Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1909-08-25
KETCHELL FAVORITE
over LANGFORD
Johnson Will Have to Reckon With
Ketchell Before He Makes More
Plans for Fight With Jeffries.
fBy A. Jay cook.l

Ketchel, the hcGder of the mir -e
weight championship of the W I'D, is
to defend that title against Sam
Langford in a ten-round bout at New
York the first week of September.
Ketchel should beat him. But he
must be in condition, and it's no easy
matter guessing on the physical con-
dition of the middleweight champion.
1t is hardly probable though, that ne
will take chance of not being In
condition and that is why look for
victory. Despite the extravagant
praise that has been given to him at
various times, Ketchel is still pugi-
list lof mnda.estimated ability. In
the four years of fighting that served
as a prelude to his initial battle with
Joe Thomas he made the amazing rec
ord of 35 clean knockouts in 80 fights.
And when he got in frst-class COM
pany he kept up his good work. He
put Joe Thomas to sleep in 81 rounds.
He put Mike Twin" Sullivan out in
punch. He finished Jack Twin"
Sullivan in 20 sessions. He knocked
Hugo Kelly in three rounds and came
back with the put-out of Joe Thomas
in two rounds. Then he went the
pace and was knocked out by Papke,
but came right back and put Billy to
sleep in II rounds. He stopped Jack
O'Brien in four sessions, and then
won g 25-round decision over Papke
in one of his poor, away-below-the-
average fights. Langford is overes-
tirlated. There is record Of his hav-
ing only 25 knockouts in 80 fights.
spread over period Of seven years.
If there is anything in that record
that would make KetchePs chances
look bad, it has yet to come out. If
Ketchel does knock the negro out he
will go into the ring with Johnson an
even money chance and Jeffries will
temporarily be lost sight of. Ketchel
and Johnson are scheduled to settle
their differences as to the heavy
weight championship sometime in Oc-
tober. 1t will be surprise to me If
the white man does not beat the
black OF course there is the weight,
height and reach ADVANTAGE of the ne
gro to contend with. But with all
this Ketchel. if he beats Langford,
should beat Johnson.
Johnson left for the coast of Cali
fornia last Sunday. satisfied he had
done ain that he could to make the
match with Jeffries certainty. Sam
Berger, who acted for Jeffries in the
signing of the tentative articles. pre-
pared to return Eastward. He in
sisted. that Jeff was sincere in wish
ing to meet the negro. and that there
surely would be hostilities within the
required eight months. Berger eX-
planned that he had spent $92 in cab
ling the details to Jeffries and that
he had no doubt the eX-boilermaker
would approve of them. The articles
are good as far as they go and reflect
the true disposition of the principals.
Johnson's willingness to make $4,000
side bet and to have the purse split
GO and 40. rs and 25, or winner take
all. at Jeffries option, makes one real
ly believe that the negro thinks he can
beat Jeffries.
This struggle for the heavyweight
championship is really three horse
race, with Ketchel, Johnson and Jeff
ries as the contenders. But if Ket-
chel beats Johnson in October, there
will, of course be no Jeffries contest,
unless jeff wants the championship,
of which have my doubts. But if
he does he will beat Ketchel, of that I
am positive.