The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-09-26
That Are Hurled at Him by
Aspiring Heavy Weights.
TOPAY NO ATTENTION.
Says Not One of Them Is Worth
His Bothering With.
Things Looks Blue for Him to
Get OH Another Fight.

| San FRANCISCO, sept. Zo.-4 nave SdlQ
SO often that I am ready to meet any
white man in the world in a. champion
ship fight that it is an old story, but
have to repeat it here. The faster
they come the bigger and cleverer they
are, the better 1 will be pleased.
There have been so many challenges
hurled at me lately that it would seem
that I ought to be able to get busy
pretty soon, but I do not feel very
hopeful Any number of people are
ready to challenge, but when the time
comes to make good they sidestep.
| All any man that wants a fight with
me need do is to show that there will
be money in the contest and that he is
| capable of putting up a real fight. /
do not want to meet another Jack
Munroe.- nor will L do SO. A fight with
a man of Munroe'S caliber hurts the
game. Whenever a dub like the miner
| is touted a world beaten, and then
| makes a sorry showing, pugilism loses
! hundreds of friends. Another fight like
| that would put me on the blink as a
! drawing card.
In. the last few weeks every man in
| the fighting game that weighs any
where near the 200-pound mark has
had a desire to challenge me. Not only
have fighters come after me, but even
amateur athletes have come to the
front and promised to kill me with a
blow. All this talk makes me long for
a quiet nook where can enjoy life till
a real fighter comes along able and
willing to give me good fight. When
that man shows up I'll crawl through
the ropes and do the best can to de-
fend the championship.
AS matters now stand I do not see
that there is a man in the fighting bus
mess who has right to meet me. or
course there are several who would
take a licking for the small end of a big
purse, but that's not the sort of scrap
per want to cross arms with How
ever, let any of the men who are crying
for fight prove to the satisfaction of
the sporting press of the country that
they should be given a chance, and they
are as good as signed. 3.
Now to get down to business. This is
the way 1 look on the challenges that
have come my way. I will take each
man by himself.
Ralph Rose-This fellow is a big kid.
1 thought at first that he was on the
level, and that he might really be made
good enough to meet me. He was as
bold as a lion when he first shouted
my neck with a punch. He also mad me
faded in several other matters, notably
speed and youth. As soon as L let it be
known that L would be glad to do bust
ness with him he, resigned. and guess
he is crawling yet. L hear he has
greater reputation for shooting off his
mouth than for anything else, and that
that habit has made him very unpopu-
L
have been told that he is not game, and
that let's him out as a fighter. = No
ciicken-hearted man ever won a fight.
Tom Jenkins-Now, Jenkins PROPOSE
ton for a rough-and-tumble fight looks
good to me. If he can prove that peo--
pie will pay to see US mix things on an
everything goes basis, and can find a
place where the fight can be pulled off,
I will take him on. AS figure it, he
would not last very long. He hopes to
get in and make a wrestling match of
the bout, but / think I'd eaten him
coming, and if I did he would lose
lot of strength after my wallop landed.
But 1 do not want to knock jenkins
proposition, for he may see his way to
pulling the bout off, and I'm willing to
do my share of the bruising.
Sandy FerguSon-All this fellow has
to base a. demand for a fight on is the
fact that he has beaten Gus Rubin
and few third and fourth raters. He
doesn't class and a fight with him
wouldn't draw flies. 1 do not think he
is game, and would be willing to meet
six men of his capacity in an evening.
Jack Johnson-This fellow is a fair
fighter, but he is black, and for that
reason will never meet him. If were |
not the champion would as soon meet
a negro as any other man, but the title
help it do not think this fellow has
anything on a lot. of heavies that
have licked. He's a good man, but not
as good as Fitzsimmons or Sharkey.
He IS an ln-dnQ-OQleT, anu udS SOIllS
queer fights in his record. But the only |
thing that makes a fight with him inn |
possible is that he is a negro.
Bob Fftzsimmons-Lanky Bob has
been talking lately about being ready |
to do business with me soon. That's |
Joke. He knows he doesn't want any
more of my game. He is talking for |
advertising purposes and every talk
brings results at the box office of his |
show.
men who say they want to fight me.
Some would fight if given chance;
others would take to the tall and lofty |
if they saw a set of articles within |
mile of them. If any of 'em can be |
mace fit opponents for me and the
public demands that I fight them-I
am ready. I am anxious to work at
my trade-fghting-but there is moth
ing doing.
-nODIA nIn NELL.