Los Angeles herald., 1908-09-01
KETCHEL MADE
LONG FAVORITE
PRICE GOES TO 8 TO l WITH
NO TAKERS
LITTLE PAPKE MONEY APPEARS
ALONG RlALTo
Terrific Slugglng Ability of the Cham
pIon lmpresses Fans and Forces
Opinion That He Cannot Lose
to the Challenger

II the betting odds are any indication
of popular sentiment regarding the
probabilities of the middleweight cham
next Monday afternoon at Vernon,
Billy Papke, the Illinois Thunderbolt,
is not believed to have much of a
chance of winning the title from the
fighting, mauling Montana cowboy
Stanley Ketchel. The odds opened a
week ago at 10 to. 7, with Papke the
shortender and little money in sight to
back him. The price has dwindied
steadily, with the appearance of TIM
limited bundles OF Ketchel coin and
corresponding lack of Papke money
until the champion is a to sh'u.
AS good as 2 TO was offered yester-
day morning by the Ketchel admirers,
but there was no Papke money IN sight
at these odds. The price continued TO
drop until midnight, when 3 to l was
offered that Ketchel will win. Very
little betting has been done thus far
The odds quoted in San Francisco gen.
orally are to /, with Papke the Snort
ender. The local Ketchel hackers re-
fuse to recognize such great odds at
this time, Just as they refused to take
10 to a few days ago, and indications
now are most favorable to the cham
pion being write-your-own-ti ticket
1aFOE1Ie over MS InOSL lOTlIliudDlc IlNdI.
OF course, odds do not win fight,
but 1t is seldom that the Los Angeles
fans get so far out of line as to once
to / on a false favorite. 1t must be
admitted that the terrific punching
ability of the Montana boy is respon-
sible for these odds. In cleverness and
speed he probably has nothing on
Papke. but he is such a sensational
puncher that the sportsmen cannot ns-
ure how Papke can stand before the
champion, even with all his cleverness
in play, and make q winning light.
Hugo Kelly, admittedly cleverer than
Papke and equally as classy, could not
make an impression with the champion.
1t may be that Ketchel has fright
ened the fans about as much as he has
scared his sparring partners and that
the odds are false, but this sort OF
argument does not find any willing
audience along the rialto. All one can.
hear is that Ketchel is a demon with
his fists and that no living man can
stand before him and punch with him.
He is regarded as mankiller, in short.
Ketchel went automobiling yesterday
with his trainer, Tom O'Connor, and
New friends, and when several miles
but In the country their auto became
Fdfsabled for a time by punctures and
other tire troubles Ketchel was de-
Iayed until It was impossible for him
10 KtI DdCk III IkiAO AOi Ills uoAbA wa
out, and he telephoned to his manager
that he would not work during the
day Quite a large crowd of fans were
disappointed as a consequence. Ketchel,
however, was not q bit disappointed as
he says that the rest really was of
more benefit TO him than the work
would have been, and he does not re-
gret the enforced idleness.
Papke went through with the regu-
lar daily grind at Venice, doing forty
minutes work with the machine, punch
ing bag. dummy and in shadow boxing
and ended the workout with seven
rounds of boxing, two rounds with Phil
Brock and five nasty, mauling sessions
with Jim Tremble. Papke is not alarm
ed in the least at the state of the
market regarding the result and con-
fidently expects to put the brakes on
the meteoric career of the champion
next Monday afternoon. Papke is as
game as any of them and has un-
limited confidence in his own ability
to shine as a champion star. He will
continue to work along the prescribed
lines until after Sunday.