Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-06-29

such thing Few boxers. indeed. of such
limited experience in the ring have had
the golden chances for fame and for
tune that have fallen to the lot of the
youthful Spanish-American.
= After a short and sensational career
In the ranks of the feathers. during
which time he defeated a number of
the leading lights, and was in turn
knocked out by Johnny kilbane. Joe
announced that he had outgrown the
division. and that his future efforts
as rincman would be directed toward
the lightweight championship goal
Opportunity has not neglected Rivers
as lightweight. Right off the reel he
was matched with Ad Wolgast for the
title Such seasoned campaigners as
Mcfarland, Britton, Cross and Murphy,
any one of whose achievements en-
titled him TO recognition by the cham
pion, were passed up in favor of the
Los Angeles youngster-a comparative
novice.
And now the tickle goddess has again
shown her preference for the swarthy
boxer Next Friday-for the second
time within twelve montn-RIvers
will climb through the ropes to do bat
tie for the lightweight champlonshl
Whether his good fortune Will stick 10
question only the future can answer.
But there is no getting away from the
fact that opportunity has Knocked
oftener a the Rivers door tnan at that
of any other fighter of today.
Friday next. by the way. being the
Fourth Of July is u big day for the
lightweights. Representatives of the
133-pound division usually grab off the
pugilistic plums on holidays. Ii has
grown 10 be sort of habit with them
In the old days the heavies monopoltzed
the choice dates but that was before
the quality OF the big fellows mad
deteriorated Promoters now side
track them in favor of the smaller
boxers.
The Richie Rivers fight is naturally
the star event of the Fourth, although
the Bud" Anderson-Leach Cross match.
at Los Angeles. should run it a close
second. This Is Cross second attempt
TO go the twenty-round distance
Leach has been boxing around New
York for seven eight years. ten rounds
being his favorite distance. Several years
ago he was matched with Fighting Dick
HyIand for finish fight. or forty-fve-
round affair. ! forget which Anyway.
Leach couldn't stick the route. and sue
sambed to Hyland in the forty-hrst
period Cross swore OF on the distance
thing after that. but of late the cham
pionship bee mas been buzzins in his
head and. realizing that he couldn't hope
10 win the title otherwise. has decided
TO make another try over the derby
course.
Anderson is the kind of man Cross pre-
fers to meet Against a clever boxer
Leach has always been joke Bud
Is fighter on the Wolgast-Rivers order,
SO understand. who leaves himself wide
open in order to get in mis- deadly punch.
Unless able 10 hurt Cross early in the
melee he is liable to find such tactics
costly in the fight with the New Yorker.
Give Cross an opponent who will mix
It. and whose punches he can avoid for
few rounds. and he's liable 10 upset his
man in short order-for Leach carries
quite walIop OF his own. But. as
have said before, II he gets stung early
he's the greatest little c.incher you ever
clapped eyes on
Anderson has youth and strength in his
flavor and can hit wicked blow. as his
fights with *. O." Brown and Mandot
demonstrated. Cross has the experience
IL trickier. a good ring general and also
wields a mighty punch. A battle between
OF endurance and gameness. If the latter
quality is A necessary asset l look for
Anderson to win.
=.
e. The championship mill between Ritchie
Hnd Rivers will be the old story of clev-
:erness versus the punch. Not that Richie
rant hit. but his speciality is the clever
stuff | think Willie will still be cham
yion after the night IS over. While | do
not look for him TO stop the rugged
Rivers within the limit. | think he will
have proved his superiority beyond all
question when the twenty rounds are
.eyeF.
= Taking a line from their fights with
Wolgast. the cha mpion appears 10 have
a clear shade his rival Richie Is
q very clever boy. not SO far behind the
great Packey Mcfarland in skill. and
Rivers looks 10 me Ike an easy PROPOSE
zion for clever boxer. Joes best chance
will lie in his luck in getting over a
Few of his wicked swings. He put *
% Brown away because he could land
saght and left at will. He tried the
same stunts here with Leach Cross. but
they failed 10 work. Therefore il Ia
not reasonable to expect him to have
much success in that line against the
more skillful Richie. / have a notion
that Joe will be fighting the way Richie
wants after the first few rounds. Moth
*, much as the discovery that his most
being wasted And / think they will
&c wasted on the champion
= Rivers and Ad Woigast fight in much
the same style. Their battle last sum-
.rner was a pretty even thing despite
tlIe fact that Ad was given credit for
a Knockout. Woigast did not show to
such advantage against Richie as he
did with Rivers Willie held the cham
pion safe for sixteen rounds. and when
he cut loose il Was all over but the
sahouf{uZ To save himself re.