Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-11-07
JEFFR|ES IS NOT
A TWO-TO-ONE SHOT
Bill Blunt Advises SIoWneSS in
Betting on the Big
Scrap.
By Bill Blunt.


oout approximately eight months dis
ant the question Of betting on the result
1as already been taken M. The day the
articles were signed the Johnson side re-
used TO make the large side bet on the
ground that "Jeffrics will probably he
to I favorite and We want ringside
odds" Coming as il did from the John
son side, that statement was undoubtedly
inspired by two motives. One was the
Johnson side didn't care to wager SDoH
5nd the other was to lead the public to
believe that Jeffries would be pro-
bounced favorite i'm the betting. n was
subterfuee of the most shallow kir :
and any ono who falls for il deserves TO
nc stung To start off with Jeffries should
lot be to ! favorite under any pos
sihle conditions in the world. There Is.
never was, never can be and never should
~ one solitary reason why he should he
such favorite over johnson, and here
* 10 tho hope that any person who is fool
ism enough To wager two to one that
Jeffries wins NAV lose his money. Every
ioIlar he bets. He deserves 1t.
Why should JEFF be such ridiculous ia
vorite? Six years will have elapsed since
he gagged In battle. Such period
IF good tured idleness does not improve
4 mans wind. vitality and general ply
steal condition. Everybody knows that in
his prime Jeff was unbeat able. Many he
ieve he was the greatest fighter In ring
history. He met and beat them all. some
twice-Tom Sharkey. Rob Fitzsimmons.
Jim Corbett, Joe Goddard. Peter Jackson,
Gus Rubin and Jack Munroe. But the
question that troubles his friends is, How
good Is JEFF today While the prelim-
mary training he has INDUCED in the
past few months may have encouraged
him and his manager. Sam Berger. to be-
lieve he could come back, il is en-
tirely too early to tell much about IT. Re
member that. as a rule. they don't come
IntaeF inA ~ q
many a star has tried II. Get this ad-
vice Don't bet dollar on the bout
either way at this early date. No matter
what price is quoted. the odds will be
fictitious II will be impossible to quote
a sane price either way until IL is known
how good Jeffries can get. This cannot
be found out until he has been In training
several weeks. Then it will be time
enough to lay your wagers. The bout Is
a long ways off.
There is no question but that Johnson
really believes he can defeat Jeffrfes. Per-
haps his confidence was shaken consider
ably the day the articles were signed by
Jeff's fine physical appearance. his de-
mand for the enormous side bet and his
suggestion that ''ali go to the winner"
The latter proposition was unlocked for
and couldn't possibly have given the
Johnson side any additional confidence. II
really was the big note of the meeting
and was a source of much qualification
asked for the "winner-take-ali'' clause
unless he and Berger felt confident he
could get into good enough shape to trim
johnson. Jeff's physical fitness is the
principal condition which the result
of the battle will hinge. While he may
have overrated himself. the fact remains
that. after trying himself out as far as
circumstances would permit Jen was
satisfied to wager a small fortune on the
outcome Of the bout and let the entire
purse go to the victor. That was a world
of encouragement to his friends.
As the cards lay today, Johnson
chances for victory seem the better 1t
is up to Jeffries to change the aspect of
things. Perhaps he will do this after he
has been in training while. but 1t is up
to him to do it. The burden of proof lies
on his shoulders. Again, he may have
an ace in the hole as regards his condi-
ton. Maybe he has tried himself out
more thoroughly than any one imagines
and has successfully withstood strenu-
Gus test. That would be in his favor
When he was fighting he proved himself
the wonder Of the age. They all looked
pretty much alike to him. No matter
whether 1t was the rugsedness OF
Sharkey. the marvellous hitting power of
Fftzsmmons or the elusive. tantalizing
cleverness OF Corbett, the result was the
samoa victory for jeff. Having been a
wonder in the fighting line. perhaps he
can repeat and, by reversing every known
theory of the prize ring. return after
six-year Law off take up his work where
he left of and regain the championship
mantle which he voluntarily cast aside.
When the suggestion is made that il
would be better to hold off while before
laying any wagers. it is not meant to
imply that Jeffries has poor chance for
victory. II may be that his chances will
seem excellent after he has been in train
ing several weeks. But wait and see.
There is no urgent reason for being in
such a hurry. A bet laid in four or six
months from now will look good as
one laid today, perhaps better. SO much
depends upon Jeff's condition that IL is
like buying cat in bag to put up your
money today There may be a few senti-
ment bets made. but the closer students
of the game will prefer TO hold off, and
therein they will show their wisdom.
Keep your money in your pocket for the
time being. Later. If a bet on Jef looks
good to you. unbuckle and make your
wager. But under condition give two
TO one. They are false odds and the
known form OF Johnson and the unknown
Public sentiment is with JEFF. but odds
based on sentiment don't look good TO the
wise bettor. and they shouldn't.
The recent Johnson-Ketc hell contest has
brought about discussion as TO the re-
spective weights OF Tom Sharkey and
ketchell. In some quarters IL is claimed
that the latter Is as large as Sharkey.
NO more RIDICULOUS argument ever was
set forth. The sailor, when he was fight
Ing at his best. was larger in every pos
efble way than KetcheIl and weighed
many pounds more. Within the past lew
months ketchell has made 100 pounds for
Philadelphia Jack OBrien on two differ
eut occasions When Sharkey was train
ing for his twenty -fve-round bout with
Jeffr.es. the greatest fight he ever put
up in his life, he was weighing around
Is, pounds. While his exact weight upon
stepping into the ring Is not known, it
is the biggest cinch in the world that IL
somewhere between 1S5 and 1870
surely not lower than the former figure
ANY way you figure him. Sharkey was
twenty-five pounds heavier than Ketcheu
There is no telling how heavy ketchel
may grow in the future. but taking
Sharkey's fight with Jeffres and Ketch-
els two tries with O'Brien, the difference
"a their respective weights was anywhere
from twenty-five pounds up.
The long rest Harlem Tommy Murphy
look the past summer seems TO have
cone him a pile of good. Besides cleaning
up Ad Wogast. he added Young Nitchie
To his list Of victims the other night
NitChie Is considered some fighter around
Philadelphia, and the fact that Murphy
bested him in five out OF the six rounds
speaks for itself. The matchmakers all
over the country are sending him offers
and the coming season will be a busy one
a. sFn hl Go