Omaha daily bee., 1916-10-15
BANTAM WAR Is IN
FULL BLAST AGAIN
williams Defeats Kaufman,
Who 0utshaded Ertle, and
Dopesters Get Under Way.
rLYwEIGHT COMING OVER
By RINGSIDE.

weight controversy is in full blast
again. And settlement will not be
effected until Kid Williams and John
ny "Kewpic" Ertle agree to meet in
the ring once more and battle TOR the
referees decision. Williams was uni
vcrsally recognized as the champion
until Ertle secured questionable de-
cision on foul by Williams.
The situation has been sort OF mud
died ever since.
For a time after the untimely end
ing of the Ertle- Williams bout, the
two claimants of the title appeared
in various cities against various con-
tenders, each striving to establish
rivet claim 10 the championship.
Ertle was more successful in this. for
he met inferior opposition, and out
classed his foes by such wide margins
THAT he appeared real champion in
comparison. Williams encountered
stouter resistance, because his oppo-
nents were Of better caliber than
those Ertle met. :.
Thus matters stood for several
months, until Williams went into vol
untary retirement He remained in
obscurity until a few weeks ago, when
he determined to renew the quest for
his old undisputed championship. He
sought the only course to re-estab-
fish himself in the estimation OF the
fight fans. And that was to fight
lad who had Just defeated Ertle be-
You'd the peradventure of doubt.
Williams Springs Surprise.
So Williams came out OF his sum-
mer Information and trekked to Phila-
delphia, where he signed to box Ben
ny Kaufman, the best little man the
somnoient city has produced in years.
A week before Kaufman had pun
isKed Ertle severely in a six-round
bout. Benny was primed to take
the other leading bantam claimant.
But Williams surprised Kaufman
and Philadelphia fandom by thump-
ing Kaufman to the queens taste.
Taking the present form Of Ertle
and Williams, Il is reasonable to
assume that the latter would get the
decision over a route If they got to
either inside OF a few months. Will
iians' return to form is one OF the
surprises of the young boxing season..
1t behooves Ertle to agree to re-
fufn match with Williams, and for
once and all settle, the moot ques-
son Of WHO is the bantam cham-'
pion?"
Fiyweight Coming Over.
While we isolated Americans will
not be afforded the pleasure Of see
ing Les Darcy perform here, at least
until the war il over, we are prom
ised hstic treat almost on par
with Witnessing the Australian in ac-
ton. Within few short months
Jimmy Wilde, the great little fly
weight OF England, will invade this
domain, and endeavor to clean out
the bantamweight class. These Unit
ed States do not boast OF any good
flyweights, SO Wilde will have to 60
out Of his class in order to get ac-
lion.
Wide viii engage ii one more
battle before departing from Eng
lands shores. He Is scheduled to box
Young Zulu Kid, the only American
near the Briton's weight. They will
settle their difference at the National
Sporting club OF London some time
in December. Wilde will come here
Immediately after.
II remained for fellow English
man to induce Wilde to leave his ma
tive heath, where he has won fame
and the attending emoluments. Char
ley Mitchell, who will be recalled as
one of the greatest fighters more than
generation ago, prevailed on Wilde
to pay us.a visit II was really Eng
lish pride that actuated Mitchell to
undertake tho task of gaining Wilde's
consent.
Mitchell, who in his time fought
John L. Sullivan and host of other
heavyweights, although he himself
never scaled over l45 pounds--just
about what Ted Lewis weighs today
(can you imagine Lewis fighting Sam
Langford or Jim Coffey1)---took a
liking to little Wilde year or so
ago and Is now busily engaged ex-
plotting the ring prowess Of the Eng
lish champion. Mitchell, who is at
present in the United States, has al
ready convinced promoters in several
cities that Wilde is every inch a cham
pion-in fact, Mitchell claims that pu-
ny Jimmy Is the nearest thing to per-
petual motion we have insthe roped
arena today.
If unsuccessful in getting matches
here with men near his weight, Wilde
will consent to meetings with Kid
Williams and Johnny Ertle at rca-
sonable poundage. He does not plan
to inflict any severe weight rcstric-
tons, and for this reason it will be
Q difficult matter for Williams and
Ertle to dodge out OF matches.