The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1909-03-28
s. P O. R-T- O. L-O- Y
BY w. o. RIsHEL.

Philadelphia Jack O'Brien. although
a defeated man, won more friends in
his defeat at the hands Of Stanley
Ketchel on Friday night than he has
had for number of years. The reason
for this is that O'Brien fought on the
square. He has had the reputation as
a fakeT for years, and was never popu-
lar for this reason. Then came the fake
with Tommy Burns at Los Angeles.
after which O'BTien came out and con-
fessed himself as a faker. Since that
time, although O'Brien was good man,
he has been an outcast in the sporting
world On Friday night he had his
chance to make good. and did, although
he was practically knocked out He
showed the public he was fighter and
could take an honest defeat, and in this
way won many friends. The public is
always ready to forgive a fakeT in the
sporting game if that person is honest
enough to acknowledge his fakes and is
then sincere in his desire to turn over
a new leaf and try over again. 1t is
the falSer who, when discovered at his
work, tries to get away with it by call
ing other people knockers that has no
sympathy. There are hundreds of them
in the game today. and Salt Lake has
had more than its share Of these pro-
fessonal takers. OF the entire bunch
who have operated in salt Lake. John
Willie is the only one of them who ad-
mittcd he was faler, and the others
have been driven out of the game, at.
least in this city.
y x
Now that Stanley Ketchel has again
demonstrated his ability as fighter by
disposing of Jack O'Brien, there will be
a great cry to match him against Jack
johnson. This the writer believes would
be- folly. Ketchel might whip Johnson,
but if is asking too much of a 1861
pound man to put him up against 200
pounds of fighting flesh like that pos
sessed by johnson. KetcheI is a good
man, and so is the negro. but it is d
well known rule that q good big man
viii always beat q good little man. 1t
seems that it would simply be sacri-
fee to put Ketchel against Johnson as
the two fighters stand today. and the
Montana boy would be foolish to take
the chances. There is not now public
demand for such a fight, as all fair
minded fans viii agree il is asking too
much of Ketchei to fight johnson. He
may be big enough in the next year or
so TO make the fight on somewhere near
ever terms. but today it is too big a
handicap, although ketchei might get
away with it at that.
Sam Fitzpatrick, the man who took
Jack Johnson when he did not have q
cent and made him champion out of
him. is one of the many who think JEFF
fries can defeat the black man. When
johnson first turned Fitzpatrick down
the New Yorker did not have a word
To say, but recently made a statement
which, coming from him. should carry
considerable weight He says:
IT took Johnson when he was a no.
body and without cent. Now he has
$4,000 ana 4 reputation. That's my
answer. 1 talked to him on the boat
and told him that if he kept that wO-
man he has with him in the background
he would make more money. But his
head is so swelled and he looks upon
himself as the peer of any white man.
that I could do nothing with him.
"O1e thing is sure. I never told him
he could beat JeffrIes. And he can't.
johnson simply can't punch. He hit
Tommy Burns 4 thousand times. and
it had mighty little effect. Now, how
in the world is anyone going TO beat
Jeffries that can't hurt him. and know
that johnson can't hurt him if he hits
him continuously for twenty-four
hOuTs?"
Abas the toe hold in the wrestling
game. salt Lake has seen enough of
the famous hold which makes Cham
piOn Gotch the most feared man in the
wrestling game today. 1t is simply a
hold to torture a man until he turns
over on his back to prevent further
punishment. A man cannot be thrown
by it. If he cares TO submit to broken
bones rather than go down. 1t is sim
ply case of catching a mans foot IT
position where he cannot free himself
and then twisting his foot until he
rolls over and gives up or q bone breaks
4 solar plexus blow or swing on the
point of the jaw. either Of which will
send man down and out. is kinder
Earten sport compared with the bru-
tally of the toe hold. Last weeks dis.