Los Angeles herald., 1908-06-08
SENDS LANGFORD
AFTER KETCHELL
BERGER WANTS MATCH FOR
ADMISSION DAY
NEGRO scRAPPER HAS GIVEN HIS
ACCEPTANCE
Northern Promoter syndloates Eddie
keevin and His String of Puai.
listie Drawing Cards for
Early Dates

Efforts are being made by Sam Ber-
ger. one of the many fight promoters
of San Francisco. to steal a march on
;. his rivals in the north in arranging a
match for Stanley Ketchell that will
make a good drawing card for Admis-
sion day. Berger practically syndi-
Gated Eddie Keevin and his string of
scrappers when he came south last
week, getting Jimmys Gardner and
Walsh and Sam Langford to agree to
fight for him, and Langford has been
offered match with Ketchell at 154
pounds as the Admission day attraction
at the Berger fight house.
Naturally, Langford accepted the OF
fer of match and Berger now is try.
ing to secure the signature of Ketchell
to a set of articles that will close the
match. The fight would not depend
upon the result of any fight that Ketch-
ell might engage in previous to Ad-
mission day, and Berger is confident
that he will be able to secure accep-
tance by Ketchell
Berger has not made announcement
of his plans regarding this match for
the simple reason that he wants to get
Ketchell signed up before other pro-
moters get after him, as the middle
weight champion will be the greatest
drawing card in the fight world If he
should give Papke decisive beating
In the meantime, and Jimmy Coffroth
is using all his suavity and various
other influences to get Ketchell and
Papke signed up for second meeting
in his Mission street ring at an early
day.
Langford stands out as prominently
in the middle and light heavyweight
divisions as any of the rivals of ketch-
,1I fntn hn. fn Iea hn
nut for any of them to crack. Being
clever and a great slugger. he would
make a tough opponent for Ketchell.
He Is anxious to close the match, as
he would have an opportunity or Tight
ing for real money for the first time in
his life and a defeat by Ketchell would
not cause Sam to lose any great amount
of prestige, as he is considered almost
unbeatable in the middleweight divis-
ion. I.angford agrees to make 15f
pounds, which will require considerable
work for Sam and naturally will not
add to his chances of winning from the
champion.
1t is not known whether Ketchell viii
draw the color line, but as he has an
nounced his intention of going after
Tommy Burns and the heavyweight
championship he evidently has large
stock of confidence in himself and will
not draw the color line through any
|
with Langford.
Ketchell may not accept the match
with Langford on the grounds that
there is plentiful supply of good ma
terial in the middleweight division that
would prove better drawing cards and
ne can get as many good fights as he
will be able to handle for another year
without taking vacation. Papkes
Hugo Kelly Jack (Twin) Sullivan and
few others would drag great chunks
of gold to the box office and all want
to fight the champion for his title.
Efforts were made last night to get
Berger to confirm the report that he is
negotiating with Ketchell for Lang
ford. but he could not be treed by wire
However, 1t is an assured fact that he
has obtained the signature of Lang
ford to articles for fight with Ketch-
ell, to be staged Admission day. and
undoubtedly Berger is seeking to get
the Ketchell signature. 1t would be
fine business for Sam (both of them)
from a selfish financial viewpoint.