Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1914-03-11
SPOR TING
COMMENT
BY Ed w. Smith.
THAT smart fighters and their

wise managers 40 not al
ways know when they
are best off on the verge of an
important contest is shown by a
highly amusing and at the same
time instructive incident of the
battle in st. Louis the other night
between Jimmy Duffy, the Lock-
port lightweight star and Freddie
Welsh, British champion, at 1876
pounds.
w HEN Duffy and his wise
manager. Bert Finch, land
ed in st. Louis for the CON
test with the British star. they
made it known to the club man
agoment that they desired no ref
eree's decision after the affair. 1t
is customary in st. Louis for the
referee to leave the ring without
making any direct announcement,
but to afterward hand the news
paper writer's his opinions of the
different bouts. This is what the
Dutty party wished to avoid for
some reasons best known to
themselves, but which the reader
may readily guess.
CLUB officials demurred. In
y fact, they were obdurate. So
were Duffy and his wise manager
They said there would be no con-
test unless their request was
granted. The argument contin-
ued right up to the entrance of
the boxers into the ring. The club
officials appeared to have con-
scented, but after the affair was
under way one of them called
the referee to the ropes and told
him to give a decision just as he
had done in other contests.
THIS he did. and to the utter
amazement. apparently, of
the Duffy party the referee said
that Duffy had won, Their de-
light. of course. was tremen-
dous. but the accounts of the lit
Tie affair Go not tell what they
said to each other in private aft
rr the excitement had died down.
THE ew York starter evident
ly did a Corking good Job of
it with Welsh. All the accounts
OF the battle say that he not only
outboNed and outfought Freddie.
but outrOughed him as well.
which is something to do. for
Freddie, no matter what ANYBODY
may say is past master of all
the little TRICKS and articles OF
ringCraft some Of which do not
exactly come under the ban of the
Queensherry rules, but which are
not considered good sportsman
ship.
w { are told in letter from
Mr. Finch that While
Ritchie has declined to meet Duff
fy in any kind of 4 contest. de-
spite the fact that he has been
offered "A large side bet to do so.
One is hardly inclined to agree
with Mn Finch's view of the
champions attitude. Let some
Buffalo club offer Richie the
match and see what happens.
MR. FINCH is nothing if not a
NA real booster He can out
do even that wonder of them an.
Danny Morgan, when II comes To
making broad statements. Listen
TO this one sentence from Mr.
Finch's Carhoned letter: Duffy
always picks the tough ones and
is never satisfied unless his oppo-
nent is the best i'm the lightweight
ranks We are curious to know
Just how many BESTS MT Finch
and Mr. Duffy figure there are in
this class
7 may interest Richie to a
considerable extent to know
exactly Mr. Finch's opinion of
him Here il is: Willie Richie.
a fine fellow personally, hut poor
champion Further he SAYS
"RitChie win have to battle Duffy
or admit that he Is afraid of los
ing his title Also this bon mot.
There is only one conclusion to
be drawn from Ritchie's refusal
TO meet Duffy. and that is he
feels I'M his heart that Duffy can
defeat him and is afraid Of the
test"