The Ogden standard. [volume] (Ogden City, Utah) 1902-1910, 1909-04-13
(By William ], Slattery)

1
this Jeffries and Johnson and Ketchel
and Johnson talk and back on firm
! ground again with Battling Nelson and
| Dick Hyland and PacRey Mcfarland
bobbing their heads up and showing
signs OF life. The glad change came
just in time to save the honor of the
ring. if there is any honor left There
will be some fighting DOW IN place of
all this old line of talk that was being
passed back and forth all these weeks.
There Is bound TO be action. for any
time the Battler starts we can rest as.
sured that somebody must hustle
From the wording of Jim Coffroth' g
latest dispatch 1t would appear that
he has accomplished what all the 9th
ers had given up as a hopeless task
the feat of matching Nelson and
Mcfarland Who over thought that
any man would come 50 close TO IL as
TO bring them face to face and induce
the champion to make big concession
TO the challenger? 1t looked like a
foolish suggestion some weeks ago,
but now the great little fighters seem
to be nearer to meeting than at any
other time
There must be secret behind 1t all
that may be explained at some future
date II Is foregone conclusion that
the great lightweight champion must
have received some sort of an inSplr-
alton before he concluded to allow Nc
Farland to weigh in at 133 pounds two
hours before the fight Nelson has al
ways been touchy on this weight
question, and he has a right TO be, The
limit is 1873 pounds ringside, and so
long as he can make 1t and fight his
fight he Is In a position to dictate to
any of them.
Let us hope that this good news is
truth and not the result Of some over
loaded pipe It's what we have been
looking forward to since Nelson laid
Joe Cans low and won the lightweight
crown last July at the Mission street
arena It's the great, natural light
weight match, provided that the chal-
lenger Will do as the public would like
to see him do. Nobody thought he
would up to the present. but the tide
apparently has switched.
It has been long the prevailing opln-
ion that the Chicago stock yards fight
er is no longer a lightweight and
therefore would never have chance
to go In against Nelson. II the Bat
tier allows him TO so on at 1873 pounds
two hours before the mill this would
be quite a concession and might help
the cause along. Nelson could never
be compelled TO make this concession,
and he seems to be doing 1t either out
of goodness Of heart or else because
he believes that Mcfarland will be
soft cake for his unerrlng rushes.
In the event that Mcfarland and
Nelson are matched it will mark the
epoch Of one of the greatest fights
that has ever been attempted In this
city 'Tis one that the entire country
would smoke up to, one that would
interest everybody who ever fell for
fight, Two young fellows, each In the
height of his career. each anxious and
willing. and each a proven fighter in
his own particular line. Such a match
would be bound to bring them all
around. The fighting game would be
many times better off for It,
Many ask: Is not Nelson looking too
far ahead? Does he forget that ho has
Dick Hyland to account for in the
meantime? This is very true. but In
q measure the champion has answer
ed these questions already. He told
Coffroth that he would take Mcfarland
on II he beat Hyland, and that if he
could not come to terms with Packey
he would be willing to give Johnny
Thompson that chance he has been
clamoring for during all these months.
With a Hyland- Nelson match assur-
ed and Nelson-T Thompson or Mel
SON Mcfarland encounter probable for
July the fans Of San Francisco can
look forward with much interest to the
events of the coming summer. They
will forget all about JEFF and his press
agents and Johnson and his golden
smile and Ketchel and his wood chop
pers boots. Nelson Is the boy who
has given them all action in the past,
and naturally they will turn TO him
now that he Is about to stand again,
He's our one best bet and he's always
on the job, When the lightweight
champion says that he will retire az.
ter these approaching contests he
probably means what he says Thus
far he has never gone back on his
word. His one ambition is to beat all
OF them and then step down and out
peacefully, with his unapproachable
record for ring honesty untarnished.
This Is something worth dreaming
about and it means a whole lot to the
big hearted Dane. He could quit the
game right now without being censur-
ed, but he wants to give some of the
others a chance, provided they will
live up to the rules as laid down by
the marquis OF Queensberry
AS for Mcfarland he is really not
entitled to consideration by the cham.
pion after the way he ran out on Ny,
land two months ago Perhaps Pack
ey believes that the fans OF San Fran
cisco have forgotten this, but il he
does he Is sadly mistaken. 1t still
sticks In their craws and it likely
will till such time as the stockyards
lad has done something TO square
himself.
The talk about the Nelson -Hyland
fight should begin to start very short
ly. The champion has convinced them
all through the columns of the press
thnt he will be on the job at the ap-
pointed hour. For some reason or
other the knockers were about, whis-
pering that Bat was only stallIng. but
he has shown them all up and he may
have other surprises in store for them
The battle gives promise OF being
one Of the most strenuous in the siren
uous career Of the most strenuous lit
tie fighter the ring has ever known.