Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1908-07-17
KAUFMAN HAS
BEGUN TRAINING
BOY WONDER STARTS WORK
AT VENICE CAMP
SHOWS TO BE MUCH IMPROVED
AND HAS DEVELOPED s.
Billy Delaney, His Manager, Says That
Al VIII Win, but He Does Not
Anticipate Anything
Easy

The boy wonder, AL Kaufman, be-
gan training yesterday at Venice for
his fight July "A with Battling johnson.
doing bit of boxing with BILLY Ker-
sands Wade, his chum, and hence
forth until the day previous to the
scrap he will work every afternoon at
O'clock in the open air ring opposite
the amphitheater. Abdul the Turk has
been engaged as sparring partner and
will begin work this afternoon. Sailor
Gordon. who always helps train Al,
will arrive Monday from San Fran
cisco and put in the final days of train
ing with the big boy.
Billy Delaney, the veteran trainer
and maker of champions, who discov-
cred and developed Kaufman, is man
aging the affairs of the native son and
directing him in his training, as usual.
Delaney probably Is one of the best
judges of fighter that ever lived, and
he is not spelling any heated ozone re-
garding the easy mark that they may
or may not expect to find in the big
Russian. On the contrary, Delaney
says that he is expecting a hard fight,
and regards Johnson as in the near
champion class.
I'VE do not expect to pick up any
easy money in this fight" said Della
ney. "Assuredly, we expect to win, but
/ know johnson, and know that he is
a hard job for any fighter to tackle. He
is so strong and has such a fierce wal
1op that no fighter has any license to
take unnecessary risks of getting in
the way Of the Russian.
'Al Weighs about 1873 pounds now,
and as he does not take off weight to
any extent, he will go into the ring at
about that weight. which will give
Johnson an advantage in that regard.
However, AL should counterfeit this adj
vantage in his greater experience,
stiffness and cleverness. He can hit
a little bit hard himself, as you know,
and will try to stop Johnson, because
it will be quite boost to his ambitions
to become the heavyweight champion.
After he defeats Johnson he will go
after bigger game, and eventually we
expect to fight for the championship"
AL looks larger than when he was
seen last in the local ring. He has
grown and developed considerably, and
Delaney says he is much improved In
his fighting. His knockout victory over
Sam Berger proved that he is improv-
ing, and undoubtedly he will be diff
ferent fighter than when he last ap-
Feared here.
He will do considerable road work in
the mornings, and Delaney has mapped
out a rather strenuous existence for his
big boy in the afternoon workouts. Al
has been training in San Francisco and
comes south in good condition. The
finishing touches will be put on in the
remaining days of the training Period.
and he will 90 into the ring In perfect
condition to put up a great fight.
The match is considered a most at
tractive one, and the fans are much
pleased at the prospect of witnessing
genuine heavyweight scrap between the
championship contenders. Johnson has
not been sent up after so much class as
he will stack up against in this fight,
and the fans are specializing as to
what he will be able to do against
fighter of the size, reach, cleverness.
punching ability and good class of
Kaufman. If he defeats Al he will be
sent hotfooting after the bigger boys
in his chase for the heavyweight pen
nant.