Omaha daily bee., 1909-07-18
KETCHEL's FIGHT IS A PUZZLE
Fans Continue TO Talk of His Failure
to Knock Out PaDke.

to Knock Out PaDke.
NEW YORK, July 17.-stanley Ketchers
failure to knock Bill Papke out inside of
twenty rounds at Colma recently will prob
ably be discussed for some time to come.
Sporting men as a rule still regard Ketchel
as a phenomenal pugilist and predict that
II he takes proper care of himself and Is
absolutely fit when he meets Jack John
son in October he will stand an excellent
chance of winning. But Ketchells showing
with Papke will not be passed over lightly,
even though some critics are inclined to
throw the fight out of their calculations,
just as horse fiends treat erratic per-
formsnces of racing t~horoughbreds. The
fact that both of Ketchel's hands were
injured is sufficient reason why he did
not stop Papke. The fight up to the twelfth
round proved that Ketchel was easily the
master, for Papke received a terrific wal
Looping and was in much distress. But with
both hands crippled it was not at ali
strange that Ketchels attack gradually
became less dangerous, until Papke did not
fear to take chances. Papke is a tough
customer anyway. Ketchel is the only man
tina has ever defeated him, and yet Papke
is the only pugilist that has ever put the
Michigan Lion away. AS middleweights
they seem to be pretty evenly matched,
therefore, with this important exception
Papke can make 1853 pounds any time with
out weakening his physical condition, while
Ketchel finds this task a positive hard
ship.
1t is a matter Of fact that Papke is
always close to the middle-weight and
has never been compelled to do any great
amount Of hard work to keep his avoirdu-
pois down to that mark. For this mill
ID aba uoa rAn1gr g. $500. 4La., 49,
his training consisting OF light exercise to
keep his wind and limbs in proper condi-
ton. Ketohel. on the other hand, after a
trip by easy stages from this city to
Frisco, which consumed more than a week,
took on so much weight that he was forced
to indulge in strenuous road work right up
to weighing time in order to scale at 1853.
For this reason ring experts in California
say that Ketchel weakened himself and
could not have been in the same trim which
enabled him to stop Jack O'Brien in Jig
time. They use as proof of this statement
the fact that Ketchel began to show signs
of WEAKNESS after three rounds had been
fought, which in their opinion was an in
d~ication of staleness. Ketchel had been in
active training without letup except dur
ing the trip to California from the first Of
March, so that the argument that he may
have been overturned is worthy of cred
ence.
VIII Lay for
II Ketchel is wise he will never attempt
to reduce to the middle-weight limit again.
By taking a rest until the first of Septem-
Der II is believed that he can then begin
training for the johnson fight with the
prospect Of being in better physical shape
than ever before. Two months of leisure,
it is thought, will put so much weight upon
1 II . ~
into the ring with the big negro Weighing
at least Ito pounds, perhaps more. Ketchel,
according to good judges, should nave the
physique and stamina of Tom Sharkey
when he meets johnson with greater hit
ting power than the famous sailor pos
sessed when he went twenty-five rounds
with Jeffries at Coney Island. Weight and
strength mean everything in a pugilist's
makeup, and in a fight with Johnson
Ketchel will need plenty Of both.
Profound respect for Papke's terrific
punches probably made Ketchel unusually
cautions. for the Michigan Lion did not
adopt the aggressive rushing tactics shown
in his second bout with O'Brien. Com
petent ring Judges do not regard Johnson
as in Papke's class as q puncher, and con-
s~equently they see no reason why Ketchel
should adopt dilatory tactics when he
hooks up with the colored champion.
Johnson's u~nwillingness to fight more than
twenty rounds with Ketchel, in view of
the latter's mill with Papke, seems to be
well understood now. The negro, because
of his superior height and weight I'M
doubtedly believes that he can stall with
Ketchel and receive a decision on points.
Whether he can or not IT may be said
that II Ketchel weighs 175 or 100 pounds
and his hands do not go back on him
johnson will be subjected to the most
severe test he has ever experienced. 1t is
a difficult matter to knock out a mar
whose sole purpose in the ring is to de-
fend himself against an attack OF this kind
Papke evidently made up his mind that he
would take no chances, for he clinched and
covered up whenever Ketchel reached him
with a staggering punch in the early
rounds.