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Show FIS Fll PICKING IB DIFFICULT Ritchie Made Big Favorite, Reasons Therefor Not Altogether Clear. J3y W. W. NAUGIITON. By International . Newa Scr'Ice. RA-N" KUANCISCO. Doc. 4. It la very evident that 110111111? in the lino of prc-stntnlHo prc-stntnlHo will ho overlooked In respect lo tho coining world's championship bout between be-tween Wllllo Itltchlu and Tommy Murphy. Already tho standard utraw of argument and cumpurlson has been thrashed and rethrashed until it refuses to furnish further fur-ther xrist for tho mill of gossip. Under tho clrcumaluncwi It Ih difficult to Ilnd Homcthlng out of tho ordlnury on which to batitt discussions, but It is amply shown that the wise fan of San Fran-I Fran-I c.Isco aro ernml to tho ociiaslon. While some of tho lines of argument employed may bo styled fnr-fetchod, others certainly cer-tainly possess a gleam of originality. Que well-known uporilng man has dis-i dis-i covered that tho Hltchlo-Murphy Kltuu-tlon Kltuu-tlon at this mage is largely analagous to tho Jim Cofbctt-Bob Fltzulminons affair af-fair at Carson and ho evidently thinks that tho deductions to he drawn should act as a note of warning to those who arc making Jlltchic such an overwhelming favorite. Ho points out that Corbctt, a genuine world'ij champion, was mado favorlto on the strength of an abbreviated record, while Filnsimmons, a man with a really phenomenal record, both aa to extent and character of performance, was Alighted. Tho best that Corbctt could show in I he lino of victories when sent against Fitz-slmmons Fitz-slmmons were his defeats of John L. Sullivan Sul-livan and Charlie Mitchell. These were certainly glll-edgo achievements, but, as Mr. Sporting Man holds, they did not begin to offset, let alono lay over, the wonders Fitzslmmoit3 had accomplished In the ring. Carson City in Point. For Jim Corbett read "U'illlo Ritchie and for Boh Fltzslmmons read Tommy Murphy and It is instanced that tho conditions con-ditions arc tho same. Ultchlo's record Is cvon moro abbreviated than Jim Cor-bolt's Cor-bolt's and there isn't a thing In it that corresponds with Corbott's defeat of John 1. Sullivan. ' Murphy, on tho other liand. has a past as long as your arm, and hag suffered ns fow reverses aa Kltsslmmons, albeit, his record isn't anything llko as sensational sensa-tional as the Cornlshman.'s. The Inference, of course, is that Kltchlo has no more gcnulno right to be Installed favorite for next Wednesday night's contest con-test at Coffroth's Klghth street arena than Corbett had at Carson. It Is an odd lino of reasoning, but anyhow It's worth a thought. In tho case of a veteran llko Murphy, one of tho things which militates against popularity with the form students is the feeling that lie cannot go on forever. It Is admitted that Tommy has upsot all tho laws of averages, but tho suspicion that the next light he engages in may be tho one In which ho will "blow up" Is ever present. Many years before Fltzslmmons showed signs or slowing there were arguments as to whether the world-famous Cornlshman had another light left in him. He proved that he had peroral. Even after making a show of retiring ho came forth again and knocked out Gus Ruhlln and Tom Sharkey within a week of each other. Murphy's Long Record. So far as condition and effectiveness arc concerned. Tommy Murphy Is no worso off right now than Fitzslmmons was when thu world thought Bob overdue over-due for a licking and discovered that it had tried to call the turn too soon. With Murphy, as It was with Fltzslmmons. Fltzslm-mons. it is to wonder how marry lights he has left. And for all the signs of retrogression Tommy lias shown so far the best tho wisest of us can do Is to hazard a guess. Smith and Morris. The result of tha recent unpleasantness between Carl Morris and Jess Wlllard Is confusing und it may bo that the experts of pugilism will feel less Inclined In future to predict success for anything In the gulto of a "white hope." All the enst hu3 beon clamoring for a return match between Morri3 and "Gunboat" "Gun-boat" Smith, tho contention being that Morris had by no means tho worst of tho going when ho lost to Smith recently on a foul. Morris was hailed as a fellow who. by dint of rough treatment ami many reverses, re-verses, had learned the trade of fighting and was surely on the upgrade. Now slow-thinking and slower-acting Jess Willard has taken his measure. Well, to bo consistent, there should be a Wlllard boom, but who la going to start it? Echo answers Tom Jones. |