The evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1907-1908, 1907-09-09
CANS AND BRITT
AWAITING GONG
~Lightweights Battle Today
for Championship in
Ring at COlma.

SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 9.-Joe Cans
and Jimmie Britt are both ready for the
clang of the gong that win summon them
this afternoon to begin the contest for the
lightweight pugilistic championship of the
world. Both say they are In perfect con-
dition, and, 10 outward appearance, both
are fit The fight Is scheduled to go TWEEN
ty rounds and to be called promptly at 2
O'Clock Is o'clock Eastern time). Both men
are to weigh in at the ringside at lS
pounds.
The men have met before, Cans being
awarded the decision on a foul In a bout
three years ago. This was in Gans's fak-
ing DAYS, and the Baltimore smoke adj
mitted that 1t was a frame-up. Since that
bout Cans has reformed and fought all or
his battles honestly.
This little quarrel give the dapper ana
fastidious Britt another trial in the fast
set of the lightweight division. The well
groomed Californian was born with a Sill
yer spoon In his mouth. He was taken
from the amateur lists of n San Francisco
athletic club and made the pet OF the
most powerful boxing clique in America
Britt's Rapid Rise.
Possessing no little knowledge OF
oueensberry lore. James Edward was
nUEtIpn TADl0IN up lHt Idhhss
no stopping him. for his own ability was
supplemented by the devotion of the CLIQUE.
He reached his hearts desire March 70
1904. when he was awarded the decision
over Young Corbett. He was hailed rs
tbe lightweight champion then because the
nlblic forgot that Joe Cans was living. He
added further honors by getting the de-
cision over Battling Nelson several mohths
later.
Britt was known by many as the de-
cision champion. because of his inaplity
to knock out any of his stronger apron
ents. All he had to do was to stay twenty
rounds with n rival and he was declared
the victor. In many of his battles the so
! called defeated man as deserving OF a
draw. but he never received 1t. Inc Clique
protected Britt. and then the public com
menced to talk of the native son and the
friendliness of his referees.
Britt met with n setback on September
.. 1906. when Battling Nelson in a return
battle knocked him out after eighteen
rounds Of fighting. Since that decisive
defeat Britt has virtually been idle up to
several weeks ago. when he met Nelson
for the third time and won he decision
in a tw~enty-round battle. Nobody disputes
the honesty of this verdict. Britt out
classed the Battler. who showed nothing
of his old aggressiveness or endurance,
and all but finished him.
Now Britt tackles Cans for the title.
On form Cans should easily win the bat
tie. The distance favors the fast-movlng
Californian. but he hasn't the class of the
negro. Cans has a much more formidable
record. He has whipped all Of the worthy
men in the lightweight division. not to say
of decisive conduests in the welterwelght
field. Cans is more schooled and expert
enced N the game and has better punch
Ing ability.
1t must be admitted that the negro Is
on the decline. He is now SO years old,
an age when most fighters commence to
shrink and fade. Ring sharps. however,
do not believe that he has gone back far
enough for a man of Britt's class to whip
him.
Cans Is Confident.
Cans is rather amused at the suggestion
that he must of necessity be hear the end
Of his tether as a ring star.
They nave been telling me that | am
getting too old to fight for years and years.
Fully ten years ago some one said to me.
We'll, Joe. you're good for a couple Of
years longer and | have heard the same
Of argument every year since. l have
been fighting half my i~fe-seventeen years
all told-and I don't feel any s%tiffening of
the joints yet"
Asked to tell what were his particular
reasons for thinking he would survive the
Britt affair. Cans said:
II watched Britt and Battling Nelson
very closely in their recent go. 1 suppose
you know that I bet on Nelson, and finally
got in and began to coach Britt. Well.
even while Britt was winning I made up
my mind that I could take care of him
when 1t came to his turn to face me.
Battling Nelson Is one of the slowest fight
ers in our class. He is a stretch runner, in
fact, and seldom does his best until the
contest is well along and the other man
is growing tired. If you remember, though,
in his fight with Britt, Nelson really led
his opponent for seven rounds. He had
Britt in such a bad way about the sixth
round that I turned to the newspaper men
sitting near me and said: Nelson will win
before it goes a couple of rounds further.
Then suddenly Nelson stopped-stopped as
though he was shot In his arms, and
Britt had everything his own way. Mel
son, the stretch runner, wasn't in 1t.
Now, here's my argument: Don't you
think I can lead any man that Battling
Nelson can outlook for seven rounds? II
you don't, I do. What is more, I don't
think a man lives who can come back and
whip me after l have had him for a target
for seven rounds. / think I have got It on