Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-09-09
JOHNSON TO FIGHT
AL KAUFMAN TODAY
Much Interest Manifested, as
1t Will Be the Champions
First Scrap Since Beat
ing Burns.

SAN FhANClSCO, september S.-Ine
eyes of the pugilistic world will be turned
upon Coffroths Coma arena today. where
Jack Johnson. the ebony-hued champion
heavyweight pugilist of the world, meets
Al Kaufman in a ten-round battle. When
Johnson steps into the ring this after
noon it will be his first appearance In
this cit& in a big battle since he defeated
Tommy Burns in Australia last Christ
mas. Notwithstanding the fact that the
battle has little bearing on the champion
ship, interest is not lacking, as the match
will give the fans an opportunity to get
a line on the negros chances to defeat
Jeffries.
Johnson's fight with Kaufman means
much to the champion. as he does not
stand high in the local fans estimation
They have not yet forgotten the exhibi-
ton he put up with Sandy Ferguson,
Marvin Hart, Gardiner. McVey and a few
others. who went twenty rounds with the
champion. and in order to win back his
lost prestige he will have to fight hard.
Both Trained Hard.
Both Johnson and Kaufman have put
in some hard ticks at training for the
fight. and information as heralded by
their scouts declares them to be in top
notch form The former blacksmith has
a slight advantage over johnson in
weight. but it is small one. Johnson
will probably enter the ring at about 21O
pounds and Kaufman at about go.
Local sporting men this morning who
were making books, quoted Johnson as
2-to-1 favorite, but there were few
takers. Those who think kaufman has q
chance to defeat johnson are not ready
to put up any cash to uphold their
opinion.
Johnson says that he Is confident he
will knock Kaufman out inside of ten
rounds. However. the negro will have
to go some. for Kaufman is no SLOUGH
at the game himself He is slower on
his feet and is not as quick a thinker
AS is Johnson, but when. he hits it is
with twice as much force. Most all the
men Kaufman ever fought he punched
out in the first round. He lost his first
big fight to Jack O'Brien. Since then
he has acquired lots of experience and
additional knowledge of the game.
Has Hard Punch.
The men Kaufman has knocked out
never forget it. In the first fight of
his career he hit Fred Bradley SO
hard that it was all medical science
could do to bring Bradley back to life
when he had been carried from the ring.
He also put away Tony Ross and adj
ministerd opiates to Sam Berger, Jim
Barry and number of the lesser lights.
Whether Johnson will show superb
form or not is still a question troubling
his admirers. The champion has not
done as much training for the fight as
he should have, and he appears to be
fat. 1t is not thought, however, that
this will trouble him much during the
fight, as the distance is a short one.
Many folk who have watched Kauf-
man train declare that he will surprise
the negro before the fight has progressed
far His most ardent adherents say that
he will even stop the champion by the
first good blow he lands. Kaufman is
a giant and is fully an inch taller than
Johnson, and he has plenty Of weight
behind him to give, force to his blows.
He is said to be the heaviest and tallest
man Johnson has yet met in the ring.
Betting on Kaufman.
There has been considerable betting
that Kaufman will stay the limit with
Johnson. The odds are to 1 that he
does. AS there will be no referees de-
cision in case the bout goes the limit
the decision as to which one is entitled
to the battle has been left by the bettors
to the press.
The fight is expected to draw a capac-
ity house. The men will enter the ring
at $3.50 o'clock this afternoon $3.50 pm
eastern time). The men who will look
after the champions welfare are Bob
Armstrong. Young Peter Jackson, George
Little, Barney Fury and Dave Mills
Mike Shaughnessey, Jake Cordell and
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