South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1914-12-17
DECISIONS ARE
NEEDED To MAKE
FIGHTERS FIGHT
Laws of Several States Offer
Safe Haven to the Man Out
For the COin-WelSh Has
No Right to Title.
BY Frank G. Menke.

NEW YORK. Dec. IL ~ The no
decision rule that governs fights in
most states is making a joke of the
boxing game IL acts as a haven Of
refuge for champions. who want TO
gather in the shekels and are too
eowardIy TO risk their titles in a real
fight.
Freddie Welsh is known as the
lightweight champion of the world,
but Welsh right now hasn't any more
moral right TO that title than you
have Welsh was Outpointed in two
fights Since he came TO America, but
referees because Of the New York and
Wisconsin state laws were not allow
ed to give decisions and Welsh, al
though beaten. retained the title.
Young Shugrue met Welsh in New
York a few weeks ago and gave him
a most artistic as we'll as a brutal
beating. IL was Shugrue's fight all
the way The young Jersey scrapper
bored through Welsh's guard time
and again and landed on him almost
at will Welsh. on the other hand.
had a hard job finding an opening.
and when he did land. his blows lack
ed steam.
Have Been Careful.
Welsh has picked up close to $50
600 for about six fights since he came
10 this country. Every bout he has
fought has been in states where deci-
sions are not allowed. He and his
manager have been very careful about
that. They aren't taking any chance
on Welsh losing his title.
Welsh. in Our opinion. is afraid 10
try conclusions in this country with
Willie Richie or any other tOp-nOtch
o. q N " decisions
are allowed. Some day, in the far
off future. he may be hypnotized into
such a match. But il viii be the far
off future. Welsh is ION the make"
He is out TO make as much money as
he can by Sailing around for ten or
L rounds and doing little else than
to protect himself from knockout
punch.
That's about all Welsh has done in
the fights since he has been here
guard against a sleep producing wal
lOD. That's all he's afraid of He
hasn't worked for points. He hasn't
gone in and mixed. smuggling toe and
toe and thus giving the public value
received. He has fought defensively
and cautiously. LOoI0iB-- at it from
Welsh's view those tactics are wise
ones. Looking at it from the view
point of the public that pays out large
gObs of money 10 see Welsh fight, it
isn't a fair deal.
Is Paid to Fight.
Welsh is paid to fight. He doesn't
hght-he stalls And Bob Fitzsim-
mons asserts that stalling fighter is
a fighter who gets his money under
false pretenses.
Some day Welsh viii go up against
a fighter in a nO-decisiOn bout and
that fighter may be able to slip over
a knockout punch. But that is a
vague possibility as long as Welsh
continues lighting defensive fights.
It's fairly simple matter for a mas
ter boxer like Welsh to guard his chin
and his solar pleXus region when fac
ing a slugger If he devOtes all of his
time and energy to that and TO that
alone. That's what Welsh has been
doing
There has been n lot of talk recent
" of a Welsh Packey Mcfarland
tight. Wen bet about 10 to 1 that
they never will meet. Packey is will
ing enough TO Try conclusions, but
Freddie isn't Freddie probably will
signify his willingness to fight, SO as
TO kid the public into believing that
he really wants to fight Mcfarland.
The deal RAY get SO far along that
the partie will get around 10 signing
up articles. And then Freddie will
spring his little kicker by insisting
that Mcfarland make 1875 pounds at