The Washington herald., 1909-04-25
BIZ BILL BLUNT.

spseisl 70 The wssssassoa Herald.
New York, April a Just because stan
ley KetcheH is q little fellow i has
been the pleasure OF some people TO ehaH
at the coming Johnson-KetcheH bout Any
person who thinks KetcheH is going 10
be a playthfng IN the hands Of John
son or in the hands OF any other fighter
IN the world makes a mistake. Jlm Jeff-
ries n his absolute prime-say. for ex-
ample, the form he displayed ten years
ago-Eoald not have found the man from
Montana easy he would have had MS
hands full. and SO would any other fighter
who ever laced on a glove Ketehl IN
his present perfect fighting condition
could give any fighter who ever lived
good argument This story doesn't mean
to imply that he could whip Jeffries.
Jackson. Corbett. and the other star
heavies, bur Il does Llean that Ketchell.
in the opinion Of the writer. would have
made any ore OF thea extend himself 70
the Halit Irrespective Of whzt the future
may bring forth. he is. on form to-day.
the most capable man developed in the
class since Bob Fitzsimmons.
Of course. nobody knows how the John
son-keteheI contest VIII terminate. John
son may win - perhaps KetchsH viii
It nay be over in = few rounds. OF it may
go the limit and be won and lost on the
referees decision. johnson IS large enough
TO win. has a world OF science. and the
confidence inspired by holding the cham
pionship title But Kstchef also has con
fdence. backed by upward OF I70 pounds
Of fighting energy seldom possessed by
any man. He thinks he can beat John
son. and says SO he and the writer
watched the Johnson-Burns pictures the
night they opened in New York. He
wasn't anxious to attract any unneces-
sary attention. so a couple OF balcony
tickets. about ten roTs back, were bought
from q speculator. The house was in
darkness, and he whipped UP the side
stairs and took his seat without being
recognized As the rounds we're rolled of
he would let remarks drop that plainly
told how he felt on the matter. Britt
hadn't matched him with Johnson yet.
For instance, IN the first round, when
johnson dropped Burns so cieanly Ketch-
ell said: It's a wonder ne couldn't fnish
him" Then. when johnson would land
q good punch in the elink Ketch would
say. Tommy isn't sighting him right.
Why don't he block 5ohnson's right hand2
Gee. I'd ike to get a match with him
Along about the ninth and tenth rounds.
when johnson kept tearing his right
hand 20 Burns head and body. Ketch
said: There's nothing 10 Il. Tommy
don't know how to fight him. His dope
IS entirely wrong. The only way John
son can hurt him is By getting IN close
and slamnins away with his right hand
III bet Johnson couldn't hit ne three
times in the whole fight with that right
hand. II ever meet him I'll Hex him
sure. and In not beasting. either
On the way horne Ketch said. ~TH tel
you why I'm sure can lick johnson IN
the first place. an as fast as he Is and
can hit harder with either hand. I
know that. because any time I drop them
as fairly as Johnson did Burns they stay
down Johnson's best punch is q half
arm right upper cut landed either IL
CliDch or on the break-away II al my
fights have never been hit half dozen
times with that punch II is very easv
20 block and know the system Nobody
can ever tell me he Is cleverer than
O. Brien. anybody 7 can hit / can lick.
I hit O'Brien. so why shouldn't I hit
Johnson. even II he is twenty-five pounds
heavier The bigger they are the easier
they are 10 nit O'Brien has a wonderful
straight left hand that he shoots cut Ike
a bullet Il is his best punch and hard
TO block Johnson has no such punch as
this. he mas 10 swing or hook his LEFT
hand. and I an not easy TO hit with a
round punch. III set a good rap al him
sooner or later In the bout. and sVhen
do III show them some real hitting I
don't expect 70 ind him easy. and viii
probably have to take some nasty wal
lops, because he Is big and clever. but
III get him sure. When fighters Ike
KloHdike. Pete Everett, George Gardner.
Hank GTfHen. Denver Ed Martin. sam
McVey. Marvin Hart. and others can 90
twenty rounds with him. where does he
come in to put me away in thar tine7
He can't be such a terrific hitter. They
don't go thai long with me as rule Z
never was better, stronger, or bigger in
MY life than 7 an now. When the tine
comes for me 10 step in the ring with
Johnson I'll 90 in with ali the confidence
IN the world III beat Elm sure. big as
he Is