Los Angeles herald., 1909-05-20
PHILADELPHIA GIVES HIS
SUPPORTERS SURPRISE
BLACK HEAVYWEIGHT is UNABLE
TO CONQUER FAKER
Six-round No-decision Bout Is Con-
ceded Even-Champion Appears
Out of Condition, and Law
yer Is Much Faster
[Rv Associated Press.l

JODuSOlls Tic us NOAoANh iANtNN >
champion, failed to win over Jack
O'Brien, the Philadelphia light heavy
weight, in a six-round bout tonight.
The fight was even and the consensus
of opinion was that it should have been
draw had decision been permits
sible.
O'Brien's marvelously fast footworK
and his superior blocking saved him
from damage in several close mixes,
and three times he was forced to his
knees by the great strength and weight
of Johnson in the clinches.
1t was fast fight O'Brien doing the
greater part of the leading. Johnson
was slow on his feet and appeared not
to be in the best condition.
Repeatedly the champion rushed his
smaller antagonist, but seldom landed
effectively. A right hand counter in
the fifth round cut OBrien's right eye,
and this was the sum total of the dam
age done in the six rounds.
O'Brien was in and out like flash
in nearly every round, stabbing john
son on the face but the blows lacked
force and had no effect other than to
make the big black man grin and wave
his hand at the crowd.
Spectators Cheer O'Brien
The spectators shouted wildly every
time O'Brien landed, and hooted john
son for his apparent rough work in
clinches.
Referee McGuigan said after the fight
that O'Brien did remarkably well UNI
der the circumstances. He weighed
1921 pounds, while Johnson's acknowl-
edged weight was at least 205.
johnson looked tired and anxious
in the fourth and O'Brien appeared
confident throughout the bout. He GER
tainly fought a game fight" said Me-
Guigan.
Johnson had nothing to say after the
bout except that he thought he had the
better of it. O'Brien was enthusiastic
over his showing. He said that today
he accepted a proposal to meet AL
Kaufman in San Francisco in the
near future.
O'Brien appeared to be in splendid
shape as he took off his bath robe.
Johnson seemed rather bulky about the
waist line, but his splendid muscles
stood out on arms and shoulders.
Fight by Rounds
Round 1: johnson rushed OBrien to
the ropes. " bTleH came DdCk WllD d
left to the face, and in the clinch John
son rushed O'Brien off his feet. O'Brien
put left to the face light, but Johnson
only grinned and forced O'Brien to the
ropes, showing him to his knees. They
tented and fiddled carefully, O'Brien
trying to draw Johnson on. Johnson
put left on O'Brien's face without dam
age, and O'Brien landed left to face in
return. O'Brien was in and out like a
II, I'll, IL.
counter, but it was smothered.
O'Brien's quickness of foot stood him
in good stead against Johnson The
round was even.
Round 2: O'Brien led for the face.
but was blocked and Johnson lifted
him off his feet in the clnch that fol-
lowed. The crowd hooted Johnson, but
he only smiled and rushed O'Brien to
the ropes. Marvellous ducking saved
O'Brien from damage and they spared
cautiously. O'Brien caught Johnson
with a stiff left on the face three
times and the crowd cheered franti-
cally. Johnson rushed him to the
ropes landing left on the body lightly.
Both appeared winded and Johnson
waited for O'Brien to lead. johnson
went after O'Brien like a whirlwind,
but quick footwork took the local man
out of harms way. O'Brien did the
cleaner work in this round.
Round 81 Johnson missed left and
took light stab in the face in return.
O'Brien was in and out like a flash,
landing left on the face, but took a
stiff left to the stomach at close
range. Johnson forced OBrien, sham
bling after him rather slowly and
awkwaIdly, and missed two lefts and
a right for the head. Johnson set
himself for O'Brien's lead, but was
slow in countering and took left stab
on the nose. Johnson went after him
viciously and left had O'Brien's
mouth bleeding Johnson appeared
somewhat winded at the end of the
round, which was about even, with
OBren's work showing the cleaner.
Round 4: O'Brien put left to the
face and took right on the body and
they SPARED cautiously. OBrien
caught johnson a Earring smash on
the face with his left and Johnson's
mouth showed the effects. Johnson
slowed up and waited for O'Brien to
lead. The crowd yelled for O'Brien to
'come and show him up" but john
son only grinned and walked in. He
caught O'Brien a glancing right on
the head and left on the body but
he was going away and the blows
lacked steam. O'Brien tented and
missed a left swing going to his
knees from the impetus of the blow
johnson appeared slow and had no adj
vantage In the round, II anything IL
was to OBrien's advantage.
Round 5; Johnson caught O'Brien
q left on the face and O'Brien went
down. but was up like flash and
fighting strong Johnson tried his
right uppercut which proved so effect
i've with Burns, but was blocked. A
right to the face cut O'Brien's right
eye badly but he came back with
left flush on Johnson's mouth. john
son rushed viciously, pinning O'Brien
to the ropes and wrestling him down.
O'Brien did most of the leading at this
stage. AS the gong sounded he sent
a hard left to Johnsons face.
Round 6 They shake hands gingerly
for the wndup ard spared cautiously
johnson only smiled and held UP his
hand to indicate he had blocked it.
O'Brien rushed in again and tried hard
to land on the face and body but was
blocked in his efforts. Finally he sent
stiff left to the face and took hard
right counter on the head in return.
johnson met O'Brien with a left to the
face as he stepped in and the round
ended in a clinch.
A telegram was read from Billy De-
laney challenging Johnson on behalf
of Al Kaufman for a fight at San
Francisco.
A. j. Drexel- Biddle. O'Briens society
friend. who seconded him in his re-
cent fight with Ketchel came into the
nj IN, h , CD, o1O "a