The Goldfield news and weekly tribune. [volume] (Goldfield, Nev.) 1911-1947, 1916-10-07

FOR Fight
OCT. z
FORMER CHAMPION BEGINS
TRAINING FOR BOUT WITH
JOHN MCCARTHY

Nine years g a SICILY, thin pare
youth crawled through the ropes
of the prize-fight ring in the Dream
land pavilion in San Francisco to
substitute in a preliminary. He
wei.hed but 80 pounds and ap-
parently his chances for success in
the rough game were hopeless. He
had no hopes for success himself,
as he had always e delicate
and the thought of following the
game, becoming a success at it
and making big money from il
never entered his head.
He was 16 years old at the time
and in nine years, from the humble.
accidental beginning as a mere kid,
practically thrown into the Dream
land ring to take a beating for al
most nothing, there has risen the
Willie Richie of today, a boy VINO
fought himself into the highest
honors in his class, the lightweight
championship of the world, achiev-
ed fame in his calling and made a
fortune On the road up.
Richie arrived in Goldfeld this
morning to start training for his
contest with Johnny Mccarthy TO
be fought in the Hippodrome one
week from tonight. He started his
training this afternoon at the Rail-
road club gymnasium, with George
{ Crno- bic n,onaunr and DipR Trnnpp
the local scrapper, working out with
him. He intended to bring a boz
named Murphy with him from San
Francisco as his sparring partner,
and trainer, but Murphy was fouled
il a bout shortly before Richie
left San Francisco and was unable
to accompany him. He left word
with Sol Levinson to secure a spar
ring partner and Levinson's selec-
ton is expected to arrive here to-
morrow morning.
It his beer decided to have both
Richie and Mccarthy train in the
Railroad club gymnasium from to-
day on, as the Unity club quarters
are too small to accommodate the
large crowds that urn out to watch
the men work.
Ritchie's rise to fame in the puSi-
listic world started when, as a
mere bottle-holder in Packy Nc
Farland's training camp, he ode
all night from San Francisco to
Los Angeles and entered the Yer
non arena, Nov. 80, 1911, substitute
ing for AID Wolgast against Freddie
Welsh, the British lightweight
challenger, then in the pink of con-
dition. At the end of a gruelling
2O-round contest, in the course of
which he many time had the Briton
groggy from the terrific blows he
landed, Welsh was given the de-
| cision, as he excelled in ring general
ship and did most of the leading.
He fought a no-decision bout with
Wolgast on May II, 1912, in San
Francisco and on Nov. %, the same
cisco as the challenger for the
lightweight crown. He won in the
10th round on a foul.
On April II, 1914, in San Fran
cisco, he obtained a decision over
/ Harlem Tommy Murphy in a 20
round contest and IN July Z. 1914,
in London, England, lost the title
to Freddie Welsh, the man with
whom he fought his first big fight
in 1911.
Ditohia a1uauc thnnohf that he
was entitled to a draw in this con-
test as he complained that Welsh
held him continually. Richie tried
for a knockout all during the bat
tie and Welsh merely played for a
decision on points and, while the
blows of the American were the
more telling, Welsh landed oftener
than he did and GAINED the de
cisicr -
Willie Richie was born Feb.
10, 1891 in San Francisco. He
left school at IA and until the San
Francisco fire worked in the office
of a San Francisco wholesale house
and later as an automobile me-
chanic. AS a side issue he took up
boxing. not because he liked it, but
for his health. Through gymnasium
stunts and keeping in condition for
fights, as he was getting in the
ring about once a month, his ply
steal development increased and
when his big opportunity came 10
substitute for Wolgast he had gain
ed the lightweight limit.
He is now 25 years of age and
able to go on with the best of them
at his weight, which is now about
145 stripped. He states that the
last time he was on the scales he
weighed 149 pounds.