AMERICAN BOXING.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume I, Issue 49, 3 April 1914, Page 2

AMERICAN BOXING.

WILLIE RITCHIE' SOMERSAULTS. AND OTHER DOINGS. (Sun Special.) SAN FRANCISCO, March 2. One thing about Willie Ritchie is that he's the greatest publicity artist the game has seen for many years. Willie is sure a champion at keeping the newspaper fellows tumbling over themselves to find out what he's going to do. Willie works the stunt by changing his mind about every day. It doesn't make him much of a little tin god with the fans, but it keeps him in the news columns for sure. All the same, Ritchie'is making the lightweight championship a farce. He showed himself real slick in sliding out of matches with Harlem Tommy Murphy. Of course, Ritchie had excuses to offer. First it was a hurt nose, and then it was a strained Achilles' tendon. After Willie's previous efforts in delaying lights no one placed much stock in. his .excuses/ Murphy himself became disgusted, and pulled 'out of California;, averring that it was really increasing weight that prevented Ritchie from living up to his contests. . . . . Ritchie's last bout was. a.ten-rounds go with Leach Cross in New York last November. Since-the early part of December he has not touched .a boxing glove. Even the champion began to giess it was time he did something, so now we are told that his heel is all right, and that he will fight Wolgast in Milwaukee on March 12, in a ten rounds go. Both are to weigh in at 9st 91b at 5 o'clock. Ritchie-is. guaranteed £2OOO, with the privilege of taking 40 per cent! of the - gross receipts. Tom Andrews, noted sporting, writer, is promoting the affair. He has had a lot of trouble in getting, the men to come to an agreement, and at one time he called it ok. But now there is every prospect of the fight, being staged. Rifchie is looked to as the winner, but there is no under-rating of Wolgast 's chances.. The former champion has been doin'g the come-back act well. He has had a lot of fights lately, and has shown good form. A couple of weeks ago he gave Tommy Gary, the clever little Chicago scrapper, a lacing in a ten-rounds bout. Wolgast is confident that he can beat Ritchie, and he is talcing no chances. He cancelled his match with Charley .White, put down for Milwaukee on February 27, because he did not want, any iiiore hard fighting before the Ritchie Ritchie.^ ; should give him all he wants." /: [Ritchie won well.-r-Ed., SUN.] RITCHIE AND AUSTRALIA. Ritchie's attack of fightitis is not keeping him Out of his.little 'stunt of '' first he said he woiild, then he said he wouldn't." Promoter "Snowy" Baker, all. the: way from 'Stralia,; is; one of those on whom the game has been worked. "Snowy" offered the champion a guarantee of something like £3500 for one fight in Australia, or £IO,OOO for three contests. Ritchie turned it down because-he felt bound to go on with a match with Tompiy Murphy in April. Baker—Who "had M'Coy, Mehegan, and' Saylor in mind: as the men to meet Ritehie —was disappointed'greatly. . A day-or two later Ritchie's mind turned a somersault, and Baker announced that he had reached an agreement with Ritchie, 1 who would leave for Sydney soon after his April bout with Murphy, and-would have several fights down under. Ritehie is said to have told Baker that he regarded his promise as binding though he had signed a contract. Next thing was that Ritchie's mind had not finished somersaulting.. The present position is that the champion says he will go to Australia some day, but he does not know when. How much would his contracts be worth! Not ten cents, seemingly. In the meantime, Tommy Murphy is not pinning his faith to a meeting with Ritchie in April. He thinks it is as likely to fall through as his previous dates with little Willie, because of the latter's vagaries. A bout between Murphy and Wolgast is being planned for Vancouver, British Columbia. M'FARLAND AND GIBBONS. . One thing that might have influenced Willie Ritchie to slacken off in his de-

R. LONGLEY.. „ • Coroniforni, Twelfth Night, Bee, Con the Shaughraun, White Coclcade, and Icarion. A.-M'AULAY. Hops'and Signorile. G. SCOBIE. Silver Shield, Atlieldana. Faln-ikoff, and Lady Query. * W. ■ PINE. Respond, Olga Carlovna, Salathiel, and Ovar. F, SMITH. Daylight Bill, Sunbeam, Free, Andrea, Milo, and Snowraker. P. M'.GRATB. Thrax and Tannhauser. W. M'DONALD. First Glaiicc, Lady Mareia, Moddite, Teviotdale, and Gunrest. D. ROBERTS. Troon, Joan, Gregory, and Quirkland. J\ P. CLARIDGE. Mumura, Owhetoro, and Frangranui. J. PINE. Fire God and Honey Girl. D. MORAGHAN. Kilts and Den Charl. li. DERRETT. Flower of the West, Madama, Judith, and Findhorn. "* W. DONNELLAN. Morton and Missile. G. M. AYNSLEY. Warstep, Stardancer, Marsa, Chrysotis, and Shcne Dhu. R. EMERSON. Forest Belle, Wee Donald, and Nilhsdale. P. POWER. Firmhold and The Joker. R. ELLIS. Briar Patch. H. TINKER. ■ Merry Guest. W. CLARKE. Chorale. W. BUSH. Gnome. J. FRANKS. Bonne Bouchc. TEMPLAK.

layed fight stunt is the fact that a rival show was taking some of the limelight from him. Packey M'Farland aiul Mike Gibbons, whose meeting has been threatening for about two years, are figuring strongly in the delayed fight act just now. They were to have got their quarrel off in New York on February 12, but it was postponed until the first week of this month, but no one it will actually come off. Some say it will be never. No one seems to luiqw for sure who is responsible for the delay, but the trouble seems to be with Gibson, the New York promoter. UNHOLZ FINISHED. Rudolph Unholz, the Boer fighter who was a pretty tought nut in the lightweight ranks a few years ago—Australians know him well —is about finished as a boxer.. He tried a " comeback" the other 1 day, and managed to get Ad Wolgast as the second man in the ring. Wolgast finished the Boer's pretensions pr-etty quickly. Unholz hit the mat a few times, and in less than two rounds he was down for the count. The reason for Unholz,'s reappearance is said to be a deiirth of coin in the fanjily coffers. But what he, got ow-t of the fight with Wolgast was not worth considering. Bob Fitzsiminons is another who wants to try the come-back stunt, and in ftis ease it is asserted that the reason is that he is absolutely "broke." But Bob is not likely to get any fights. It's p. pity he did not put away something for a rainy day when he .was in his prime and picking up the coin pretty easily.