The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1914-02-27
WILL
PROVE THAT HE
IS NO COWARD
Lightweight Champion Plans
Eight Hard Battles in AS
Many Months
$4,000 SMALLEST SUM
FOR MORE THAN 10 ROUNDS
Harlem Tommy Murphy Says
He Believes TitlehOlder
Was Really iii
AZ a. a. eALLENoER.

pion. il planning q campaign forever
to clear himself OF the charge OF cow
ardice so often hurled at him a. q re-
suit OF his dilatory tactics In arrange
ments for his bout with Harlem Tom
my Murphy.
A fight month for eight months u
what Richie wants. according TO an
announcement made In San Francisco
early this week. He intimatod also
that he might accept several 1O-round
ENGAGEMENTS In New York against any
contenders whom the arrangements
may select.
Ritchie says he will be ready to en-
terrain offers Immediately after his
bout with AL Wolgast in Milwaukee,.
March II.
There are two angles to, Riches
determination to confound his critics.
While his announced intention II to
erase the stigma OF cowardice. the 1T
tie champion u not forgetting any
thing about the financial end Of the
game.
He Is perfectly willing to take on
eight lights In eight months--in fact
he's very anxious to do so-provided
he can get HE price.
And Richie sets $4,000 90 the
smallest figure he will consider for
anything over 10 rounds, while for the
l0-round bouts In New York. he de-
mands . minimum Of $4,000 for his
80 minutes' work.
Here's what Richie himself says
about Il:
"What intend to do II to show my
enemies that am no coward. pro-
pose to take on WolgAst. Murphy. raw
ers, Mandot. Dundee and 6hugrue IN
the order named. providing, Of course.
that do not meet with any setbscks.
Then will be ready for an Australian
campaign.
II hope to clean up considerably
more than 100000 In the eight
months, which won't be 90 bad when
one remembers that I was lighting for
500 purses Q little more than two
years ago"
II Richie adheres to the program
which he has mapped out and gives
anything like . good account Of him
self in battles with the worthy NIT
singers he mentions, there isn't Q
doubt that he will be the most popular
lightweight champion there has been
In many q day. and, should he be de-
feated, there will be no question Of his
gameness, Q quality In which many be-
lieve the king OF the little fellows II
sadly lacking.
The only possible bar to the execu-
ton OF Ritchie'e plan II the arbitrary
price which he fixed upon his services.
All the boys he has mentioned will DO
more than glad to take him on, but
| whether or not he can find managers
willing to take chance on q nat, out
and-out guarantee Of $4,000 regardless
Of weather and other conditions which
might keep away the crowd--'weii.
that's something else again yet"
-
Speaking Of Ritchie's alleged cow
Ing himself with the notion that the
champion IL side-stepping. That fel-
low Ia Harlem Tommy Murphy.
Despite the fact that he was the
party most directly injured by delay
Of his two proposed matches with the
title-holder. Murphy says he believes
Richie MAS really Ill and unable to
fight on the two occasions when he
suddenly declined to 60 on with him.
After spending more than three
months on the coast and being forced
to submit to q heavy expense without
return save q few thousand from vau-
faeviiie engagements, Murphy has- 70.
turned to his native heath. When
questioned by New York newspaper
men AZ to the postponement of his en-
gagements with Richie, Murphy said
"a lot OF folks think Richie was
shamming when he said he was III
and refused to meet me. don't agree
with them.
II think Richie is game boy, and
l really believe he was In no condi.
ton to fight at that time. don't
want to fight sick sman any more
than a sick man wants to fight me.
While I regard II as extremely unfor-
tunate that things happened as they
did. am not blaming Richie In the
least"