Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-04-18
CORBETT DOES NOT THINK
AL MCCOY THE CHAMPION
Jim Says There Are Many 9th
ers Who Rank Ahead of
BrOOklynite.
NEW YORK GAME DEAD NOW
Former Champion Wishes Co.
than Had Some Hustling
Promoters Like California.
BY JAMES ]. CORBETT
Former Heavyweight Champion of the
Worldly

Worldly
Challenging AL Mccoy is the reg
ular thing for middleweights these
days. Two weeks ago Al wasn't
given a tumble. Chip just took him
on to try his mended hand out.
Now the other aspirants for the title
reckon Mccoy as their own particu-
lar prey. But it is hardly likely that
any of the top-notchers will get an
early crack at Jack Dougherty's
champion" Jack hasn't had any
thing so close to title in his stable
In fifteen years or more. I think
Matty Matthews was the last bona
tide champion the veteran trainer
chaperoned. And he isn't going to
take any chances of losing out this
time, at least not until he gets all
the easy dough in sight. Jack told
me the other day that l am not the
only "actor"-and that | will have to
figure Mccoy as rival from now
on. Well, ! am glad for Jacks sake
that Mccoy put that punch over.
If Mccoy proves an attraction he
will be kept on the stage as long as he
can draw, and there will be abso-
1utely no chance for George Chip,
Mike Gibbons, Jim Murray or any
other middleweight to get q match
with the champion" before next fall,
If then. But If the act ffops Mccoy
will be back on the job shortly And,
according to Manager Dougherty,
Chip will get first chance.
Mccoy Not Champion, Says Jim.
Personally / think 1t absurd to hail
Mccoy as champion. Where did he
earn the honors, and how? George
Chip was never champion. His boost
ers advanced the claim for him on the
strength of the victories over Frank
Klaus and the latter had defeated
Billy Papke, to whom the title auto
matically reverted on Ketchels death.
On that line of reckoning there Is
nothing else to do but to hand over
the laurels to Mccoy.
But if anyone will take the trouble
TO look the matter up he will find
that Cyclone Johnny Thompson, Bob
Moha and Frank Mantell had all
beaten Klaus to Papke. Why wasn't
Thompson, who was the first to earn
decision from Papke after Ketchel's
death, recognized as champion? And
If not Thompson why not Mona or
Mantell? Why walt until Klaus
turned the trick before proclaiming
new champion?
Many Have Right TO Title.
And how about Eddie McGoorty
and Mike Gibbons? Likewise Jimmy
'phenom," Jimmy Murray? These
boys have just as much right to the
title, it seems to me, as McCoy-and
if AL meets any one of them, he may
find their claim a more valid one
than his own. However, it is not with
possibilities that we must deal. but
with cold dope And there is no ar
gument that will make the Brook
Ignite a champion In my eyes.
Mccoy may prove his champion
ship rights some day, although |
dou' it very much, but until he does
so, ne will have no more claim to the
honors than any of those | have men
toned.
Ring Stars Seek Other Chimes.
If it hadn't been for AL Mccoy
George Chip surprise party over In
Brooklyn recently no one would inn
agine that New York is still on the
pugilistic map. Hardly a ring star
is seen about here nowadays. Cali
fornia and Middle West promoters
must have them all signed up, or
something. Jim Coffroth and Tom
McCarey have a number of stars cor
raled in San Francisco and Los An
geles. Unless Billy Gibson or the
Mcmahon Brothers, the big towns
foremost promoters, hurry and grab
a few stars Gotham fans will have
10 turn to baseball for their enter
tainment.
California Program.
Let's look over the programs the
California clubs are working on.
First we have the Freddy WEIGH
Leach Cross bout on April 2S-a
bang-up attraction-at McCareys
Los Angeles Club Two weeks later
McCarey will offer Joe Rivers and
Ad Wolgast in a twenty-round con-
test, and on June . match for the
bantamweight championship between
Johnny Coulon, the holder, and Kid
Williams, of Baltimore, the recog
n!zed legitimate challenger Then on
the Fourth of July both McCarey
and Coffroth will have star attrac-
tons at their clubs.
Coffroth plans to stage the Gun
boat Smith-Jess Willard match on
the big holiday, providing Tom Jones
makes good his promise to produce
the Gunboat's end of $500 and take
chances on getting anything for Will
lard. And on the same day McCarey
figures on holding a, genuine worlds
championship lightweight match be-
tween Willie Richie and Freddy
WEIGH, to entertain Los Angeles pa
irons of the sport.
Those are the pretentions and am
bilious programs the hustling Cali
fornia promoters are working on. |
wish we had few such live ones
about New York.
Cross Has Only One Chance.
Leach Cross will try to pull an i'm
pressive come back on April %,
whep. -, boxes WEIGH. Leach's plan
III to aim for Freddy's jaw with that
deadly right as often as he can get in
position, with the hope that at least
one will connect and bring the Brit
Usher to the floor for the count of ten.
And any old way one figures the bout,
that's Leach's only chance If he
tries to box Welch he win look like a
boy who never had the gloves on be-
fore. Fred made Joe Rivers appear a
raw beginner, sand Rivers outboxed
Cross not SO very long ago. Yes,
Leach will have to pull an "Al Nc
Coy" or be retired to the rear for
good and all. On recent form he
hardly can be considered in the run
ming any longer. and it will require
something sensational to restore him
to good standing.