Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1914-02-02
GIVE DEFEATED
CHAMPS A SHOW
SAYS JEFFR|ES
woIgast Eager for "Chance" He
SteadfastIy Denied to Bat
ding Nelson.
Bv H. M. W alker.

MS ANGELES, Feb. "A cham
,dor--be he a veteran with
II long ring record rolled up to
~. credit or a pink skinned youth
Who has gained the title at the finish
- three or four we'll made matches
,sa difficult proposition to handle, and
more difficult to understand.
# was uoon one of those rare occa-
Slams when jim Jeffries drops his
Snard and talks fight with newspaper
men that he gave voice to the follow
ing: s :,
vays be given a return date with the
man who has beaten him. The fact
that a boxer has held title for a
number Of weeks or years, as the case
nav be, is recommendation enough.
1T can be taken for granted that he
was A high-class man or he wouldn't
have held the championship. And
that he is finally defeated is no reason
why he should be counted out. If he
wants a chance to redeem himself he
should get It, and the new Champ
must be a bunk champ, indeed, If he
refuses t.
left is well fortified to make this
talk considering that he boxed Fitz-
simmons, Corbett, Sharkey and Rub
lin twice. but how many of the more
recent champions could stand the
light in this connection?
MO champion ever tried harder for
~ return match with his con-
oueror than did AL Wolgast after los
ing on foul to Richie.
And Wolgast had every ground for
his demand. He held the lightweight
championship frcm February %, 1910,
to November IS, 1912. during which
time he met every dangerous con-
tender that the game could produce,
and in the end lost on a technicality.
On the other hand, AID had stead
lastly refused to give Battling Nelson
return date after he had conquered
the Dane in 40 terrible rounds at
Point Richmond, and Nelson. by rea-
son Of his long and most honorable
record was entitled to the chance to
regain his title.
Wolgast's real reason for refusing
10 consider Nelson was that in the
Point Richmond arrangements he
(Ad) had been obliged to take the
short end" in every detail and Nell
son had continually tainted and in
suited him. 1t was a poor excuse
from purely ringside view, but VOL
CAST made II stick and sent the Bat
tier to the trash heap.
pITCHIE held as his reason for
~ avoiding Wolgast that AID, in
losing decisions to Harlem" Tommy
Mgyrr, t.-, a. nd
automatically disqualified himself
from the championship line and was
no longer a card"
Wolgast in defeating Richie. how
ever has again placed himself in line
Tor chance at the title.
The writer believes that Promoter
]. W. Coffroth would make no mis-
take We're he to cancel the Richie
Murphy bout and substitute Wolgast
against the champion.
A BE ATTELL lost the feather
weight championship to Johnnie
klIbane at Vernon on February %.
III without so much as being
knocked down.
This was boxing contest nure and
simple, Kilbane outjabbed Able and
earned the twenty-round decision.
But the Cleveland boy fed back East
and refused Attell a return battle,
Notwithstanding the fact that there
wasn't another 122-pounder in the
country who could qualify as cham
plonship contender.
Recently Kilbane has had change
~ mind and agreed to box Attell
again. The remarkable feature of the
nluation Is that neither Promoter
NcCarev nor Coffroth appears anx-
lous 20 stage this bout. Certainly
ms fact does not speak we'll for Kill
names powers as g drawing card. A
championship match going to seed for
ack of interest on the part OF the
promoters is, indeed..a novelty.