The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1914-06-06
(By James J. CoI.bett, Former Heavy
 weight Champion of the World
! Especial to the Farner.l

I We1gnC CnaInp1On OA Ck20 WOrAO-y
 Especial to the Farmer.C
 New York June 6.-Is there sport that furnishes more urprises ithan the good old game of boxing? If 1 there is | am not familiar with it and I hatter myself that keep pretty well in touch with the goings on in most t popular amateur and professional sports For a genuine sensation that lRitchie-White match in Milwaukee last week takes precedence over any l thing that has happened in the sport l line for many a moon.
 I Surely sthis White boy must be a Wonderfully improved boxer since he appeared in New York year or so l'ago. At that time Charley was mas. Isquqera ding as a feather although he looked fully as big and heavy as the 1 light-weightss in. these parts Any l way he was matched with Young Joe 1 Shugrue, who was then just coming Into his own, and as White came to I town we'll ..press agented'' 1t befoov- I ed the matchmaSers to find a boy who. I could give him real test. The re 1 suit of the battle boosted ShugTue be- sIscause he won all the way. Charleys s I showing was far from impressive, and I promoters lOcaI passed him up alto J gether. ---r
 Since that time, however Whites trecord is a pretty good one. although lin his widest dreams one could hard I Iy figure him good enough to outpoint Ritchie so declsiveIy as the story of Ithes battle tells it. InN fact, recol- long ago that Charley was a fair box CT, but of the hound dog species--in n other words that he was quitter who lost all aggressiveness after the iirst punch his opponent landed.
 Well, it is all in the game and Ritchie is not the first champion who I has been saved by the no-decision law Take Battling Nelson. for example. how many times did Bat take a beat ing from second-raters in short bouts :? !. It may be a lesson to the youngster who wears the championship crown in , that he will not underrate opponents < lin the fl1ture. I know Willie was . very confident of beating White an cs i. Without attempting to make excuses for the champion or to take any of the glory of victory from the Chicago boxer, the probability is. Ritchie in l. suprenoe confidence took liberties with Charley and paid the penalty. Will lie writes that White landed a corker in the first round that dazed him and that he did not completely recover !. from the effects of the punch until ! the last few rounds.
 The match was a tremendous boost . for White. Heretofore reckoned as a second-rater now Char1eyAts right up there among the select few who 4 are looked upon as seligfbles. Prob- I ably he will take advantage of the sudden shift in his fortunes and make hay while the sun shines. If he Rifcrie twin: was not a luke Wl4ite looks as if he will have an. easy time of 1t with the other fellows. How ever I think there will be a different story to tell when the pair next meet
 Last week was trying one for lightweight champions. Ritchie '.got
 his" in Milwaukee and Freddy Welsh
 had narrow escape From defeat at the hands of Joe Mandot in New Or 1eans Whats the game coming to whent second-raters treat title-holders
 so d1srespectfully, not to say rough fly? On the dope Mandot ought to
 have taken thorough hiding from
 the clever Englishman, and White the
 count from the hard hitting and ag- . gressive Ritchie. But the dope, as is
 frequently the case in boxing, was upset.
 I see where Freddy Welsh is report
 ed as feeling gloomy over Ritchie's poor showing with White. Freddy
 shouldn't worry about Ritchie. He $ has not been doing so well himself o1
 late, and there is more likelihood oi
 Ritchie coming back into his owr
 than there is of Freddy.
 Since Charley White outpointe6
 Ritchie the experts have, been busy
 trying to figure it all out. A number or Scr1De5 nave OeclQe0a that the TSaf
 son of the surprise is that Ritchie fs b weak against scientific boxers. Ii
 they will look the dope over careful
 ly, however, they will find no prece
 dent for this line Of argume ment- True White outpOinted the champion bu . he's the only clever boxer who has
 turned the trick to date-at Ieas since Willie has been recognizd as
 .srGular" fighter When one stops tt i, recall that Freddy Welsh, admittedl, kH, -l sport; just earned shade decisfoT over the present title-hoIder, then z ~ novice, that argument will not hold
 good at all Packey Mcfarland re
 gently told me Ritchie is one of th' best boxers in the business and Pack
 ey ought to know. He had Willie s with him for a. long time and no on, . can question his Judgment on sucf -. matters.
 Ritchie's work in the past, barring
 the White match, has never indicated
 that he is a ttsucker'' for clever box
 CT. Some other excuse will have t, ~ be invented. Personally think Wil
 lies own version the correct one
 White landed a hard wallop in tn,
 first round (whether lucky or not doe
 not enter into the argument)s and thu
 champion was within an ace of being = stopped. That he succeeded in stay
 ing the full distance under this tre 0 mendous disadvantage is 8 tribute t'
 his gameness and ring generalship. e It was just one of those things thR :. frequently happen in boxing ahS 2 which simply can't be explained sat
 isfactorily.
 . New York boxing fans were handed
 another lemon the other evening
 About 1,200 of the faithful travelet
 down to UImer Park to Jim Tywford' nex boxing pavilion to see Fred WelsI
 and Johnny Dundee in a ten rount
 exhibition. After several prelimin
 aries had been fought Joe Humphries
 official announcer, informed the crowt V that there would be no main bout
 The fans were told that the gate re
 ceipts were only about one-half tn
 sum the matchmaker had guarantee,