Evening Republican, Volume 18, Number 21, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 24 January 1914 — WORLD “CHAMPS” FEW [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

WORLD “CHAMPS” FEW

Johnny Kilbane Is Simply American Title Holder. _y i * Philadelphia Ne wspaper Writer Thinks Willie Ritchie Is Overrated—Freddie Welsh Is UndUpuiedEng— -r lish Champion. There is not a champion boxer In America, Europe or Australia, except Jack Johnson, who can claim to be a world's champion!, declares a writer in the Philadelphia Ledger. You will read where some overzealous Pacific coast ring critic alludes to Willie Ritchie aB a world’s champion, and those of the middle west refe# to Johnny Kilbane as holder of the world’s feather weight title. Both are Incorrect. Neither is a world’s champion. They are simply American title holders. Ritchie won his light weight title from Wolgast on a foul. Neither Wolgast nor Ritchie ever beat FYeddie Welsh, the recognized champion of England and present holder of the Lord Lonsdale belt. In fact, Ritchie was beaten by Welsh on November 30, 1911, at Los Angeles, over the twenty round route. That was prior to the young Californian’s victory over Wolgast. Until Ritchie meets and defeats Welsh he can only be regarded as the American champion. Up to present writing he has not exhibited any great prowess with the gloves. He has had

only a few contests since he was crowned champion, although he has been repeatedly challenged. He is rated by Philadelphia sports on the work he performed there. He was completely outboxed by Young Erne and Charley Turner, neither of whom make any pretensions to be champions of their class. Johnny Kilbane of Cleveland is the recognized feather weight champion of America and not of the world, aa he is constantly alluded to by enthusiastic writers of the middle west. Kilbane won the title from Abe Attell, February 22, 1912, at Vernon, Cal., over the twenty round route, the bout lasting the limit. Attell was not a world’s champion at the time, because he had never beaten Jem Driscoll, then the best man in England at the weightKilbane has never fought an international battle —in fact, he has not been in a championship contest since he won the decision over Attell. Johnny Coulon, tho bantam weight title holder, like Kilbane and Ritchie, has been very careful not to jeopardize his ring reputation. A.lthougb-re-peatedly: challenged, Coulon has not fought a championship battle since February, 1912, when he was awarded a twenty round decision over Frankie Burns at New Orleans. Coulon is only champion of America, despite the fact that way back in 1910 he met Jim Kendrick twice in New Orleans, winning on points in ten rounds and again by a knockout in nineteen rounds. Kendrick was an Englishman, but not a champion of his country.

Johnny Kilbane, Featherweight Champion.