The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-12-21
TWENTY ROUNDS.
Jim Flynn and Sam LangfOrd
Are Hooked Up For
Tonight, in the Ring at San
Francisco, California.
BOTH HARD HITTERS
The COlOred Man Regarded as
the Best Fighter.
But the Pueblo Fireman Has a
Terrific Punch.

san francisco, Dec. 21.-The crisis in
the black peril of pugdom is at hand.
within the next seven days the ST.
premacy of the whites in the roped
arena will be put to its hardest test.
Iommy Burns and Jim Flynn are the
men who Will be called upon to defend
the Caucasian race against threatening
Ithlopia, represented by Jack johnson
and Sam Langford. Tonight at San
FRANCISCO. Flynn will engage Langford
In twenty round contest, while at IL
O'Clock next Saturday morning the bat
tie OF all battles, Burns VS.. Johnson
WI, VIII De staged at Sydney, Australia.
RMS, too, will be twenty round affair.
1t is unfortunate that the Burns and
Johnson contest is not to be held in this
country, because no matter what the
outcome, there always will be a sus-
pic1on in the minds of American ring
to!loWers regarding the honesty of the
principals. The unsavory record of
Burns In the past-though his recent
career is without blemish-and the
known weakness of Johnson to gather
have given color to the belief that the
coming contest is not to be strictly on
its merits. So far as the Australian
promoters are concerned they appear
TO be acting in good faith, and possibly
Burns and johnson are doing so, too
but American sporting men must be
shown.
Whether the fight is to be on its
merits or not. the fact remains that
Burns will not suffer financially. no
matter the result. The sum of 10000
with $4,000 added for training expenses
is the portion that Burns will draw
down for sixty minutes of battling
Johnson's end is to be $1,000 These
figures appear to be correct. recent pa
pers from Australia being authority.
Promoter Mcintosh, who will stage the
battle, has established a new record for
a prize ring purse. Before the gates to
the big new stadium at Sydney are
opened, Mcintosh will have contracted
exactly $60,500 in debts. In addition to
the $40,500 to be given fighters McIn-
tosh has expended $40, 900 in the con-
struction of the arena for the battle.
By many ring followers, Sam Lang
ford is regarded as fully as dangerous
a proposition as Johnson, and many
declare that if Burns disposes of John
son he will later be called upon to de-
fend his title against Langford. Lang
ford's ability will be severely tested in
the Flynn encounter. The Pueblo fire
man is only an average second division
scrapper, but as a trial horse he has
few equals. A marvel for assimilating
punishment, and with a wallop that
has meant defeat for scores Of cham
aspirants, Flynn probably is
the best man that could have been Sc
lected to test Langford. The result
will provide a comparison of the rela-
tive worth of Langford as compared
with Burns and Johnson. 1t took John /
son eleven rounds to defeat Flynn, |
while Burns required fourteen rounds |
to turn the trick. Johnson and Lang !
ford hooked up in a fifteen round en-
gagement at Chelsea, Mass. in April, |
1906. Langford losing the decision, but !
he has improved greatly since that
time.