Richmond planet., 1909-11-27
Prize Fight
ing Mania.
Everybody Talking About the
Great Fight-Jack johnson
a Favorite - Many Doubt
Jeffries Ability to Come
Back"
II Jefsrics RegaiBs Old Form He VIII
dSe First i'm Ring History.
by Bill Blunt.


BY Bill Blunt.
New York. November Is, 1909
II is a noteworthy fact that a ma.
jority of the persons whom you ask
for an opinion as to the outcome of
the Jefries-J ohnson match become
bit evasive and say they don't
know whether Jef can come back
or not. Very few OF the wiser ones
care to come out fiatfooted and make
prediction. Most OF them figure
that in his prime he could have beat
en- Johnson as easily as he did some
of the others. But Il is his condition
that puzzles everybody. III he can
regain IS per cent Of his old-time
form he should be able to defeat
Johnson because. in the old days.
he surely figured % per cent better
than the black man. But being in
retirement six years isn't going to
help him any. Pretty nearly an Of
the great fighters tried 70 do what
Senries is trying to do. and n there
are any cases on record where they
succeeded they have been prettv gen.
orally overlooked by chroniclers of
ring events. Jack McAuliffe. light.
weight champion. retired, T. s A
is about the lone shining example of
the truly great fighters who xnev-
when TO stop McAutne had a
couple OF narrow escapes I'm his last
Two battles, with Young Grifio and
owen Zeigler. and IL didn't take very
ciose hSurins 10 show him he was
Ihrough. Two years later he boxed
an exhibition with Kid Lavinre and
puDHcly retired. The latter was ac.
GAINED champion and held the title
until he was beaten by Frank Erne
John l. Sullivan whipped Kilrain
IN 1898, quit the ring for three
years, went 10 Australia. boxed an
eNhlDltion or two and took things
easy. lie re-entered the ring in
lHS2' and what Corbett did TO him
~ New orleans was a fun norton
IhaI good fighter, Bob Fitzsimmons
Knows what IL is TO try to come back
Alter being beaten by PhiladeInbia
JACK OBrien everybody tbougbt no
was through. He was I'm retiraront
Tot couple OF years and at his acc
Two years idleness didn't fmnrova
MS condition He essayed to r,aet
Johnson in Philadelphia and tho ola
scout didn't last two fuU ronnds
iRat marvel of cleverness and sbjft-
mess Jim Corbett. had his lesson in
rehabilitation and with sad reen1ts
AIter that hve-round skirmish ,,itt
hid Mccoy at the Garden ba crant
INTO retirement for three wears Tban
ne boxed Jeffries in Frisco and bfs
showing was mournful compared to
She one he had made against Tef,
ieW years before at Conev Island
jim Hall, the famous AustraIia,
VINO once knocked out Bob Fit1sir,'
mons in four rounds. retired 81
1880 he was out of the gar,a.
about four years and when he friaS
10 reinstate himself in fast comnsnI,
ne was put away in three rounds nv
Joe Choynski. The latter defeaf
"oout wound up his clock.
~, refer jackson. who established
the wonderful record of eoing So
teen straight years witbopt -
verse, furnishes an excellent evar,
pie or the great fighter who trie6 =,
come back and failed. After baat
ing Paddy Slavin in London he yvitb
dreW himself from circuIation e..
SIX years. Then he fought JeT ~
frisco and his showing for tba
tnree rounds the affair lasted Uras
Ptiabie. After Sharkey was beat.
en- by Jehries at Coney he knocIred
out Joe Goddard. Jim Jeffords Jfn,
mccormick, Tom Conry, Joe Cbovn.
SKI and Fred Russell incidenfalIv
losing 10 Rubin and Fitzsimmons
Doth at Coney. Then came the hje
fuss with Rubin in London iubilae
week. Rubin won this one. and
the nero OF the deep blue retired
from active service. Two wears
later Sharkey endeavored to come
back at Philadelphia with JACK Mum
roe. and he was not good enough
10 get an even break with a boxer
or Munroe's ability. Charlie Mitch
ELL the English light heavy weight.
fought Sullivant that famous thirty
nine round draw at Chantilly in 1855.
After that he was practically out
OF the game for six years, not en-
gaging in a regular battle in the
interim. When he tried 10 come
backi 1894. Jim Corbett taueh ht
him how to take a joke in three
rounds at Jacksonville. He was far
from being the Mitchell OF old and
was but toy In the clever hands
OF Corbett.
Jack Dempsey. the Nonparef.
Continued on Fifth Page.)