The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1914-08-08
BY JAMES J. CORBEEr Former Heavyweight Champion of
 the World.

Former Heavy weight Champion of the World.
 New York, August 8,-wi1lie Rift chic didn't finger very long in the East after his arrival. from Europe. We thought the former world s light weight cflamTion might be persuaded to stick around New Y oT.k a while if only to show us that he ia Just as good as ever. But Willie, being about the best little f1nancier we have in the boxing line, decided his interests in thes West called for his personal at | and home.
 If Ritchie said all the things local spor ting scrtbes attadibuted to htIu during his short stay in the metropolis he is g foolish boys and I can't believe lsthat of Willie For instance, one rs-s l.porter quoted Ritchfe as saying that Welsh was on the defensive through out the match and waited until. he l iy6Ritchie3 wouId lead so that he could counter and then get away; and ltaerefore was not entitled to the yer. dfcts Willie admitted he landed few aployvs -soll the We4shnan. aathough Isthat was not his fault, and that if one man was aggressive and the other wasn't, it surely wasn't the aggres- sive ones fault if the fight was not 1 a good one and that the verdict shou1d' given to the aggressive one k x dOuDI lIs4N 1ai1e SaId so many fool. 1 ish things. In the first place anyone at all familiar with boxing and the. rules for scoring points in a contest I knows that aggressfv alone does not count for anything in the point line. A. man might lead one hundred times in 2, twenty round bout and pos sibly not land once. The referee is supposed to keep track as best he can of the blows landed, leads, counters offense and defense and general tac- tics, and be governed accordingly in making the decision But the az gressive fellow. in case there Is only one, must make his leads count or they are wasted. What's the a.dvan- tage in leading eontini1a7fy if the blows do not 1and7 The offense of the other fellow figures, inf the point q making and cleverness in avoiding 4 blows counts more than aiborttve at tempts to deliver them =, The great trouble in this country at Il the present time Is that our 7sozers are not properly educated as to what I constitutes scientific boxing and what .i idoes not For the past decade or two science has not counted much; the boy with the huTrsh style and the much everything before him, and in Fl which he has been assisted materially by incompetent referees
 When the late George Sfler was the official referee of g. boxing match. one or the other contestant had te win decisiVely.s either by a knock out
 orson points, to get the verdict Char ley White was another who was
 guided by rules and nothing else. But nowadays the average American re- } i fierce bosses a boxing match as though If ignorant of the fact that said bout >l lshould be conducted according to the Jl book Time and again T have seen I k , , rules and not even warn the offenders ) What use is boxing skill if such breaches are permitted Instead o5 zI giving up years to. learn the art a boy ) lswould far peter train for rough and
 tumble scrapping for all the moderr
 referee seems to know or care vvI,et h. 2 CT the rules are observed or not.
 Referee Eugene Corrf may have terreds in giving Welsh the decision } That cannot say as r did not sec
 the bout and won't have a chance o1 viewing the s.rlovies,' of the match ! But if Ritchfe bases his clafra fIa, $ the decision was unfair to him on the
 ground that he was the aggressive party, and on that alone the com . plaint is positively silly and will bs so regarded by those who know tn,
 game. But, as I said above.I do4lbt i E Willie ever said any such thing at all
 According. to the testimony of man,
 witnesses of the bout Ritchie was euti Y tied to a draw decision at the yer,
 worst. Which may or may not be tn, , cases However, it is conceded by al
 critics that Willie did the best h. . could and put up a hard and gam 2 battle against odds in the matter O liscfence, Ting generalship and al around boxing skill, and is entitled t,
 much credit for making it.such a,-clos tthing But according to the interview -I CTS Willie admits in one breath tha T y<~J- -z5
 alled him. and in: the next claims h ] was given raw deal when the verdic
 was awarded Welsh. The sensibl thing for Ritchie to do is to let tn n matter rest until he gets q. return bou E with Welsh. He had his chance an
 lost it. Now he will have to wal $ just the same as W eIsh had to wal
 for him. Then when the time arrive 8 will have another chance to prove h = is the better man Willie will do we ?. to remember that a. majority of tn
 boxing fans hail from Missouri an prefer to be shown.
 ssl Now. friend reader, it will not b
 necessary to write long letter an
 tell me that I am not loyal to m
 countryman- AS warm friend an
 admirer of the American champion
 don't like to see him get in wron
 with the public Heretofore WilIi i. has been known by his ability as
 fighter. not as an alfbi merchant, an a he will not find it necessary to .squea
 to keep the sports with him.
 .et
 i Although Ritchie's defeat was nc 3. exactly re1ished by. American sportin
 men it may prove q. splendid thing fe
 boxing in this country For man : Fears we have reigned supreme in tE
 sportand there was scarcely such ,
 hing as international rivalry No
 yith an Esnglishman at the head of tf
 aost interesting and popular class,
 l pugilism, the representatives froi
 se S. A will have something
 rixe for. George Lavigne won tf
 srId lightweight title from Die
 ge and for nearly twenty years
 nained in this country. We had