Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-09-20
ANOTHER LIGHTWEIGHT TITLE
CHASER LOOMS UP IN WEST
Ralph Grunan Touted for Championship
Glass by Manager Billy Nolan-Al1
the Latest Boxing Gossip.

only at Vancouver. but around San
Francisco and Seattle. He has fought
some of the best boys on the coast and
has "a standing offer Of $2.500 side
bet to meet any man of his weight over
the marathon route A challenge was
received from Johnny the other day in
which he said:
by the time this reaches you hope
, to have. defeated solly Salvatore, the
California lightweight. I have beaten
Billy SHopp three times in San Francis
CO and I have also beaten Dick Hyland,
whom they think pretty well of out
there. 1 trained Willie Ritchie for his
contest with Tommy Murphy, and it
was Harry Foley who recommended
that I be dismissed as Ritchie's spar
ring partner. owing to the fact that I
could not be made to appear like a
novice. Jimmy Coffroth offered Joe
Azevedo guarantee of $4,000 to box
me twenty rounds, but he refused I
was matched to box Johnny Kilbane
last spring, but the former showed no
through. I mention these instances
merely to show you that I am not
blufing, but say / want to meet the
very best lightweights in the country.
AS soon as I get through with another
bout or two out here I am coming east
and will endeavor to get on with AID
Wolgast, Charley White, or, in fact,
any boy of class. I hope to make the
trip east as far as Boston and then re-
turn by way of New Orleans, as 1 have
an offer there also"
II confidence counts for anything, it
is a certainty that O'Leary will make
good, for he has offered to deposit the
cash for contest with any one at any
time.
between Gunboat Smith and Young
Ahearn was called off in Lon
done some time ago, there is
still considerable controversy as to
why it was called off. I am just in
receipt of a letter from Dan McKetrick,
manager of Ahearn, who is still in
London, stating that Smith would ar
rive in America shortly and give his
own version of why he avoided con-
test with .Ahearn. Mr.. McKetrick
without putting up his forfeit and
making no excuse whatever for his
action. Smith knew well as any one
that Ahearn. with his wonderful i'm
and that was the reason he got out so
suddenly. Since the arrival of Smith
in New York he has had little to say
| regarding the match, aside from the
fact that he did not think he would
draw any too well. 1 also received
letter from Ed Dyer. my special cor
respondent over there, in which he
gives a little different version of the
affair. In a letter received a few days
ago he says: "Gunboat Smith has been
match with Ahearn, but I think he
acted very wisely. The bout would
not have drawn over $1,000. and you
know that would not pay him for his
is wonderfully improved boy, but
| even at that I doubt whether he would
give away weight to a man like
Smith"
It develops that Jimmy Clabby. the
II GO mil n a aferh yho to-
ing honors with jeff Smith for the
worlds championship, came near being
mixed up in the European war-that
is, to the extent. of getting into the
war zone and being tied up during the
progress of the same. I have Just re-
ceived word from Snowy Baker, the
Australian promoter, who tells me that
Clabby had prepared to sail for Eng
before the war broke out. The init
nation leads one to believe that Jim
my had started by way of South Aus
tralia, but discovered what was going
on in Europe before he got too far
away and returned to Sydney. From
this it is surmised that the clever
middleweight will remain in Australia
little longer, although offers have
been sent to him to return to the
states and take on couple of big
Gibbons. 1t is a safe bet that Jimmy
will keep far as possible from
actual hostilfties, where the guns are
being used. He does not mind doing
his fighting in the ring, but for the
other part of it, Jimmy does not like
the idea of mixing up with powder
magazines.
Sammy Murbs.rger, manager of Jack
Dillon, is determined to force his pro-
tege into the limelight and champion
ship the coming season if such a thing
is possible. Murbarger, as stated re-
Gently, was ready to post forfeit of
$500 with the writer for Dillon to make
15S pounds at o'clock against any
prominent middleweight for the title.
Jack has been matched with Battling
Levinsky at St. Louis, September %,
and nc has bunch of other matches
in sight, but the men he wants to meet
m ost of all are Mike Gibbons, Jimmy
Ciabby, Ed McGoorty. jeff Smith and
George Chip, not forgetting Billy Muir
ray of San Francisco. If any of these
miadieweights think that Dillon can
not make the weight, all they have to
do is to post forfeit of $500 here and
force Jack to show his hand. If Dillon
takes care of himself there are few in
the business who have anything on
him, and there is no reason why he
should not be battling with the others
for the worlds title.
The modern machine gun has been
SO perfected that 1t can be fired Al
most aS often per minuta aa Hank