The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1916-12-26
PASSING
YEAR BLOW
To BOXING
BY 1T. C. HAMILTON.
Omitted Press EfaR Correspondent.)

NEW YORK, Dec. 26.--A year of in
action by lighters and their managers,
another year Of demands for enormous
sums to box. and a year in which some
of the fiabbiest champions ever pro-
duced have been content to sit securely
on their laurels. is the pugilistic analy-
sis Of 1916.
Championship bouts OF high cslibre
have become 50 scarce that the man
who formerly became all worked UP
over the prospect of seeing champion
and a near-champion get together grows
very little excited nowadays when the
word is passed out that a title-holder
is about to risk it. No-decision bouts
and the mercenary tendencies OF the
fighters have done their duty. The old
fight game is lsboring under tre-
mendous handicap.
In The year that IS just slipping by
there have been mighty few bouts for
championships. The elusive Freddie
welsh. lightweight title-holder, has
gagged in two mixups over marathon
route. First he tackled Ad Wolgast, poor
old wobbly Ad. who still thinks he can
beat the best-and then he shared
Charlie White and the public for
twenty-round affair in Colorado Springs.
Both bouts were ridiculous. Judged
from the standpoint OF champion-mak-
ing exhibitions. Neither Of the men
could be classed as worthy of a cham
pions skill Aside from these bouts
Welsh has engaged in many ten-round
affairs and has demonstrated that no
one can catch him over the ten-round
route when he chooses to run.
Jess Willard. the heavyweight trail
blazer has been even worse. Follow
ing a circus in the summer months and
protesting against publicity at other
times, the big hulk has engaged in only
one bout. and that with Frank Moran
over the ten-round route. There seems
to be no chance or getting him into
longer bout although several attempts
have been made.
Johnny Kilbane has defended his title
lust once in bout of more than ten
rounds, and ne easily disposed Of George
CLANCY on that occasion. There Is some
excuse for Kilbane. for there are no
men of his weight competent TO give
him real tough fight He has been
angling for a match with FREDDIE
welsh. and if he gets It he may help
stir things up in the game
AL Mccoy still is the alleged middle
weight champion, with no one TAXING
his claims seriously.
Les Darcy has taken on everything
he could find in Australia and has
headed for this country for new fields.
II may be that this youth will help
bring back the old-tirne pep.
Tex Richard. the man who made pos
slhIe the worlds championship bout be-
tween James J. Jeffries and Jack john
son AT Reno. has been doing his best
70 kick little life into the dying game.
Negotiating for Madison Square Garden
and some Of the best bouts the world
could produce. the master promoter has
promised a revival of championship con-
tests that will liven up New York TO
suit anyone.
Aside from the Carpentier-Willard
20 one between Les Darcy and Jack
Dillon or Georges Carpenter, Richard
has announced that he will 20 after
bout between Welsh and Kilbane- He
also il figuring on an elimination that
will place Stanley Ketchel's crown on
some deserving head.
The coming year now promises mueh
more than the one nearly over If IL
doesn't pan out. the game Of hit aud
run win take an awful shoot down the
incline