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RITCHIE MAY FIGHT PACKY MTARLANDNew' 'Titleholder is Said to Be Willing to Give Chicago ■ Boy a Chance.Willie Ritchie, the new lightweight champion, who has been' a training partner Tor Packey McFarland, Is ready tq. give rh« Hi if ago -hoy a chance at the title, according to the following report in the New York Evening World:“Billy Nolan announces that Willie Ritchie wants to bo* Packey McFarland before ho meets any other 'aspirant to the lightweight chnTTpion-ahlp. *Packey may have a chance at last.. Nolan adds, very loudly, that Willie won't force Fackey to make 1331 pounds ringside, but will allow him tojwelgb five hours before the battle, or come In at 135 pounds ringside ' Remembering William Nolan‘B*way of doing business when he was manager of Battling Nelson. I suspect that Ritchie may favor that 136-pound mark himself, although he beat'Wol-gast at 133. Nolan never gave away anything he could hold In making a match for any of bta fighters, it was Nolao who forced Joe Clans to weigh 133 imunds ringside in hta fighting togs at Goldfleld.- I^oor Joe worked' . so hard to make the weight that he went a llttfc below.“He weighed under l3l stripped. And many believe that the weakening effect of fh»t terrific training down was responsible for his contracting consumption soon after the battle.“I wonder if the thought of that has ever worried Nolan.Willie Ritchie seems, by-fete willingness to meet McFarland, who is by far the best of the lightweight contenders for the title, to be a genuine champion NVIson n**vCr would fight McFarland while Bat held the title. Wolgaat never co. :d be dragged Into a ring with Packe. it Is refreshing to find that there U one champion who doesn't Intend to try to stall along and hold hla money earning titfo-.by avoiding those who might have a chance to take it - ftWay. and Kitchle kn0wB McFarland. He .oxed with Pnrkey on the roadand in' training quartern for severalweeks.“Ritchie haB often spoken well of Packey. He admires the Chicagoan, and hasn't been backward about saying so. -In-.loct, his feeling toward Packey is quite friendly.*“Yet he la willing to «Jve him a chance to fight for the lightweight title that Ritchie bolds.This is the generous spirit of emulation that ehould bo encouraged. In the old days It was customary to advertise boxing contests as ‘grudge fights.' Today boxing is a sport. Per-, eonal apimoalty has no place in it/ any iuore Than in a running race or a hockey game or a football match or any other branch of sport.”
Newspaper Details
Gazette and Bulletin
Williamsport, Pennsylvania, US
Wed, Dec 11, 1912
Page 9
Full Page
Clipped by
John H.
IL, USA 31 Dec 2017
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