, 1923-02-18

on its face, only a minor defici,
In the ring game post mortems
are a pore and "alibis' give birth to
merriment. Yet one is tempted 10 Ia
ment tha so extraordinary a fight ng
machine as this lad never enjoyed she
rewards and honors that go with the
tHle.
To recall Waugh in action and then
to reflect on how slight a hurdle kept
him from the heights is to experience
the shock one feels at seeing a rare
vase lying shattered on the ground.
or on discovering that the owner of
a beautiful profile has the pock-
marked cheeks that vaccination would
have saved her from.
A Marvel Of the Ring.
OF none Of the boxers heretofore
discussed in these articles could It be
so truly said that he had every
thing" Nature never constructed a
more perfect specimen of the first
class pugilist. A brain that operated
with the speed of light; a punch that
was a baby Big Bertha; a superin-
stinct for glove fighting; skill and
footwork that were like a cats; a left
hand that has seldom been equalled;
natural weight; correct form, and the
requisite vicious disposition to win by
a knockout If possible-arl these and
many other links in the chain of
greatness were Waugh's.
Born in Fort Worth, Texas, in No
vember. 1893, Bobby's record begins
in 1910. when he knocked out eight
cen men NJ dec:sioned his only other
In 1911 he stopped four
Nen men, including that modern Joe
Grimm, Stanley Yoakum; won two,
and drew six times, twice with Charlie
White. Although only IS. he was
fighting many fifteen and twenty.
round battles to a decision. No hot.
house plant for friendly referees to
nurture in nauseating. short. no de.
cis'on bouts was this boy!
Five knockouts. two wins and two
draws in 1912. In 1913, stu meeting
some Of the best l.ghtwe'ghts of the
day. Waugh won sever drew two and
scored his first defeat. He was Il
when he cantered home a winner in
seven bouts. drawing in two and reg.
istering four no decision meetings.
Whipped Two Ex- Champions.
Bobby's big" year was 1915. Ad
Wolgast. as dirty as ever, fouled him
after taking a terrific lacing for six
rounds: Battling Nelson, another for.
mer champion. lost a twenty-round
decision to him; while Benn'e Cor
dova, Stanley Yoakum. Len Rowlands
and eleven other crack boxers were
easily defeated.
PIN 1916, 1917 and 1918 the Texan
fcontnued his spectacular career.
Often he won, sometimes he lost. fire.
quently he whipped his conquerors IN
return bouts. some of his contests
We're no decision; but in none of his
battles did he fa'l to show his SUPER
lat've class. or cause his admirers to
amend Their prediction that he was
destined to win the title.
Then. one morning. Waugh and his
friends awoke to the stunning real'za-
ton that he was an old man. so
Tar as fighting was concerned: that
the crown had been posed from VOL.
CAST to Richie to Welsh to Leonard
while he was f'ddling along in Dixie
rings: and hat he was never fated.
at his age to take that crown from
so remarkable a king as the New
York Hebrew.
Reason for His Failure.
Chagrined by this distressing dis
coNery, they set about to learn what
had happened to keep this master
rom his deserts. Some attributed It
10 one thing, some to another. The
renson is this:
Cited by birth, inclination and de-
Ve!opment with every needful qualifi-
cation, Bobby Waugh was kept back
Wy bonehead management. In his
big years" when, beyond all doubt
ne could have whipped either Welsh
or Leonard. he never had a manager
VINO had brains enough to get them
INTO a ring with him. Fighting was
his forte; he had to leave the rest of
II to his managers. and they failed
him g~rievously in so slight a thing as
meeting a champions terms, agreeing
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