New-York tribune., 1919-04-27
Boxing Fans
On Edge for
Jersey Bout
Leonard-Ritcllie Battle To-
morrow Night Attracting
Great Deal of Interest
By w. O. Mcclellan

Not since the Gibbons Mcfarland
bout has there been as much interest
created in this neck of the woods as
seems TO exist over the Leonard Richie
fight which will be held at the 1st Regi-
ment Armory in Newark tomorrow
night. While the Leonard Richie battle
is not Il championship affair. the fight
fms hecm to feel that they will get
their moneys worth Of swat. which they
did not get at ths Gibbons Mcfarland
affair.
The records Of Tie two men who will
heht tomorrow night would seefn 10
guarantee this Htehia always gave
them theit moneys worth when lie
fought here He VIII have II big Incen.
i've to DO hia best to morrow night, for
the ilghi manrs his future aa far M tho
tinH IS concerned II he can beat Leon
ard II means that he cnn come bheh and
itY fol the big purses, II might mean a
ehhhee at tbo WelterweIght champion
ship.
on the other hand, 1t would hardly be
10 he advantage Of one Benny Leonard
TO be beaten TO morrow night. While n
deleat at the hands OF Rtohle would
not mean tho loss Of tho lightweight
chRmPionship 1t would mean a loss of
prestige that would cost Leonard much
IN dollars and cents This looks like a
guarantee that Benjamin will most
earnestly endeavor not only to refrain
from losing but TO win as quickly and
as effectively "a possible.
Inc press agent tells us that Rtichis
- trying to change his style Of fighting,
during hls trimming he has employed a
number OF sphffing partners and has
attempted To accumulate speed It may
or hitehls'E plan to change his taetiea,
70 tuHh Leonard, but that never has
pneh kitehie's why Of working. He nevap
has carried the fight to an antagonist.
MS style has been To lay back. to as-
simulate punishment until the chance
comes Tor the one punch that will end IL.
Despite any plans that he may have
made 1t Is highly probable that Richie
VIII lapse back to this style of fight
ing Even as intelligent battler as
hltchie has shown himself to be will
ma IL impossible to change his ring
tactlcs Those are second nature. He
may try to take the aggressive In the
nrst few rounds. but the end of the
ngnt VIII find him laying back and
watching for the chance to bring over
.ne right, unless Leonard can do what
MS friends fondly hope, rush in and
finish it early.
4nat does not seem to be in the
cards IN an eight round fight-unless
Rltchie's long absence from the ring
has set him back worse that would
seem from the San Francisco battle.
In a finish fight Leonards compare
tive youth would make him a certain
winner. In an eight round bout almost
anything may happen.
At present writing it looks very
much as though Cumberland, Md.
would be the scene of the S127,500
Willard Dempsey fight. 1t depends on
what Governor Harrington of Mary
land says to the Mayor Of Cumberland
tomorrow. Rickard will not take an
other battle to state where the atti-
tude of the Governor is antagonistic.
He had one experience of this sort in
California and it was expensive.
The site of the fight will be set
definitely before May 4. The articles
stlpulate that it shall be named two
months before the fight is to be held.
1t IS Richards s plan to hold the fight
on July 4, though he is not held to that
date by the contract. AS soon as the
place Is selected, Rickard will start the
construction of the arena, built along
the same lines as the one in which
the Jeffries-Johnson fight was held.