The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1909-03-28
JACKSON BETTER
THAN JOHNSON
So Declares James J. COrbett,
Who Boxed Former Col
Ored Champion.
BY JAMES J. coReET

What chance would Johnson ihaye with /.
Jeff If the two should meet. and is Jack
johnson as great d fighter at Peter Jack +
son was in his best days? Since Johnson's
arrival in this country 7 have had these
questions put 20 me so often that I am
going to give my views on them TO the
public nre
To start with if jeff was as sood as
he was when he fought me the second
time he would certainly beat Johnson
But jeff ism {, and he knows II better tnal
the public does. / met him on the coast
during my theatrical tour and L got iu
pretty close touch with him.
He said then. as he says now, that DE
will fight Johnson if he can get into
condition. But that he does not really
know himself Is "A fact. often 7 have
heard fans say that he knows out be
doesn't want to say what his plans are
This is not so. The poorest right fan
knows about much about what JET
is going t. do as the big fellow knox,
himself. In view of this condition John
son right now must be given credit for
being at least good enough Tor the weird
championship class ..
johnson. until he whipped Tomms
Burns, was like q ship tossed at sea- lie
belonged no place and little attention was
paid TO him To have classed then WITT
jeff would have been an indication oil
mental trouble. But now that he has
whipped Burns ana none or the Otner act
i've white heavvweights look To be IN hil
class his right to be classed with JET
should not be questioned. Johnson Is 50
per cent better than Jack Munroe ye
the public fell for the Butte miner
Munroe Met Jeff in Form.
And when Munroe fought Jeff the biel
fellow was at his best Now the comb
ti0ns are different Had Johnson beer
Jeff's opponent the night he fought Mon T
roe. Jeff would have had to put up a.
much sitter battle. and since then eTery
fight fan knows Jeff has gone back q lot
But after all is said and done It VIII be.
impossible to give anything like a gOoG|
line on jeff until we know what kind OF 1
condition he will be able TO get into
AS to whether Johnson VIII fight JET /
or not. there is not question in my mind
l believe that Johnson feels as confideut'
as any man ever did that he IS JEFF 4
master. For several years his friendsI
have been filling his head with the rod
that jeff was afraid Of him. And John
son IS not different from any of his race
They are q self-admiring people, and
when an ignorant COlOTed man or a fairIy|
weIl-educated person like johnson oncA
gets the bunch that he is the master OF
an enemy. il seems humiliation on Onel
side OF the other
Didn't Think Jeff Would Fight.
do not believe johnson expected Jefd
20 accept d proposition from him at an}l
near date. The offer to meet the bid
bOilermaker in a battle in New York on
an unlimited affair on the coast wa
simply a piece Of advertising. Johnson
realizes that If he wishes 20 be received
I'm America as champion he VIII have t1
declare himself above everything esd
willing TO meet anyone
Jeff could not accept terms wear
al least. And Johnson knows IL But ifi
America johnson realizes that fE is a lO1
different than in d foreign country, He
has 70 keep his press agent busy to rel
main in the public eye. No better dOp5
could be sent out by him than that hid
was willing to meet jeff at any time. es1
pecialIy before he goes to Europe for an
extended foreign engagement WIKI Ind
question settled that Johnson is willing
70 meet Jeffries, / viii now compare him
as a fighter TO Peter Jackson
Compared With Jackson.
have always thought Peter jackson
was one Of the worlds greatest fStnters-
He had all the attributes Of a FNgills5
from fOotwOrk to judgment Of distance
and punch in either hand He contrasted
Peter Jackson was d machine tn the ring
in many respects. Such cannot be said Oi
Johnson. The latter. however possessed
a way of handling himself that is almost
as effective as extreme cieyerness-. He
is very awkward In many Of his move
ments, but it is his dwkwardness thai
fools his opponent.
Jackson had q much better left hand
than Johnson and he used it to great adj
vantage. III never forget how hard
found it to stay away from. He playe1
for my law continually. but never landet
hard enough to jolt me But he Iandet
more often in the siXty-One rounds tina
] fought him than any two other fighter4
I ever met