The San Francisco call., 1909-10-17
johnson Takes
Early Lead and
Never Loses 1t
Story of tie Fight by Rounds
Shows That Black Man
Was N aSfer

ROUND THE men did not shake hands,
Johnson lowered above his adversary by several
inches The champion scored almost immediately
with hard left hook 70 the stomach. Make
him Iead"' yelled the spectators TO KeteheI
Ketchel apparently was determined TO make the
black lead and spared for almost half a minute
Johnson. at long range. shot his left TO the face
+ twice with lightning rapdity Ketchel forced
the black against the ropes. but the latter wrig-
gled away without receiving a blow. The bell
rang with the men in the center Of the fing IL
utterly tame round. both lighting
with extreme caution. Ketchel looked nervous
throughout. while Johnson wore his golden
smile"
ROUND 2-They ran to clincb and Referee
Welsh pried them apart Ou the break Johnson
shot straight left to the nose. and soon there
after duplicated il. At every elinch KetcheI was
playing with short blows for the stomach
In eiineh Ketchel uppereut hard TO the jaw
with his left This angered the champion. who
rushed in. landing left and right the body
and ketehel slipped to the door with considerable
force He up quickly rushed IN, but had
great difficulty in getting under Johnson's long
reach Johnson merely toyed with Ketchel until
the bell ended the round KeteheTs face showed
grim determination he took his seat
I ROUND s-They spared perfunetOrily for
/ fully 80 seconds and then closed in. swinging
right and left at close range, KetcheI landing on
J the body once with right KetcheI drove his
right high the negro's breast. and as they
elInehed johnson uppercut twice with his right
The referee then separated the belligerents.
/ They again rushed in close. Johnson putting in
several shortarm rights and lefts to the stomach
I The white uppercut with left to the face as
the men broke from a clinch Just before the
round ended Johnson swung his right on the Jaw
KeteheI went TO his corner dancing. however. and
looked fresh Johnson kept I'D a running fire OF .
conversation with his seconds during the minutes
respite.
ROUND AFTER a sparring feat Johnson
rushed in. forcing his man to the ropes, and
placing his arms around KeteheI fairly carried
him to the center OF the ring. Make him
lead"' came the repeated injunction from Willis
\ Britt ketehel missed terrific right swing In
tended for the jaw 1t was a close shave for the
negro and missed by barely an inch. johnson
steadily backed away as they spared for a lead
with Ketehel following. Johnson then sent 4
hard right to the jaw and Ketchel constantly
kept teasing the big black in effort to make
him lead. IL a tame round, characterized by
a few bursts of speed.
ROUND 5-KetcheI opened with a left to the
body, to which the champion replied with two
weak lefts to the face johnson then sen5
KetcheTs head back with two straight lefts tn
the nose ketehel again essayed to force John
son 10 lead. to which the champion failed to re-
spOnd. Ketchel showed unexpected cleverness at
blocking the negro's leads whenever the negro
chose to lead johnson fling his left twice to
the face. and the men SPARED az long range.
johnson working in straight left to the face.
Neither man showed damage as the round ended.
Few leads marked the round Johnson having q
shade
Z
KetcheI landed left to the body and followed
with another left to the jaw. johnson countered
with left to the stomach. Johnson shot out his
left. catching ketcheI both hands as the latter
threw up his guard. and Ketche was sent to tho
floor. He was up. smiling, however. Johnson
gave him a warm reception He uppercut with
right to the jaw and raked KetcheFs face with a
succession Of lefts to the jaw. Ketehel continued
TO force the pace. but was met with two lefts on
the nose that started the blood flowing johnson
had good lead in the round and il looked as
though he was holding back. In every elincb
during the fight Ketehel bent backward by
the superior weight and strength OF the negro
ROUND johnson swooped in with two Iefts
on the nOstrils. Ketchel countering with a hard
left hook to the body. Johnson shot anotheE y
straight left to the and KetcheI missed fear
full left swing for the jaw. As they closed in John
son uppereut with right to the Jaw and Ketchel
TO wipe the flowing blood from his nostriIs AZ
close quarters Johnson landed several times on
the nose and face. Suddenly KetcheI swung his
left with terrific force and it caught the cham
pion good and solid on the jaw. raising a biz
lump that was Immediately pereeptibIe to the
spectators. 1t BY far the cleanest and best
blow Of the fight and the immense crowd rose to
its feet yelling gleefully.
ROUND s-Johnson's smile had vanished as
he up He Immediately closed in land
ing twice with left ON the face. The fighters
roughed it, shoulder to shoulder. and KetcheI
worked in hard right uppercut on the Jaw.
The referee then separated the men. Johnson
landing left and right on the face as they broke.
Ketchel missed a terrific right swing and almost
went through the ropes from the force Of his
effort. Johnson forced bis opponent back grad
ually and landed a left to the jaw. Ketchel
again missed terrific right swing and again
nearly went through the ropes from its mis-
directed force. Ketcnel 20 his corner smiling
amid the cheers Of the crowd
ROUND sEThey closed in. each landing short
arm rights on the face Welsh forced twice
to break the men from clinches. The champion
sent in four singing straight lefts 10 the face.
but Ketchel did not break ground. On the con
trary, he rushed in. hammering at the cham
pion's stomach. but his blows we're smothersd.
Ketchel planted his left over the ribs and
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