The Washington herald., 1909-05-25
NONE JOHNSON
Many Heayy-weights Ready
to Try His Mettle.
DISCUSS JEFFRES ABILITY
NeterSn Ring. Followers Believe the
Big BOiIermaIxer VIII Have No
Trouble in Defeating the CoIored
ChamDion-wiiIiam Brady Wants
Him 10 Meet Kaufman.

New York. May 24-since Jack John
sons poor showing in the bout with JACK
O'Brien in Philadelphia last week, many
sporting men have been wondering how
long tAe negro would last IN q fight with
James J. Jefries. providing. OF course
that the boilermaker was in his best con-
dition
Veteran ring followers, who saw John
son 1ail to outpolnt O'Brien. or even score
clean knockdown in SIX rounds. lost
no time IN saying. after that affair. that
Je1Ties, 1T and himself. would probably
have no trouble in putting the black
champion away IN about a dozen rounds
They argued that Johnson's cautious de-
fenslve tactics would doubtless puzzle
Jefries for a while, but that as soon as
the burIy Californian solved the prob
lem he would quickly stop the negro with
the same terrific body punches that put
sharkey, Rubin, Corbett, and Fitzsim-
mons out OF business.
But viii Jefries ever get into condition
70 tackle Johnson2 He says he viii. and
so does his manager. Samuel Berger
JeT has just engaged Jim Corbett to help
him train. and declares that he weighs
24S pounds at present. and viii take OF
twenty-three pounds before he enters the
ring, some time after next Christmas.
Never Fight Again.
" A Brady. Je2's former manager,
however, declares that the boilermaker
viii never fight again: that he has never
had any idea Of meeting Johnson. and
that his recent pugilistic challenge 10
Johnson was due TO a lack Of interest in
his vaudeville act Brady insists that
JeEries' wind IS gene. and that he can
never perfect It; that he may be able to
reduce his weight and appear fJ. but
that when II comes down 10 cases. the
big Californian VIII sidestep the signing
OF articles.
''Jeffries IS not a coward" said Brady
to-day. "but he has always had q moral
fear Of the ring. He wanted 70 quit the
game right after he won the champion
ship from FitzsimmOns. and We had ali
We could 90 10 induce him 20 take on
CorbeJt and Sharkey- He often told me
that he intended 10 retire from the ring
with an unbeaten record. and you can
put It down as a sure thing that he VIII
never run the risk Of suffering defeat at
the hands OF a negro.
II JefIries really intended 20 fight John
son he would post a g 0C0 forfeit without
further delay There Is nothing 10 pre-
vent him from doing 50 Such an act
would be one Of faith and would convince
the public that he meant business. When
johnson put up this sum for a week and
asked JefTies 10 cover il. the latter
should have responded quickly, and the
fact that he did not come 70 time with
the money further convinced ne that he
hid not want 10 fight
Kaufman Wants Match.
'Histsry 7s5I repeat itself IN the case OF
Kaufman, who stands ready TO fight
Johnson 70 q finish for $1,000 a side.
When I first took hold Of Jeffriss. youIl
remember that he failed TO stop Bob
Armstrong in ten rounds and was the
laughing stock OF the sporting world
He went back 10 California in a hurry
and was disgUsted With himself But a
year later JefTries came back and won the
title from Fitzsimmons- Kaufman Is in
me same boat now be was scored be-
cause Of his recent failure 10 put Tony
Ross away 81 ten rounds and was in a
hurry 20 get back TO the Coast. but some
CT these days he VIII get q crack ar John
son unless the negro loses 70 Ketchell,
and then he'll prove that ne is OF cham
pi0nship caliber.
IF Johnson doesn't want 70 tackle
Kaufman. Pll offer him another PROPOSE
ton. IF he can knock Tony Ross out In
ten rounds. Kaufman viii let him alone.
but # ne fails ne must take Kaufman On
for $1,000 a side. Johnson cannot stop
Ross inside such a limit. and that is why
I want 70 cover him. The negro is the
poorest specimen OF a heavyweight
champion I have ever seen, and know
that Kaufman can put him away"