New Britain herald., 1914-04-25

 letic standpoint. !
 Leach Cross fought ten terrific rounds with Ritchie at Madison Square Garden last fall, and took a fierce facing. But Leach has failed to accomplish very much since that time. And I reckon the future will prove that last weeks battle eA- hausted much of Murphy's store ot stamina and endurance.
 Willie Ritchie has proved himself a real champion. Since winning the title he has defended the honors in battles with four of the acknowl- edged best boys in the American light weight division. Of all the other legi- timate lightweights there appears to be only two who might make the champion extend himself. One is the veteran Jack Britton and the other Young Joe Shugrue at present on the way to Australia.
 Freddy Welsh, the English title- holder, might outpoint Ritchie, but l doubt very much if even his great skill would avail in a twenty round bout with the champion.
 Joe Riyers' vaunted strength and punching powers provede unequal to the task of humiliating Freddy Welsh. Leach Cross believes that his wallop can accomplish what Rivers failed to do. Anyway next Tuesday night Freddy and Leach are to meet in twenty-round bout, and even if Leach does lose he will drawn down a nice piece of change. And the probability is that he will have to be satisfied with the losers end.
 Rivers is better boxer than Cross. He has several times proved that Therefore it is a pretty safe gamble that Cross will be beaten by the Brit ish champion. At the same time the indications are that the bout will go the limit. Welsh has never been noted as a knocker out, and it is not thought that his punches will dan,- age Cross very much. But what will likely worry Leach will be his 'n- ability to land damaging punch on. l the little Englishman's anatomy. Freddy is one of the finest boxers in the world, and ought to outpoint Cross in every round of the twenty. Bar ring the always possible chance of lucky" punch, Cross does not appear to have a chance on earth to defeat Welsh.
 Another lightweight bout that will attract considerable attention from | the fans the country over is that ar ranged between Ad Wolgast and Joe 1 Rivers for the latter part of next month. This match has been talked about ever since Ad won that ques- | tionable verdict in thirteen rounds several years ago. and McCarey's de- 1 cision to stage the match at his Los 1 Angeles club is approved by ring fol- 1 lowers everywhere
 1 While no championship hinges on this bout it should be an interesting exhibition for all that. Wolgast, try 1 ing hard to re-establish himself in the ] ranks of the top-notchers, will have ] to earn a decisive ictovry to satisfy the public that he was entitled to that famous decision by Referee Jack Welsh in their former meeting. And it will be Rivers last chance at big money if he fails before the Michi- gan wild cat. Joe has been slipping in the estimation of fight fans ever l since Ritchie stopped him, and when Freddy Welsh made him look like d novice he passed out of the running for championship honors.
 In Buffalo the fans and critics are raving about young featherweight called Rocky Kansas" He is al- ready regarded in the upstate me- tropolis as the coming feather weight champion. I have at hand a letter from a we'll known sporting man telling me of his wonderful fighting skill and predicting brilliant future for the ycungster.
 Rocky is a new one on me, bu,
 he must be the goods to make the
 Buffalonians go daffy over him. A
 clipping sent me tells how Kansas
 knocked Tommy Bresnahan out in two
 rounds. and while I don't know wha,
 Tommy's rating was before he fell bc.
 fore the onslaughts of the Buffalo boy
 the feat, according to my worthy in,
 dormant, entities him to a match witt
 Johnny Kilbane for the title. No doubt the champion will bt
 pleased to accommodate the young as
 pirant. That's Johnny's long suit
 attending to inexperienced youngsters
 JAS J. CORBETT.