Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-03-26
BY T. S. ANDREWS.

Special Dispatch 10 The Star.
MILWAUKEE. March 25.-There is
a controversy on between Johnny Kill
bane. holder of the featherweigh
championship, and George CLANCY.
challenger for the title, as to who is
the real owner of the crown. Some
time ago. CLANCY and kilbane were
matched to meet in fifteen-round
contest at Baltimore, to decision.
Articles were signed and the contest
was to have been held March Il.
Henry L. Bletzer, manager Of CLANCY.
announced at the time that the match
would be for the title. Later Jimmie
Dunn, manager of Kilbane, for some
reason or other. called the match off
and refused to go through with his
agreement. He offered to take CLANCY
on in a short contest in Philadelphia
previous to the other match, and later
wanted to have the match take place
in Baltimore, but undcr the auspices
of another club. Dunn had been guar
anteed $500 for kilbane's end-win,
lose or draW-and al the time every
thing seemed to be o. X However.
kiibane failed to live up to his under
ii
and did not appear for his match with
CLANCY. as arranged
Therefore Manager Bletzer has made
public a statement in which he claims
the featherweight championship for
CLANCY. Under the old rules Of box
ing a champion was supposed to de-
fend his til at least once in every six
months and when challenged by any
legitimate contender. kilbane has
failed to take part III a championship
FT,- han
seems there is a great deal of justice
in the claims of Cheney and his man
ager.
There is no reason why "A champion
should be permitted to hang on to a
title for an indefinite period without
defending it. 1t was never intended by
the trainers of boxing rules that such
conditions should be imposed upon the
boxing public. and it is up to kilbane
Immediately to defend his title in Il
agreed, or to give CLANCY the right TO
take over the title and defend it
against all corners.
According to Eddie Moy, the former
sparrine partner Of Freddy Welsh. and
VINO. by the way. left for Australia
last week, there are few fighters in the
business who train harder than Fred
die Welsh when he is preparing for a
contest Of any Kind.
at makes no difference to Welsh
whether 1T Is for a championship battle
or d ten-rouud contest said Moy. in
discussing the matter. for he trains
Just as hard for one as the other.
have been with him two or three wears.
and / never met d fighter in a II my life
" no works as hard as Welsh when he
is preparing for "A battle. He does not
train all the while. for there are times
when he will lay of and not do thing
aud even betu cen matches there are
times when he fails to train. but the
moment he has a contest of any consc-
quence sou may rest assured that he is
going 10 work hard enough to be in
shape. 10 matter whether he is over
weight or not / have boxed many of
he HghJWcightS III this country. and
/ VIII tell YOU truthfullN that in my
estimation Freddie Welsh outshines all
of them by Il long ways. If he we're
FIVE FEARS younger there would be no
lightweight in the country who would
have the ghost Of chance with him
He is getting to that age now when he
" i'll begin to slip. and, Of course, il is
gong 20 taxi some young. strong
lightweight who VIII come along and
take his measure when least expected.
Il have great deal of regard for
Charlie white. but ! really think that
Johnny Dundee or Benny Leonard
would give him as hard "A battle as
any one. ! have heard great deal
about Richie Mitchell the Milwaukee e
lightweight, but cannot pass judgment
on him, as | have never seen him in
action. From what other boxers tell
me who have fought him. there is no
doubt in my mind that he stands very
highly among the lightWeights. and no
doubt would put up as fine a contest
| with Welsh as any Of them. He is
young and ambitious and no doubt in a
long contest would give Welsh Consid-
cradle trouble. / understand that
Mitchell and Welsh are to meet in Mil
waukee early in April in a ten-round
contest. OF course. ! would expect
Welsh to outpoint him. but you never
like Mitchell. | should think that Ben
ny Leonard and Mitchell would make
a wonderful contest between them. as
both are clever, shifty and fairly hard
hitters."
Snowy Baker. the Australian boxing
promoter. is having hard time try
ing to induce some of the stars and
near-stars to take trip across the
Pacific ocean and meet Les Darcy, the
champion middleWeight of that coun-
try and without doubt the best claim =
ant Of the worlds crown. Big offers
have been made lately to Mike Glib
bons, Jack Dillon. George Chip and
Young Ahern. but all of them turned a
deaf ear to the entreaties for the pres
ent. Dillon was offered $4,000 guar
antee with a privilege for three con-
tests and 50 was Chip. but they could
not see il. Such a contract would
have assured either one at least $50
900 or 100000 on the trip, a sum that
VIII be very hard for them to pick up
around the states, even If they are