Los Angeles herald., 1908-06-08
THOUSAND FANS
ATTEND WORKOUT
VAN D00zER SURPRISES HIS
FRIENDS BY SHOWING
GIVES TURK FEARFUL LAclNG IN
sIx-RoUND BOUT
Has Cleverness, Speed and Punch, and
Is Improving in Footwork.
In Excellent Condition
Now
Ry Jay DAVIDSON


More than one thousand fight. fans
went to the Maud Junction hght mouse
yesterday afternoon to attend the pup
lie workout of Arthur Van Doozer,
professor of pugilism and arblter OF
fashion in the sporting world, III MS
preparation for making his ring DEBUT
against the hard hitting Russian, Bat
Ting johnson, and all We're msot agree
ably surprised at the showing. 1t must
be admitted that the fans were rather
skeptical regarding the prospects OF an
untried fighter against burly STACK OF
human flesh and bone of the proved
ability and mettle shown by Johnson
and were inclined rather to predlct an
easy game for the Russian, put van is
so confident that he will win easily that
he wanted to show these fans now
greatly mistaken they were. Hence
the public workout.
Van boosted his own stock materially
by his showing against the awkWaru
vet willing efforts of Abdul the Turk.
1t was a workout, to be sure, but II
also was Vans intention to show his
abilities as boxer and fighter as PROOF
that he must be taken seriously as nav
ing a real chance to whip Johnson.
He succeeded even better than ne an
ticipated and those fans who sat
through the workout left the building
convinced that Johnson will not find an
easy prey in Van DooZer.
Improving in FootWork
Van is giving special attention to
improving his speed and footwork and
in the early rounds of their siX-round
bout he permitted Abdul to windmill
his blows as he pleased, giving slight
heed to where Abdul would land. he
insisted that Abdul rough it with him
to the best of his ability, accepting the
issue at all times and cleverly side
stepping, backing or ducking the more
vicious swings and lightly countering
on the Turk
In the final two rounds Van began to
loosen up and frequently had to fight
under a pull to save the Turk from
disaster. When he began to mix it
with Abdul in dead earnest he quickly
showed to the fans that slow or
awkward fighter is at a disadvantage
and that he can slug and take slug
ging as good as the average fighter
In the early rounds the fans began TO
fear that Van was too inexperienced
and lacking in speed and the necessary
footwork, but this idea was dispelled
when he began 10 loosen up and play
for keeps with the Turk.
Should Have Even Break
Considering the science speed, foot
work and punching ability that Van
showed in his workout there can be
only one reasonable conclusion as TO
which of the fighters, if either. should
hold the post of honor as the public
favorite to win. Johnson is a slow,
awkward fighter with the ability to
assimilate punishment without finch
ing and possessing punch that is the
marvel of all who have seen 1t in ac-
ton. He is shy on anything that looks
like speed or cleverneSs, however, and
this failing is regarded as his only bar
to the championship class. Stacking
up clever. scientific boxer with speed
and a punch against an awkward,
heavy hitting, game fighter who can
take the superlative degree of punish
ment it looks very much as if it should
be a tossup for the choice for favor
ite, and calm judgment probably will
make it an even-money- take your
pick affair."
johnson Slightly Heavier
In weight there will be slight advan-
tage either way. although Johnson
probably will have from four to six
pounds the better of Van DOoZer in this
regard. Van stripped and weighed Fri
day evening and those who Witnessed
the weighing-in say that he tipped the
beam at 1S4 pounds. Johnson will
weigh close to 1870 when he enters the
ring Van is in excellent condition
now barring the possibility that he is
a bit shy on wind and when he enters
the ring Friday night to make his debut
he will be ready to show at his best
form. He thinks he will have no great
difficulty in avoiding the johnson hay
makers and in outSpeeding the big
Russian, thereby outpointng him, with
the possibility that he will be able to
get ever punch sufficient in power to
encourage Johnson to take a nap. OF
course there is not the slightest sus-
picion in the mind of Johnson that
Van has a chance to beat him and he
equally is as confident of winning as is
Van. That means a good fight while it
lasts and makes it probable that it will
end within the limit.
Preims Should Be Good
Two preliminaries will precede the
main event and they are especially at
tractiVe Jim Cameron and Fred Hol-
brook heaVyWeights, will go ten or
fewer rounds and Young Fitzgerald will
tackle the Bubbles Robinson game over
a six-round route. The Cameron Hol-
brook affair will be a slap bang at
tempt at assassination throughout and
1t is big cinch that it will not go half
the allotted distance Neither is es-
pecially clever, but each is game and
has extraordinary punching ability 1t
will be a good fight, however while it
lasts and makes a good card for that
reason. Bubbles is one of the finds"
of last year, a remarkably speedy and
clever boxer with plenty of genuine
courage and a worthy opponent of any
of the coast fighters in his division
Fitzgerald also is fast. fairly clever and
a prime slugger, and looms up as good
enough to give Bubbles plenty TO at
tend to during their bout.