Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-03-14
BY JIMMY BRITT

Willie Ritchie's victory over VOL
CAST, In Milwaukee, Thursday night,
was just as l expected, and prac-
tically eliminates AID, for some
time at least, as Il contender for the
lightweight championship. Richie, by
his showing, gave every evidence of
being a champion, and the lightweight
who will be able to wrest the title
from him must be someone with a
combination OF speed, cleverness,
punching ability and stamina. This
is a rare combination and, offhand,
do not know of any lightweight con-
tender who has those necessary quail
fications.
At present there are not more than
three men in the lightweight division
who appear to have a chance with
Richie This trio, namely, Freddie
Welsh, Jack Britton and Tommy Muir
ply, are all very good men and can
be depended upon to make Willie eX-
end himself.
Freddie ), elsh has already a de-
cision over Richie, gained in Los An
geies, Cal, about a year ago, before
Willie became champion, and there
fore he seems to have the best right
20 match with the titleholder. Welsh
game, speedy and resourceful
pugilist. He knows all the angles Oh
he squared circle pastime, is always
n good condition and would, in my
opifiion, give the present champion
plenty of trouble. But to my mind,
Welsh Is not of the Furnishing and
hitting qualities as that of Richie,
and he would have to battle his way
90 the championship by the decision
route" which is only possible In Cali
tornia.
over a distance of twenty rounds,
4 Welsh Richie match would surely
be a great battle, but l cannot see
where the English boy would have
such a wonderful chance for victory.
In the first place, the worlds cham
pion is just as clever, just as fast has
more stamina than Welsh, and has
proven himself to be much harder
after The experience Richie has
sained since his last encounter with
Welsh, the confidence acquired
through the gaining and holding o.
he championship, to my mind, makes
Willie a 90 per cent better puglus,
On the occasion of Ritchie's last bat
tie with Welsh, when he held Freddie
almost even, IL would seem that now
Welsh has only an outside chance of
beating Willie.
Jack Britton, another Of the posi-
Jilitles, has shown considerable skill
n the ring. He has all the necessary
requirements that go to make up q
champion and, moreover, is possessed
of good punch. Yet his perform
ances to date do not mark him as a
man capable enough to defeat Richie
True, he is fast and clever and carries
a good punch but the champion also
mas all OF these qualifications, and
moreover, ia more rugged and mort
able to Withstand an enduring con-
test than Britton. In order to take
the championship away from the title
holder, the contender must have some
qualities not possessed by the cham
pion. Welsh nor Britton have not
shown that they contribute anything
which the champion lacks, While, in
nay opinion, both Britton and Murphy
would give Richie hard tussle, | am
of mind that after his meeting with
either one Willie would still be at the
top.
We next introduce Tommy Murphy,
who has been q contender for the
title for number of years. Murphy
is strong, rugged and aggressive
fighter, game to the c:re, ard is
always ready to take a chance but
Is hardly considered speedy enough
to make his ruggednr5s and aRgres
siVeness count against the superior
speed and cleverness Of the cham
pion.
I have eliminated Leach Cross and
Packey Mcfarland from the summing
up OF the lightweight situation, Cross
by the reason that Richie has
already proven himself his master.
While Cross is, to my mind, one of
the most dangerous lightwelghts in
the ring today, Richie has demon
strated that ne not only can Outlook
him, but he can also stand toe to
toe and beat him at his own game
elugging.
Packey Mcfarland, that peerless
Chicago wonder. has outgrown tho
lightweight division, and it would be
unfair to ask Ritcine to give away
weight and place his title in Jeopardy
to q man of McFar and's calibre.
Could Paekey make the Lightweight
INIT and be himself here is no
pugilistic encounter that would at
tract as much atteltiOn and that /
will go further to see than n bout
between Packey Iul the champion.
II surely would be a contest well
worth seeing, and one In which both
men would appear to have an even
chance,
Summing IL all up, it looks as though
R'tchie she uld continue 10 be cham
pion for some time TO ceme. unless
the increasing ye1-s bring increasing
weight and he can NJ longer he at
his best and make the lightweight