The Morning examiner. [volume] (Ogden, Utah) 1904-1910, 1910-07-03
: EXAMINERS DOUBLE PAGE OF SPORTS :
,JEFFRIES AND JOHNSON READY FOR FIGHT

for the supreme prize was realized.
ut was not my fights themselves.
but my fight to get those fights that
proved the hardest part Of the
struggle" johnson told The Assocl-
ated Press in recounting his difficult
ties In reaching the pinnacle Of his
ambition. 1T was my color. They
told me TO get rep; but how was
to get 'rey' without meeting fighters
Of class? But | made them fight me.
/ pjust kept plugging along, swapping
up what chances TO fight | could grab,
until by-and-by the top.notchers saw
that sooner or later they'd have to
take me on. AS soon as I mad shown
what l could do, the fight public
most of the fans, anyway-tok sides
with me, and that helped whole LOT" ;"
Johnson asserts that he has never
been apprehensive of possible defeat
In any contest he has engaged in.
None of them, he declares, had any
terrors for him.
His four most importan tbattles
have been fought within the last year
and half. dating from his defeat OF
Tommy Burns in Australia. December
| 26. 1908. Having wrested the cham
| pionship from Burns, he determined
| to meet and defend his title against
all comerS. His fights with Philadel
phia Jack O'Brien, AL Kaufman and
Stanley Ketchel followed In rapid sue
| cession.
On his fights two or three years be-
fore. that had brought him promi-
nence and helped him along greatly
In his career, his contests with Sam
Langford, the Boston negro. Joe
jeanette, Sam MyYey. Denver Ed.
Martin. Jim Flynn and others, John
son lays no particular stress except
to regard them as so many rungs OF
his ladder Of success.
I'm looking for a fight" asserted
Johnson, "in which l really can let
myself out and show the public just
what / can do. That's one reason
why I'm SO anxious to go up against
Jeffries"
Johnson's declaration sustains the
Judgment OF numerous sporting writ
ers who have maintained for years
that the big negro seldom, If over, ex-
tended himself, and was capable Of
striking harder blows than he has ev.
er delivered In the ring. 1t appears
to have been a general belief that
Johnson was holding back" This
was particularly noticeable In his re.
cent fight with Stanley Ketchel. In
that bout Johnson toyed with his man
all the way. He seemed to think the
fight joke until slip and timely
punch brought him to his knees and
aroused his anger. Just what hap
pened next has never been clearly
known. 1t was too fast to watch;
and In an instant's time Ketchel was
on his back and being counted out.
He did not seem to realize what had
struck him, and Johnson himself
seemed aStonished at the result Of
his sudden exhibition OF strength and
speed. NO
johnson was born in Galveston, In
1878. his birthday being March 81,
and il ring experience goes for any
thing, he has 1t. In 1901. his first
year as fighter. he fought six fights,
winning all but one. which Yves q
draw. The next year be went into the
ring sixteen times, and from then on
was almost constantly engaged until
To date he has to his credit over sixty
battles. While many Of his opponents
have not been OF the style to test his
mettle. his frequent bouts have serv-
ed at least to keep him always In
training, and this is one of the strong
arguments OF his partisans.
Temperamen,ally Johnson is an In
terestlng study His chief character
istic is his unfailing good nature, a
curiously constant sort of even ten.
per that nothing seems to ruffle. His
golden smile" Is seldom out Of evil
dence, and not even the coarse and
insulting Jlbes that frequently greet
him from fight spectators seem to
have the power to disturb him. Even
when ducking @ storm Of blows and
showing wonderful skill In cvading
the onslaughts of his opponent. john
son never loses his polse nor his
power OF observation His eyes take
In and appraise everything that trans