Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-04-25

fuses to go back to England next fall
and defend his championship against
the challenger selected by the National
Sporting Club The conditions in Eng
land are vastly different from those ex-
listing in the states and the patrons of
the sport across the pond are to be en-
WED. There are rules on the other
side which boxers must abide by and
1t is too bad we have not similar rules
here to govern the professional game.
Col Dyer writes me from London re-
Sardlng the miX-up as follows: Away
back in the fall of 1909 the boxing
championships of England were in such
a. hopelessly muddled state that box
ers and patrons alike cried out for re-
form. By common consent the London
Sporting Club always has been looked
up to as the ruling authority of profess
sional boxing on this side, though pos
sessing no means of enforcing the rules
upon boxers. and it was the club that
took the management of British titles
in hand The first step was a revision
OF the weights-a plan that was very
necessary The adjustments did not
meet with the approval of the few
titles by the new scales but the scheme
was accepted by the majority of the
boxing critics, the only objection
lodged being that the adoption of the
american scales would have simplified
the question of world titles. The next
move was to float the Lonsdale belts
that went with every British title and
it was here that the club experienced
trouble. By the conditions governing
the belts they could change hands only
by consent of the club. which meant a
monopoly of championship bouts,
project which has meant the loss of a
good deal of money to title holders. On
many occasions champions have been
compelled to accept small purse offer
ed by the club rather than give up the
title and the belt which would follow
defeat at any outside arena which might
be in position to offer a better purse
Another condition was that a belt
holder was obliged to defend his tro-
ply on demand by the club, but failing
battle in three years the belt would
become the absolute property of the
holder. The My other way of winning
a Lonsdale belt (value, $25OO) is by
three victories IN title battles. These
conditions looked clear enough at the
time and seemed to be framed to cover
any emergency that could arise, but
the continued absence of Freddy Welsh
in America has created a situation that
did not occur to the club in 1909, nor,
apparently, to any one else until now.
Jerry Delaney, who has disposed of
every lightweight in this country. has
issued a challenge for the British
lightweight title, but if Welsh insists
on remaining in America what will
become of the Lonsdale belt? Accord
ing to the conditions attaching to the
trophy, 1t will pass into Freddy's keep
ing forever by lapse of time-that is, il
he remains in the United States until
November next, that being three years
from the date OF his last winning bat
tie with Matt Wells. 1t is within the
power Of the club to demand that
Welsh return before that date and box
Delaney. or surrender up the belt; but
by doing the former Freddy will lose a
pretty good sum in easy marks on
your side. The limit purse likely to
be offered for the club is $1,000, sum
that would not recompense the title
holder for a journey back to England,
especially as the bout would not be
scheduled before December and be-
yond Delaney we do not possess a
lightweight capable of extending
Welsh. or even attracting a decent
crowd"