The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1914-12-12
(By James J. Corbett. formerheavy weight champion of the world.)
 Especial to The Farmer.)

J.-l \
 weight champion of the world.)
 Especial to The Farmer.)
 New York, Dec. 12.-The prosp ects l for a season of high, class sport in | this vicinity are very promising w hile ] the Freddy Welsh oung Shugrue match did not develop into the con- test local fans. confidently expected l the Jersey boys victory made up for whatever might be lacking in the way of a boxing treat. However. there are a number of Important bouts on the Madison Square Garden schedule for early settlement, and among the combinations that may be staged for the entertainment of local boxing fans are Freddy Welsh and Packey Mcfarland, Mike Gibbons and J1zn- my, Clabby, Jack Britton and Gtpoons at TAT pounds several hours before Charley White, and last but not least a match between the winner of the Welsh-McF'arland mill and Willie Ritchie, American lightweight cham pion.
 Next Tuesday night two of the best heavyweights are down for a ten round bout, and judging from past performances of the men the chances are that one or the other will have proved his superiority as g. puncher m less than the time limit Coffey has | not been seen In acDOn III a. AOCtAA E1A4<s in several months. and Smith has been Ioafing since Sam sLangford stopped him over in Boston. The battle will decide which is to be pitted against Jess Willard at the Garden early next | month. so 1t can be- safely assumed that the boys will try their dernd- est as a slice of the gate" in a i match with Willard will be well worth going after.
 If the plans of the matchmaker of the ibig club develop it is likely that Gibbons and Clabby will be seen here early in the New Year. It is up to I the fighters themselves. If they real I ly are ready, to have it out the Garden folk will be glad to stage the match and the inducements offered are exceedingly attractive The man who refuses the offer will do so only for. very good reason that he doesn't want any of the others game.
 The match between Young ShngrIe and Charley White ought to prove a most interesting affair-one of the l best of those scheduled among the Ightweights. It will be in the nature 1 of an elimination contest between two l of the younger and most promising l of the division. The winner will place | himself in line for a battle with l Ritchie for the American title. 1 Many scribes ii boosting the claims l l Freddy Welsh for the worlds title ap- I pear to have lost sight of the fact that l there is an American champion to be | reckoned with first Willie Ritchie 1 is still in the game--very still at present maybe-and due some con sideration when 1t comes to framing l up combinations for matches in which i titular aspirations are at stake. l understand Willie will head this l way shortly after the holidays and his I appearance on the scene will be cor
 dially welcomed. Ritchie can 9have all the matches he wants around here
 and there are number Of boys who promise to make 1t interesting for the
 American title holder. A bout be- tween either White or Shugrue and Ritcfaie would prove popular with the l fans, and the result would give us a
 line on possible early changes in the I possession of the worlds champion
 ship. Then too there is the possf-
 bflfty that Packey Mcfarland, Chlca-
 go's wizard, may come back for light
 weight honors and upset the plans of the ambitious youngsters
 On the whole the prospects are ex- ceedingIy bright for an interesting winter ahead for local patrons of the sport.
 Gunboat Smith says he is not at all discouraged because of the beating
 
 Gunner saySHthere never was a fight
 CT yet who couldn't dig up an alibi- : that he wasn't in the best of shape : to box the negro, that his. hands were el in miserable shape and that he hopes
 at some later date to reverse the yer
 dict. From what those who saw the
 bout have to say it will be consider
 ably later, if ever. The plain truth
 of the matter is that Smith does not
 class with Langford.
 Coffey and Smith should put up an i interesting battle. If Coffey had a
 capable instructor. he might develop
 into a. first class fighting man Jim
 has one of the incest left hands in
 the business, but like many another
 husky youngster forgets thate that
 member is a very useful asset, and
 relies almost entirely on his right.
 recall the night Goffey met Battling
 Levinsky., was seated near the
 ringside, watching the men closely and discovered the secret of the lat
 ter's success against the big men o1
 the ring. In this instance it rested | in his ability to time. and avoid the
 clumsy right hand punches his op-
 ponent was swinging at him through
 out the contest. Seeing this I spoke } to Billy Gibson, Coffey's manager, and
 urged him to advise Coffey to use 2 left jab. Jim acted upon this ad- . 1 vice and for a few minutes in the nexi round had Levinsky bew1Idered. But ( encouraged by his success he waded in trying to put his man away
 swinging wildly, which gave Levin
 sky the opportunity he was waiting
 for to sting his man with 1efts tc
 the face-for Coffey's swings were al
 ways te1egraphed in advance and i : was an easy matter to avoid them a Had Coffey kept up his jaibbing witt I the left I believe he would have weak I enad the Battler until his superior 2 size and weight would have made it
 comparatively easy matter to wtr
 with a knockout.
 If Coffey does not trade rights witt H Smith he should win the fight. Blu
 am afraid that he is one of those