Los Angeles herald., 1906-04-02
By Jaw Davidson

Big Jim JeffrieS, champion OF cnam-
pions, informs the world through The
Herald that he has not voluntarily re-
tired from the ring, but states that he
is forced into retirement because there
is no battler in the world whom the
public gives a chance with him, and
that until a worthy opponent is found
he will stay on the ranch and raise pigs
and chicks for pastime.
This is pleasing news to the sporting
world. No more popular fighter ever
stepped inside the ropes than the Cali
fornia giant, and the easy manner in
which he moved down all aspiring
heavyweights in his climb to the top of
the heap and since he became cham
pion impresses the world with the be-
lief that there is no man living who is
able to give him decent argument
with the gloves.
After almost assassinating all the big
men in the ring whom the public held
as having any sort of a chance with
him, jeff hunted the sporting woods for
many weary months in fruitless
search for some worthy opponent, but
was disappointed.
Becoming convinced that he had per-
formed his complete duty as claimant
to the title of champion of champions,
he stepped out of the spotlight and
handed over his title to the world and
invited the lesser lights in the heavy
weight division to scramble for it.
Marvin Hart and Jack Root were the
most promising battlers for the fight
off and Hart won the relinquished title
by knocking out Root. Jeff declared
that he had whipped everything in
sight and would retire until the public
asked him to again go into the ring and
fight, completing his retirement by ask
ing the public to accept the winner of
the HartRoot fight as the champion
who should defend the title in future, or
until it became necessary for the real
champ to get busy again.
Nothing in Sight
The news that Jeff will fight again
whenever an opponent is escorted to the
center of the stage by the public with
request that he be whipped is as
startling as it is agreeable to the sport
ing world.
Yet, Notwithstanding Jeff's evident
reconsideration of his plans of retire
ment, who is there in all the world
whom the public really believes would
be able to give the big boy a hard
fight?
Tommy Burns is the claimant of the
heavyweight championship by virtue of
his easy victory over Marvin Hart, but
Tommy is wise enough and honest
enough to know that he would have no
chance with Jeffries and has so de-
clared himself.
In his open defiance of all the heavy
weights in the world. Burns plainly
excerpts big Jim and frankly acBnowl-
edges that he has too high regard for
his physical self to step into the ring
with the rancher-pugilist.
a {c, nto1X hpo ier11f
in the world who has had the consum-
mate gall to ask the public to believe
him sincere in his .ttempts at getting
Jeff to step out of retirement and
fight him for the title.
O'Brien always has been a nervy
young man and would shine with great
brilliancy in a poker game because Of
his ability as a sure-thing buffer, but
it is dollars to doughnuts that should
Jeff agree to fight him the Philadelphia
lawyer would go back TO his profession
of practitioner at the court house in the
quiet city of his nativity.
O'Brien is one of the cleverest men
in the world, but he would be a mere
puppet for Jeff. Corbett outclasses
O'Brien in point of Cleverness and
punching ability. but what Jeff didn't
do to Jim is not worth while.
Jack Johnson, the negro heavyweight
champion, would have greater chance
with Jeff than any of the white bat
tiers now in sight, but Johnson has
never shown anything that would en-
title him to the slightest considera-
ton as an opponent of Jeff. Jeff would
make him jump out of the ring inside
of two rounds.
Should Hart, Rubin. Sharkey, Root,
Al kaufman or any other heavyweight
not otherwise mentioned attempt to
get in the same ring with Jeff the
police should arrest the offender and
have his head examined without loss
of time. There is a statute against
would-be suicides, anyway
The only way that Jeff could be in
duced to get into the ring with the
present layout of heavies would be in
battle royal with O'Brien, Burns,
Hart, Rubin, Munroe, Sharkey, Root,
Fitzsimmons, AL Kaufman, Jack john
son and few more as his opponents.
If they were all armed with broad axes,
with permission to hit from the rear.
In short, Jeff so ridiculously out