Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1919-04-08
Real Test for a Fighter, From
Willie RitChie'S Viewpoint, Is
Twenty Rounds Against Sea-
SOned Man.
Copyright, 1919, by The Press Pub.
fishing Co.


fishing Co
tThe New York Evening World)
Twenty rounds is the real test for
a fighter. I'd like to see Benny Leon
ard go that distance with a good man
before deciding that he's a really great
fighter" Willie Richie said this to
us the other day MANY a fighter
can win in ten rounds who might
lose in a ,twenty-round go" he went
on. Il found this out myself when I
fought Wolgast. For ten rounds he
punished me frightfully. He had my
face punched out of shape and he
landed early and often on my body
While I was a sorry sight still he
hadn't hurt me | made I'm my mind
that if his punches weren't hurting
me I'd take them all for the first half
of the fight and depend on putting
forth my efforts in an aggressive way
during the last ten rounds. | figured
If l could be lucky enough to floor
Ad some time after the tenth round,
it would make a great impression on
the referee. My plans worked out
all right. 1 started the eleventh
round with a rush and started to do
some punching myself / found that
OlSdSl Idu Ntdh6ntu fllhStlI Gull
siderably by his early efforts, and
when I finally floored him in the sew
enteenth l had the fight practically
won, then and there. In ten rounds
I was beaten to a fragile.
Yes. I'd like 10 see Benny go the
full distance against seasoned fight
ers. He hasn't really met a seasoned
fighter yet, you know"
How about Richie Mitchell?' We
asked.
"He was far from being a seasoned
man when Benny met him." replied
Richie. He was just a good conner.
He wasn't anything near as tough
as, say, Leach Cross, Mcfarland
Wolgast or others of that kind. I'll
admit that Leonard beat a good man
the only one. Welsh, of course, was
at the end of his rope when Leonard
beat him.
II don't want to take anything
from Leonard" continued Ritchie
"He doubtless is a good fighter but
he hasn't been thoroughly tested yet.
He's all right now, particularly when
he is winning, but against a man who
isn't afraid to take his punches, and
can deliver some punishment himself,
and go the twenty round route, Benny
might not look so formidable"
What has become of One Round
Hogan ?" we asked Willie. He was
in the army, but now is driving a
wagon and through with fighting, -
replied Willie. II remember him vel
when | was a kid trying to attract the
attention of fight promoters. Hogan
was all the rage at the time. He was
boxing at the club getting $1,000 and
81, 500 for each bout. had boxed with
him in the gymnasium and felt that
! could beat him. | never got the
chance, however"
We remember One-Round Hogan
too when he came East We saw
him work out at Johnsons road
house and were much impressed by
his style. We thought he had the
best right cross we had ever seen
and it carried a lot of power. 1t was
a winters afternoon, and as Hogan
looked out Of the window he notice
the snow coming down in big white
flakes.
ooh, boy." he shouted and pulled
off the gloves. He was into his
clothes in a jiffy and out on the roat
playing with a lot of kids, rolling al
over in the snow and belly wappine
on the kids Sleds. He had never seer
snow before and he was just ticklet
silly at the sight of it. While the
snow lasted Hogan neglected hi
training to go out and revel in it.
Hogan's career in the East was al
too short, for which his we'll meaning
manager was to blame, Said manag
er believed that a fighter should ge
chance to enjoy things. so he in
troduced him to the cabaret life o
New York, furnished up a swell River
Gi ~ Co, 1t, II,
they entertained on lavish scale. ]
must be said that this mode of lif'
had more of an appeal to Hogan thar
the arduous training of a fighter, 81
it was no time before zone Round
hit the toboggan. His career endet
abruptly when it should have jus
about started.