The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1914-06-08
Extra Sporting Page
WHITE WOULD HAVE
 W0N TITLE HAD HE
 PUT RlTCHIE OUT

Milwaukee, WIS, June. S--Numer- kous queries have come to haud the past week as to whether Charlie
 White would have been recognized as chaznpzon 1ight-wedght had he de- 1fvered a Knockout blow to Willie
 Rftchfe in their ten-round contest in
 Milwaukee, May 26.s Technically speaking, he would not, but there are few critics or promoters about the
 country who would not have given him the title had he Accomplished the feat They were not boxing at the recognized lightweight limit of 133 pounds ringside, although the chances are that White did not tip the beam E at over 13s when he entered the ring, as he scaled only 133 1-2 with his light clothes on when he weighed at o'clock in the Afternoon. The
 weight called for 1s5 pounds at 5 o'clock, which is considerably above
 the limit. but 1t was the champion who said what the weight must be.
 White could have weighed in at rringside. had he desired, just to show
 that he was under the limit the same las Johnny Thompson did when he
 fought Billy Papke in Australia for twhat he termed the rnidd1e-weight idown. However, White did not ex- ipect to score a Knockout and never thought of such a contingency. New tertheless Willie Ritchie would have had a hard job on his hands trying to make people believe he was the cham ipiou had White put him down for the iten seconds count, respite the fact
 that it was a no-decision contest and
 not advertised az championship f event
 It only proves once more that there should be an international scale of
 weights for all championship events
 and boxers should be held to their Irrespective classes at the stipulated weight If there was one standard kof weights Ritchie could not dictate fshou1d be for title match, nor kcould any other boxer in other classes
 do the same.
 ! It is hoped that the British, French American and Australians will get ttoEether before a. great while and set championship matches. White is now talking of meeting Rftchie over the Marathon course in a. title match and kdf he insists upon fighting at the rec lognized weight of 133 pounds ring kgfle it will be placing Willie under a. lhzndicap, for it is doubtful whether Inc can make 133 entering the ring land be strong enough to go the route tzn a title match against such a shifty topponent as the Chicago lad. As yet fxhey have not been matched on the tcoast and 1t Is just possible that they
 
 flair before taclzlfng the marathon troute on the Pacific coast
 And while the fans and critics are ffry1ng to show Willie how easily Fred tdy Walsh will defeat him when they trnee4 in old England, the champion lis trying to forget his troubles for a ttfuns and think of things more pleas fant- No one will deny that Freddy is lone of the cleverest boxers in the F-rorid, but don't overlook the fact h6hat he will be up against a boy who kcan punch and who has a pretty good taeft hand himself.
 ger1cffy on points Wells may out Fuofnt RftcIfe in twenty rounds, but t4t win not be a bit surprising to find kTreddy taking the count before the kmusA, of the scheduled twenty rounds. grhe Brfttsher Is a wonder at blocking and all that, but he is not a. punish IInR fighter and Ritchie can well af- ford to take a chance in order to get home & few good wallops. No matter how close Willie came to los- 3n~ his title you must give him credit fS,S- one xhfng-he is n great little f5xTnter He never stalled like some of the champions, being of the same order as Wolgast and Nelson-7al- ways ready to go in and nix-and as n rsgult he has made thousands of friends who will back him until such time as 1t Is shown that he is no .1ouEsr champion.