New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-03-07
'RITCHIE WILL
TRY TO SLUG
WAY TO TITLE
Hopes to Regain Light
weight Honors by Knock
ing Welsh Out.
BOUT IN GARDEN Is
SET FOR THURSDAY
Expert Judges Believe Foreigner
Has Lost Speed and May
Run Into Punch.

One thought will be uppermost IN the
mind of Willie Richie az he sits in
his corner awaiting the clang OF the
bell that will send him against Freddie
Welsh, the worlds lightweight cham
pion, in their ten-round bout at Madi-
son Square Garden on Thursday night.
The memory of how the elusive
Welsh ducked, sdestepped, gave ground
and fitted out of harms way like
will O. the wisp all through the twenty
round bout in London last summer
when Richie lost his title to the little
Englishman, will come back TO the Gail
fornia boy as he walks forth from his
corner to meet Welsh at the Garden.
Those who have seen Richie IN ms
recent training, and who have noted
the quiet air of confidence radlatihg
from the former holder of the tltie'
believes he intends 10 adopt radically
different measures this time against
Welsh. II is rumored that Willie ~
going to take the aggressive from the
beginning and devote all his attention
TO connecting one solid punch with the
champions jaw in the nope OF REGAIN
ing his lost laurels. -,
II is a certainty that Richie will
not attempt to match his boxing skill
against the Welshman. He saw the
futility of that in the London bout,
and he has made up his mind TO knock
his opponent out before the bell enos
the tenth and last round.
The Californian does not appear
quite so fast in his gymnasium WORK
today as he did a year ago. HIS 1oot-
work, too, appears to have suffered
hit in comparison with what he showed
earlier in his career. His long lay-of
has undoubtedly had its effect on the
former champions speed, but on the
other hand, he has filed out until ne
looks more like a welterweight than
lightweight. ,r.
His training methods would indicate
that Richie is going to rely on the
heft of his punch this time, rather
than on n ere speed, to defeat his con
oueror. Both DR.. Jeffreys, the Pacific
Coast boys trainer, and Richie HIM
self are confident sooner or later
Welsh's law will come in contact with
Willie's glove, and that then the title
will come back to America.
Il is evidently the intention OF the
San Francisco youth to keep after
Welsh relentlessly, taking whatever
the champion sends over in the effort to
land his own punch, and there are quite
few boxing enthusiasts in this CITY
who are of the opinion that Kltchle
will be able to accomplish his purpose
But what of Welsh? The English
man is going about his task studlously'
working at his training camp IN ocean
port. n. j., and giving out no state
ments about what he hopes TO accom-
plish on Thursday night: In MS lasI
few fights in this city Welsh is sara
to have shown signs of slipping oacK'
and predictions have been freely maze
that sooner or later a man with
nunch will dethrone the champion.
Toe ShuPrue, a fast man. but without
a dangerous punch, gave Welsh very
lively ten round battle the last time
thew met at the Garden. landing with
great frequency on every part OF the
Englishman's anatomy. None OF his
blows had the deadening effect neces-
sary for decisive result
If il had been Richie in the ring
that night instead of Shugrue. would
Welsh have weathered the storm! IL Is
known that the former holder of the
title has the ability to knock out an
opponent with a single punch. and he
is not much behind Shugrue in boxing
skill.
But Welsh has proved he can trade
blows with an adversary when the whim
seizes him and that he is not afraid TO
stand toe to toe and slug. In his bout
with Charlie White at Milwaukee a
few days ago the champion surprised
those at the ringsde by taking Whites
hardest punches and forcing the latter
to give ground before his own attack.
Welsh clearly outfought his man on
that occasion, and did not resort TO his
q oxrsax
II he performs in the same way
against Richie on Thursday night
and Willie hopes he does-there will
he a sensational result.