The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1909-06-16
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ketcheI Shows Improvement,

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In the second round O'Brien was
knocked down twice and stood practic-
ally helpless before the severe blows of
his worthy opponent. In the third
Ketchel knocked OBrien down again
| and was beating him so severely that
he was sure to go down for the count
and was in danger of possible injury
when the referee stopped the fight. 1t
was simply one-sided affair in which
the famous Philadelphia had no
chance at all.
In their first fight O'Brien had the
better of the argument with Ketchel
until the eighth round and Stanley
knocked O'Brien almost senseless in
the tenth. The gong saving the Quaker
City figter from a knockout. Critics
then stated that Ketchel was far bet
ter than O'Brien, especially in a finish
fight This angered Ketchel He likes
to pick up the morning papers and see
where he put his opponent out by the
K. o. route. He made up his mind to
show critics in the East that he was as
good as any of them in short bouts
He proved this by the way 10 put
O'Brien away Wednesday nigt.
Now compare the showing of KetcheI
with O'Brien with that of Jack John
son. Johnson had all he wanted to do
to get draw. He might have done a
little better but he never could have
put the Philadelphia away in three
rounds as Ketchel did. This does not
mean exactly that Ketchel is sure to
defeat Johnson but he will make a
Stanley Ketchel is the classiest
fighter turned out in this country in
amount of punishment and, like Nelson
always comes back after more He can
hit harder than any middleweight since
the days of Bob Fitzsimmons and can
hit as hard as the old veteran He is
clever and has a shift which has daz-
zled many fighters and enabled him to
win. Johnson is clever and can hit
but it is a question where he can land
hard enough on Ketchel to put him
away before Stanley puts over his
queer street punch. Johnson is not as
game and will not stand as much pun
ishment as the Michigan fighter. For
this reason Jeffries claims Ketchel is
the master of the negro and it will not
surprise his best friends if Ketchel de-
feats Johnson when they meet.
Should Ketchel continue to win bat
ties as he did the last one with O'Brien
he is very liable TO scare Johnson so
bad that Lii Arthur will refuse to con-
slider him as an opponent for the crown.
Many fighter has frightened Johnson
out of a bout, including Sam Langford
and Ketchel will not have to travel at
a fast clip much longer to do the same
thing.
When Papke signed to fight with
Ketchel on the coast many persons who
were not well acquainted with Ketchel
believed he would be unable to make
15S pounds and strong. This is a
wrong idea. Ketchel can make the fig
ure and be as strong as any middle
weight in the country Stanley made
100 easily for his fight with O'Brien and
if he can do that it is certainty that
he can make 1853 and not weaken him
self to any great extent. That is not
all. If he fights Papke and is in good
condition he will give Papke a worse
beating than the Illinois Thunderbolt
received in their last fight Papke was
beaten to a pulp in that battle, but he
will get a worse drubbing if they meet
again. Papke knows this but he also
knows that there is a nice piece of
change in the losers end of the battle
and he is going to take another chance
even if he loses.