The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1914-07-03
CORBETT DOESN'T THINK
 WELSH CAN BEAT RlTCHIE
Johnson Showed In Moran Bout That
 Champion Has Gone Back

from an opponent. told him to pay no attention to what the papers would say, that Gross carried a dan geFous punch and he would be tempt ing fate to mix it up with such a hard hitter, but Willie was confident and determined to stand toe to toe with Leach and show New Workers he was regular fighter. That he did and
 won is of course a. matter of ring his tory.
 However to get back to next Tues days match. Ritcnfe can box clever ly when he wants to do so. No less an authority than Packey McFar1and who taught Willie much that he knows of boxing tells me Ritchfe is a corking good boxer who can make it interesting for either Welsh or him self sparring for points, and that Will lie would probably surprise the Brit ish by fighting a scientific battle until such time as he got ready to test his strength and superior hitting powers against the English boxers speed and footwork, and after ten rounds or so the chances are that Welsh will not ind it so easy to avoid Ritchies at. tacks as was the case in the Rivers and Cross battles.
 Eugene Corri's selection as referee means that both boys will get a square deal Corri is not in the game for money, but for the love of it. It would be a dangerous undertaking to approach him with a proposition to favor either contestant. MT. Corri is of the highest type of British sports man and former amateur boxer Of standing. He knows the rules as thor oughly as the men who complied them and can be depended upon to make both boys observe them to the very letter. A better selection could not have been made.
 Tacl~ Ion1soy l7afsz+.5J E.-.,,1- IT,. ran as about everybody thought he would, but in beating him he proved he is not anywhere near the John- son who licked Jim Jeffries four years ago IliIe - have never been blinded as to Johnson's real ability because Of his prestige as champion I really thought that he would put up a better battle against Moran than the stories Of the fight indicate. Jack Johnson's reign as champion will end the day he steps in the ring with any heavyweight who can hit sshard enough to make him. realize he is in a fight. Frank Moran couIdn't do that.
 Moran had ehis chance and failed nniserably. That he was. the Iuckiest youth in the game has been demon strated by his showing with the champion. He was no more entitled to a match for the prize rings great est honors than am right now, and it is unnecessary to say that have long passed from the eligible division.
 How anyone could figure Moran a Knowledge that Johnson was all in is beyond me Certainly he can't last forever but as I pointed out it would not take the Johnson of several years back to beat a poor fighter of the Mo ran type Moran has been in the game something like four years-3ong enough to show something if it had F1i faIxa in h ing line he might have would have been discovered long ago and up to the time the surprising news was flashed that Johnson had consented to give him a. match for the title no one ever gave him a. serious thought as a. championship contender or pos sibility- It only goes 70 show. what clever management can accomplish for a boxer of little ability.
 Certain experts pointed out before the battle that Johnson had undoubt- edly gone back from idleness and dis sipadon- That is no doubt true and the bout with Moran demonstrated he would be a mark for a good man. But Frank Moran is not a good man, by a great deal. Gunboat Smith might beat Johnson right now; at any rate he looks the white races best bet for the job
 Johnson's victory may mean that he will give the other white heavies a chance in turn. am told his pro grannne calls for a. bout with Georges Carpenter before he meets anyone else. There is.no doubt that Jack will pass. Gunboat Smith by for the pres ent. He may make a lot of talk about taking on the hard hitting Gunner. but there is small chance of the match being consun1nated. Smith hits too hard for Jack, and nobody knows this better than the negro himself. While training for Jeffries Smith was en pIoyed as a sparring partner for John son and the story goes that one of the reasons for his losing the job was the Gunboat's business-Ike way of mixing it with his employer.