South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1915-02-14
WELSH RECORD
POOR SINCE HE Z"
WON RING TITLE
Freddie Has Mixed in Some
Mediocre Bouts in Last Few
MOnthS-WilI Retire Within
Two Years.
BY Ringsidc.

NEW YORK, Feb. 3. - Freddie
Welsh. lightweight champion OF the
world. is the anomaly of the modern
day prize ring Here we have the
undisputed title-hOlder whose per
formances since ne ascendcd 10 the
lightweight pinnacle have been me-
diOcre; yet his exhibitions before he
attained the 133-pound premiership
/ were OF the superlative order. even
good enough for a champion.
Which prompts the question. Has
| Welsh seen his best DAYS In the riug9
one Is inclined 10 answer in the az
firmatiVe after witnessing Freddie in
his recent bouts. And the suspicion is
strengthened by WelSh's owl words.
uttered the other day. when he said
that he expects 10 retire from the ing
within two years.
If Welsh is really the author OF
these words. they are "A frank admis-
sion that the lightweight champion
does not think he is capable OF de-
Tending his title until that time. Who
ever heard CT a newly crowned pu-
gilistic king figuring only two years
ahead planning only such short
time in which 10 capitalize his cham
pionship? IL has never been done
before and Freddie Welsh Is not such
an inventive genius 10 start this limo
walton unless he was firm in his con
champion for longer than the period
he has stated.
One Good Battle.
IL is worthy OF note that Welsh has
not put up one truly good battle since
he came into possession OF the cha -
pionship. 1t is nothing eXtraordiN
airy; yet he managed TO shear Ritchie
of his title. Ii was Ritchie's poor
lighting. rather than Welsh's superior
boxing ability that rost the American
the championship.
Let Us review some OF Welsh's bouts
since that fateful day in July Of last
year. Freddie's first bout as "A cham
pion occurred against Matty Baldwin.
Poor old Matty Baldwin. "A marvel in
his day. was able TO hold Welsh on
even terms for most OF the y rounds.
and lost the decision only when
Freddie came through with TWO good
/ last rounds.
A few weeks later Jimmy Duffy
! clearly outpointed Welsh IL Il 10
round bout, but as the referee was
mot empowered 10 render "a decision
] Freddie chung TO his title. Some little
| time after that Charley White hooked
/ up with the BritOn for 10 rounds in
Milwaukee. and majority of the So
called experts said that White was
undispdtably the victor
Then Welsh came 10 the metropolis
I
by Young Shugrue, who lacks Welsh's
experience by something like 10 years.
/ The other day Willie Beecher. UNI
| trained, hOg-fat, going on at an hours
I notice in place OF Charley White.
! held Welsh even for half the bout.
| True. Beecher blew" in the last five
rounds. but il was not Welsh's
demoniac fighting that caused Willie
to explode, rather 1t was Beecher's
! poor condition that was responsible
for his state bordering on collapse.
Has Failed to Show.
In several other bouts since he be-
came champion Welsh has failed 20
show his old brand Of lighting. lie
| has shown his ultra-clever boxing
! only sporadically. Most OF the time
he has spent in keeping his opponent
/ from piling up too much of "A lead.
For a time is appeared as If Welsh
would be nicknamed The OutpOinted
Champion" for no less than three ad-
versaries in a row gained the popular
decision over him.
Now 10 hearken back 10 ye olden
days, when Welsh was not a cham
piOn, yet was lighting like one. IL
was only in 1908 that Welsh fought
the then great Packey Mcfarland two
terrific bouts. The first "a 1O-rOUnd
affair IL Milwaukee, was awarded a
Packey but the second, fought
/ y II, y
ter % bristling rounds. That same
year Welsh gained a 15-rOund decision
over Abe Attell, then featherweight
champion. The bout, however, was
fought at catchweights with no title
in the balance.
In 1903 Welsh trounced Johnny
Summers, who was at the zenith OF his
power at the time. The year follow
ing the present lightweight boss
fought Packey Mcfarland another
hard draw, which went 20 rounds be-
/ fore a London club. Several months
/ later Welsh won over Jem Driscoll on
foul in nine rounds. At the time
Driscon was considered the cleverCst
! boxer in the ring
Met Charlie Richie.
1t was in 1911 that Welsh first con-
I fronted Richie in the ring. Willie
substituted for AID Wolgast. then the
champion, and Welsh had all ne
could do To outlook the unknown
1 Richie. Just previous 10 the meet
! ing Welsh gained a 20-rOund decision
/ over Matty Baldwin. who then was
/ lighting in his best form.
/ Just a year after the Richie affair.
/ in 1912. Welsh relieved Matt Wells OF
I the lightweight championship OF Eng
I land. Freddie spent the following 10
/ months in outpointing inferior night
ers; and then he bumped into Milburn
I Say lor. Inc exact Qdit was W. w.
/ 1918. a date Welsh will long remem-
+ Der. The fight ended in turmoil in
\ the ninth round, with SaylOr claiming
/ a knockout and Welsh's manager pro-
/ ducing a counter claim that Freddie
\ was fOuled.
II got into the record books as a
victory-on-foul for Welsh. Strange as
( IL NAV seem. Welsh seemed 10 have
/ lost all his effectiveness in that hight
/ for since that day he has not put up
one really good night. battle up TO
/ his old standard. Yet he is champion
+ OF the world, even after virtually ad-
hitting that as champion he will not
\ last much longer.
/ New orleans the new boxing mecca
/ will be the scene OF an interesting 201
, round bout between lghtweights to-
morrow afternoon. Johnny Dundee.
+ the New York. jumping jack" and
I Joe Mandot. the New Orleans baker
/ boy" are involved. and the winner has
\ been promised a match with Cham
/ pion Welsh.
/ Tcmorrow's match was originally
/ scheduled between Mandot and "a
1 KNoTuagf huf for some unpNnillu "a