The Ogden standard. [volume] (Ogden City, Utah) 1902-1910, 1909-04-23
(BY Eddie Smith,

from New York yesterday afternoon
informs us that Al Kaufman and Jack
johnson Will meet and battle for the
worlds heavyweight championship at
date 10 be set earlier than the Ket-
chel-Johnson contest Of October IL at
/ Conroths 8 Mission street arena
The news, coming as 1t does. might
lead us to suspicion its correctness,
but even so. it goes to show us that
| Veteran Billy Delaney has not given
! up hope and that he Is going TO keep
/ right after Johnson for a chance for
| his heavyweight.
Can you imagine Willie Britt when
he hears that Billy has slipped In and
taken Johnson away from him? Why,
the smokerino kid will fume and fuss
and talk and smoke until an eruption
of Mt. Vesuvius will look like a Ro
man candle with bum fuse. After
his very poor showing with Tony Ross
at New York 1t was expected that
Kaufman would be shelyed as a CON
testant for the heavyweight cham
! pionship.
Delaney has had a deal more pat
ience with the big blacksmith than
the ordinary manager would have
had, and his persistency in trying to
get Johnson to sign articles beSpeaks
no lost contestant for the heavyweight
championship.
Delaney has had a deal more pat
ience with the big blacksmith than the
ordinary manager would have had.
and his perslstency in trying TO get
Johnson to sign articles bespeaks no
lost confidence
or course Jimmy Coffroth and Will
lie Britt will raise an awful howl,
and they may do all In their power to
stop the contest coming off, Britt
wants Ketchel to get the first crack at
the champion. and Coffroth does not
want to run the risk OF Johnson being
beaten or fighting anyone whereby he
may show up bad and lose as a draw
ing card.
This fellow Coffroth has proven him
self a very foxy boy. and you can
bet he will side-step back TO New
York and talk TO the big smoke as he
has never been talked to before.
But Will the Kaufman contest make
Johnson any weaker as a drawing card
with Ketchcl? Personally, / do not
think it will. My reason for so think
ing Is that she great majority Of fans
do not think Ketchel has chance
at the present time, and some Will
not patronlze the bout for just that
reason,
Now, II Johnson should meet Kauf-
man and go twenty rounds with him
and get the decision, the people would
not look upon him as such devil
as they do at the present time, and
many-yes, a great many-more peo-
pie would go to see Ketchel win the
championship from colored man.
Johnson would no doubt beat Kauf-
man In a twenty round bout, and do
1t with neatness, but | do not think
he would put the big fellow away, and
the battle might be one worth see
ing.
II Kaufman would stay with John
son for the full twenty rounds and
then lose by a decision, it would hurt
Johnson as a drawing card with any
other fighter except Ketchel, but In
this case / do not think II would hurt,
In fact. If Johnson won. 1t might act
as a boost.
Sid Hester, matchmaker of the Mis-
sion Athletic club. feels that there
may be truth in the report and has
sent wire to New York, Offering
Johnson and Ketchel the September
date OF his club and 60 per cent of
the gross gate receipts.
Johnson is to leave for England on
the 26th OF May and is booked to re-
appear on this side about September
]. II the big fellow was to get here
by the first OF the month. the contest
could not be held until the latter end
of the month. and as the Ketchel date
IS the 18th OF the following month. this
may also prevent the contest from
coming off.
If Delaney were wise enough to steal
a march on Coffroth and Britt In the
matching OF the big smoke, he may
be wise enough To devise some means
of pulling the affair off. but until VIC
get something more authentic on the
matter we will not worry about the
battle being dated.