The advocate. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1901-1913, 1907-11-14
TITLE
Hinges on RI suI or.
Coming CONTEST 4 j i 4. !.



lin FLYNN In quicker time than did
Toaaqny Hurns, big Jack Johnson. the
clever colored heavy weight, accord
ing to 1stic critics throughout the
country, has earned the right to meet
Burns for the heavyweight cham
pionahtp of America and Australia.
and probably Of the world. The, title
for the worlds championship hinges
on the result Of the Burns" inner"
Moir battle in England. in my OPP
inion Johnson was Burns logical OPP
ponent before he beat FLYNN. but his
victory over the Coloradan makes his
claim to match just a wee e.bit
stronger. "...' IL: *s-,.~pi
The big black Is being lionized ON
the coast for the clever manner in
which he beat Flynn and also for
his gameness, as the supposition was
b he would show the white feather, or
the yellow streak, as 1T generally is
termed, when combating with an ag-
gressive and hard-hitting fighter.
OF the two Flynn Is entitled to the
most credit, as he was, much the
smaller and the less scientific. He
gave away at least twenty ,ponnds In
weight ana fully five~inches in height
and reach. At that he carried the
fight to the Big fellow and kept at it
until he measured his length on the
canvas. Besides, he took ON a man
the best heavtes in the country, ex-
cepting Mike .Sehreck. did not care
to daily with. Even AL Kaufman,
WHO beat :Sphreck, passed him up as,
too tough "a proposition. Further
more, the best fight critics In the Unit:
ed States conceded Jack the victory
AS soon as the match was clinched.
Flynn was aware OF this, and II he
was not, then the betting, q to /,
on the black, practically told him the
outcome expected. II that did not
enlighten him, then the first few
rounds OF the fight, unless The can
not see through sieve, did, -as. John.
son thus early in the fight demon
strated his superiority. Therefore, it
is not what Jack did, bit the scien-
tific manner In which he did it that
makes him. appear the best heavy,
weight in the country. There was
not one minute during the IL rounds
Of fighting that he was not master
of the situation, and it is for the
skillfu1 and mastery manner in
which he did the job that he now Is
being touted as the coming cham
pion. -"
But how about the talk that has
been going ON for years regarding
a colored man being given a chance
fighting for the eaVy-weight cham
pionshtp? John L. Sullivan was
lauded to the skies because he turn
ed down Peter Jackson, and jim JET
fries was upheld by the .pugilistic
writer's of the country for refusing
to match with Johnson. There were
no colored heavy weight aspirants
during the championship reign of Jim
Corbett and Bob Fitzsimmons, so
they escaped censnre or praise as the
case might have been. 49,.
Why not colored heavyweight
champion II we have, and have had.
colored champions in some Of the
lighter divisions? George Dixon, as
champion feather weight, was an
honor TO the sport, as he depoEted
himself much better than did some,
Of our white champions Joe Cans
the best Of the light weights, has
been credit to the game since he
unshackled himself from AL Hereford
and Peter Johnson, the best OF the
old-time heavies, hohnobbed with. the
best mon in the land,
1t probably is not known by the
younger generation that John l.. Sui
Ivan practically stripped to fight
George Godfrey, the colored heavy
weight Of Boston. When challenged
by Peter Jackson he said: white
fighters $4,000, colored fighters
double the amount"
Later Mr.. Fulda, president Of the
old California club, the principal
fighting club in San Francisco In
those days, arranged match be-
tween Sullivan and Jackson, but be-
fore he could get them to sign a set
Of. articles an unknown fighter was
killed In a small Frisco club, which
killed the game on the coast for the
time being. Thus it will be. seen that
but for the accident Sullivan and
Jackson, undoubtedly, would have
batued for the heavyweight cham.
pionship. Regarding Jefaries draw
Ing, the color line, he fought Peter
Jackson and Bob Armstrong before
he won the Championship from Fitz-
simmons, and defeated Hank Griffin
in four rounds two years after he won
the title. Fitzsimmons and Corbett
also fought colored men. Jim's best
battle was with Peter jackson, and
Bob beat the black Pearl In Mfnnea-
polls In four rounds.
Judging by the criticisms heaped
11rnnn Tc,rnn nr,a. 1a..n..- A..a H. L.