Omaha daily bee., 1917-06-03
aingside Says They Hate to
Give Way Even Though
They Have Plenty
of Coin. .
By RINGSIDE.

glory and rolling IN wealth., the star
of the pugilistic ring never quit til,
game, with few exceptions, until the,
are forced to. Why? y
Probably the fighters themselves
would like to have this question an
swered as much as the fans. Yet thu
answer is simple. The fighters, a!
well as the fans, would both know
why IT they would just stop to give
the matter thought.
Take the case Of "Strongarm Jones'
whoever he is, for instance. Strong
arm Is young, say about thirty. He.
been in the boxing game FIVE or SIX
years. Having fought all kinds and
manner Of men, he finally climbs to
. the pinnacle of his division and stays
there for six months or a year.
Meanwhile he has accumulated a
roll that would choke a horse. He's
got so much money he doesn't know
what to do with 1t. He slows away
nine-tenths of his fortune, probably,
in something like real estate-where
there's slight chance of losing except
through failure of the earth to keep
going around--then sits back content
with the .hought that come what may
he has enough to see him through,
though he lived to be hundred.
Up Jump Youngsters.
Just about this time some young
ster - comparatively speaking = hits
him in the jaw with a swift right, and
he goes down, only to wake up with
The word "ten" ringing in his ears.
He's no longer the champ. But does
he stop? Not for minute. He keeps
pn going until he has been knocked
down for the count several times
more. II he's tenth wonder of the
world he may come back, but gen.
orally he keeps right on until finally
The promoters and fans together con-
)ign him to oblivion, despite his ef-
forts to keep up the sham. So he
quits, finally, il he is forced to; if not,
le fights whenever he gets chance,
But he never quits the game until he
lies or he cannot get fight.
The answer? It's easy. Just
,porting proposition. The fighting
bug, once in possession of man, re-
fuses to let go. do or die" is the
yatchword, and gameness is the in
spiration. "Pride of craft" in other
words, refuses to let him acknowledge
that he's a "has-been."
Look over the field once and see
how true this Is. Take Ad Wofgast
and Willie Ritchie, former light
weights, and Johnny Coulon, former
bantamweight.
Wolgast has paid the stiffest pen
atty for failure to quit the ring at
the proper time. Today the little
bearcat Is In a sanitarium at Mil
waukee, adjudged incapable of han
ding his own affairs. He was hardly
lightweight, for he weighed less
than $50 pounds, but he fought in
that division and scored triumph after
triumph until he landed on top of the
heap when he defeated Battling Nell
son. E.ef
Then along came Willie Ritchie, the
California automobile mechanic, brirn-
ful of pep and confidence, and the de-
feat Of the Cadillac bearcat followed.
No longer was Wolgast champion of
the world. But as champion Wolgast
had prospered. These were the days
of big purses in California, when
twcnty-round bouts we're permitted.
Ind Ad, shrewd youngster, pulled
down the big coin and saved it. He
stuck lot of 1t into farm land in
Michigan, and it is there yet, monu-
ment to the ring prowess of its owner.
He's credited with being worth |
100000.
But financial success wasn't enough |
for Adj He liked the boxing game,
and even worse than that there stuck
deep in his craw the belief that he
could accomplish that remarkable
feat of winning back championship |
after he had once lost it. So Ad
wouldn't quit. He got new man
ager to 90 ahead and arrange matches
for him. He fought battle after bat
tie and often met defeat, nearly al
ways taking a lacing. But he did not
keep in condition, and that is mainly |
responsible for his present dilemma,
Passing on brings US to Willie
Richie, the boy who took the title
from Wolgast. Only recently Ritchie
left Chicago after a visit OF several
months, going to California to enlist
in the aviation corps. But Ritchie
still wants to fight with the gloves,
probably just as much as he wants to
knock German aviators out of the sky.
Before joining the aviation corps
Willie made all kinds of effort to
obtain matches, but he found he
couldn't pick off the kind Of money
he got when he was champion. 4
/ Ritchie has perhaps $l50,00O, a good
part of it invested in apartment build
ines in San Francisco, and is in per-
feet health.
Wants Little Back.
Last and smallest comes Coulon.
Johnny has made more than 100000
in the ring. He doesn't need any
more, but he wants that old title.
He made an effort to get it recently
from Champion Pete Herman at Ra-
cine, Wis, only to be knocked out in
the third round. But he won't quit.
And his health is better now than it
ever was.
regard to two boxers away up in the
world financially and who are still
at their best in the ring. One is Mike
Gibbons, the other Jess Willard. Mike
himself admits he is worth $170,000 |
and that he has most of it invested
in places where there is small chance
10 lose. Tom Jones. Wizards man
ager, is authority for the statement
that the worlds champion heavy
weight has earned between 100000
and 100000 in the ring and with cir
cuses, and that he has it invested in
farms and ranches in California, Ok
Michigan and Kansas.