New Britain herald., 1914-08-08
ztest Best and 1oat Accma1 Spoztng News 0f he Day
Rifchie's Defent May Prope
 Blessing in Disguise foy U. 5.
It Convinces Many That Yankee Scrappers Have No Mortgage on the Championships Analyzes
 Wilies Alleged Interviews After His Return.

(Written for the New Britain Herald
 by James J. Corbett.)
 New York, Aug. S.-Willie Ritchie didn't linger>very long in the east after his arrival from Europe. We thought the former worlds light weight champion might be persuaded to stick around New York while, if only to show us that he is just as good as ever. But Willie, being about the best little financier we have in the boxing line decided his interests in the west called for his personal attention and beat it for San Francisco and home. If Ritchie said all the things local sporting scribes attributed to him dur ing his short stay in the metropolis he is a foolish boy, and I can't be- lieve that of Willie. For instance one reporter quoted Ritchie as saying that Welsh was on the defensive through out the match and waited until he (Ritchie) would lead so that he could counter and then get away: and there fore was not entitled to the verdict. Willie admitted he landed few blows on the Welshman, although that was f not his fault, and that if one man was l aggressive and the other wasn't it l surely wasn't the aggressive ones fault l if the fight was not a good one-and | that the verdict should be given to the aggressive one. I doubt if Willie said so many fool l ish things. In the first place anyone at all familiar with boxing and rules for scoring points in contest knows l that aggressiveness alone dosn't count for anything in the point line. A man might lead one hundred times in a l twenty round bout and possibly not 1 land once. The referee is supposed l tC keep track as best he can of the 1 blows landed, leads, counters, ofense and defense and general tactics, and be governed accordingly in making the decision. But the aggressive fellow, in case there is only one, must make | his leads count or they are wasted. l Whats the advantage in leading con- 1 tinually if the blows do not land? The offense of the other fellow figures in 1 the point making and cleverness in avoiding blows counts more than abor- l tive attempts to deliver them.
 The great trouble in this country l at the present time is that our boxers are not properly educated as to what constitutes scientific boxing and what does not. For the past decade or two science has not counted much: the boy with the hurrah style and the hard punch has been carrying pretty much l everything before him, in which l he has been assisted materially by incompetent referees.
 When the late George Siler was the official referee of a boxing match, one or the other contestant had to win de- cisvely, either by knockout or by points. to get the verdict. Charley White was another who was guided by the rules and nothing else But nova days the average American referee l bosses a boxing match as though 1 ignorant of the fact that said bout should be conducted according to the 1 book. Time and again I have been referees permit contestants to break l rules and not even warn the offenders. ] What use is boxing skill if such breaches are permitted? Instead of giving up years to learn the art a
 boy would far better train for rough an dtumble scrapping-for all the modern referee seems to know or care whether the rules are observed or not
 Referee Eugene Corri may have erred in giving Welsh the decision.
 That cannot say as I did not see the
 bout and won't have a change of view = ing the movies of the match. But if
 Ritchie bases his claim that the decis- ion was unfair to him on the ground
 that he was the aggressive" party and
 and on that alone, the complaint is
 positively silly, and will be so regarded by those who know the game. But, as said above, I doubt If Willie ever l said any such thing at all.
 |
 According to the testimony of many witnesses of the bout Ritchie was en- titled to draw decision at the very worst, which may or may not be the 1 case. However, 1t is conceded by all critics that Willie did the best he could and put up a hard and game battle against odds in the | matter of science, ring general ship and :, all around boxing skill, ard is entitled to much credit for making it such a close thing. But according to the interviewers Willie admits in one breath that Welsh out maneuvered and outgeneralley him.
 and in the next claims he was given
 raw deal when the verdict was
 awarded Welsh. The sensible thing for
 i,1tchie to do is to let the matter rest
 until he gets return bout with Welsh.
 lie nad his chance and lost it. Now
 he Will nave to wait just the same as l welsh mad to wait for him. Then
 when the tune arrives he will have
 another chance to prove he is the
 better man. Willie will do we'll to re-
 member that a majority of the boxing fans hail from Missouri. and prefer tcbe shown.
 Now, friend reader, it will not be
 necessary to write a long letter and tell me that am not loyal to no,, ..,,~