t rich Willie. and though ne
has baen handed a few hot saets no"
ana then about his astonishing pro-
lIi,,tv "a mack his title In camphoT
bag and hide il away from pry ing
nves inc fpbt fans In the main nave
besp willing 10 wait until Willie go'
good and ready for scrap me Nllile
e ripa and Willie should get BUSY.
I4{s pronosed meeting with Joe RIVERS
for the lightweight title is a hlgh4y
Interesting combat and should ne enc
Of the best ever staged on the coast
where good battles are quite com
mon
IT Is the opinion of many good
/ Judges that Richie will be under
a serioup handicap with Rivers IL
the match goes through for July I
without further hitch. To be PLAIN
about n fighter who doesn't hgnt
often enough to keep himself IN
nrettv good working shape is a. dis
advaptaRe when ne hooks up with
the fighter who is at IT, on and on
an Of the time. You see the argu-
Yneut is that Il has been months no"
since Willie donned a glove tor Sc
rious business He won the title on
a tnuI from WoIgast last Thanksgiv-
ing Day. BY the end Of this month
seven months viii have passed into
history since that exciting finish. Ana
during that time Willie has been nest
ling under Billy Nolan's protective
wing and nobody has bad a chance
10 more than see what Wil1e looks
like
MEANTIME the Rivers party has
WI been hopSCotChing around the
country dealing out mighty swats
here and there and keeping his fight
ing eve sharpened up and his ring
nnsebinery tuned to concert pitch
an Of the time Seven months Is not
a long time. especially in the life OF
a young man like Richie, but just
the same Willie's wellwishers would
much prefer 10 have seen him IN sew
eral good lively. II even short, con-
tests before he stepped into the center
~ the arena to exchange sWipes and
measure wits with the so-Called Mex
lean Even In a young man the tight-
ing instinct and the power Of action
become dulled during inactivity
IF the proposed match goes through
one rare old battle. Richie VIII
match his extreme skill and ninety
horse speed against the tremendous
strength and walloping ability Of the
boy from Los Angeles. and with two
men OF that type the milling should
be intense from the jump, It's marc
10 hazard a guess al the present
time but II certainly looks as II
Ritchie viii have to be at his very
best to get the main piece Of the
money and to keep his honors, Nolan
viii see to It that he is In great con
dltion, and Willie is no loater IN his
work But just the same Willte's
friends would like % have seen him
in some sort Of action before he took
on Rivers
MO amount Of training work Is ever
IN found quite as good as smat-
terinK Of the real rims stun to ~
a man for hard contest. Six rounds
Of a real contest against a serious
opponent 10 better than twenty Of
the sfpshod tameness Of a training
camp bout
MOT In years has nation been
y handed such an athletic jolt as
that dealt out BY Georges Carpenter
the Young Frenchman, 10 Great
Britain when he laid BombardAer
Billy Wells low Ia the fourth round
Of a most sensational Sunday con-
test al Client Carpenter is little
more than an overgrOwn middle
weight but his punches 70 the body
were hard enough 10 make the Bomb
give and sag into n complete knock
cut It's small wonder that the
French idolize this young athlete, for
he must be something of a fighter
after all. Notwithstanding that We IN
America never bad a high opin-
ion OF Wells aghting strength since
his defeats at the hands OF Al Palzer
and Gunb0at Smith