Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1909-02-01
J0HN|Icc0N'S NEXT BOUT
Heavyweight Champion to Clash
With Langford May "a.
FIGHT SHOULD BE A HUMMER
While Title Holder Will Have Advan.
tage In Height and Weight, His Or.
ponent May Make Up For This With
Aggressiveness and Hitting Power.
By THOMAS F. CLARK.


By THOMAS F. CLARK
While the followers of pugilism
throughout the country are busily en-
gagged discussing the question, VIII
Jim Jeffrles return to the prize ring?
and many promoters trying hard to
make the retired champion reconsider
his determination never to enter the
ring again in a scheduled bout by Of
fering huge purses for fight between
himself and Jack Johnson. the big col
ored champion has agreed to defend
his title against Sam Langford, the
Boston light heavyweight before the
National Sporting club Of London on
May "a.
Jim COffroth. the California promot-
er, has also offered n $50 600 purse for
a bout with Stanley Ketchel, the mid
dlewcight champion. at Colma, Cal. on
July 4. and 1t is likely that johnson
will accept.
The match between Johnson and
Langford has been hanging fire for
some time. both men having agreed to
meet on Feb. %. When Burns granted
johnson Il fight the bout with Langford
was called of temporarily.
Johnson and Langford have met be-
fore. In April, 1906, they fought IF
teen rounds at Chelsea, Mass. johnson
OutpOintcd the BOstOnian in 4 fight
tnal was fast from bell to bell. and
Langford. while outpointcd. made his
big opponent, who is nearly four inches
taller, hustle at all stages. Langford
has greatly improved since then and
will be at his best when he tackles
johnson again.
Langford recently knocked out Jim
Flynn. the Pueblo fireman. in a few
punches ard then challenged Ketchel
for the middleweight title. agreeing to
make 1913 pounds five hours before the
fight and ut the same time offering to
make big side bet that he could stop
the latter inside of ten rounds. But
ketcnei drew the color line. although
he has since accepted the offer Of Cot
froth to meet Johnson at Colma on
July 1. Ketchers excuse for not meet
ing Langford was that he wanted to
rest up g: several months ard take on
considerable weight so he could enter
the heavyweight class. Recently he
gave hi; reason fer withdrawing the
color line ard agreeing to meet John
son. This was that he was the only
white man in the ring today who stood
any chance Of regaining the champion
ship fer the whites.
Langford will weigh around 10
pounds when he tackles johnson. but
the latter will have an immense ad
vantage in weight. for he will he fully
thlrtyive pounds heavier than his OPP
ponent Still. Langford. who is n bet
ter boxer and harder hitter than
Tommy Burns, will be able to put up
hard battle against the champion.
With the possible exception of Jack
Johnson, Langford is the greatest
colored fighter in the world. and he
has made the mistake, like johnson, of
demonstrating it too thoroughly In
his mental makeup he IS the perfection
Of one type of fighter. His mind has
never RTE. above his work. The study
Of how to reach Il mans jaw or stOm-
ach with a blow hard enough to dis
able him IS the highest plane of think
ing that he ever tackled. His head
was as much intended for fighting as
his body.
Langford could not be anything else
but great fighter No man ever
carried the marks Of his trade more
prominently in face. head and build
than the negro heavyweight. At a
glance Jeffries might be weight
thrower, Jim Corbett n lawyer. Jack
O'Brien a young business man, but
Sam Langford was always intended
for a fighter and could not have been
anything else.
His outline roughly resembles peg
top. He is about five feet eight or
nine inches tall. and he has back.
chest and shoulder structure that
man six feet four might carry with
pride. Great wads and balls Of mus
Gle form and shift over his ribs and
shoulder blades and upper arms with
every movement.
His arms are as long and powerful
as gorilla's. Put this magnificent
framework on pair Of tapering and
comparatively slender legs color the
whole brownish black, and you have
the nearest approach to a perfectly
proportional fighting mechanism ever