Omaha daily bee., 1910-03-27
BIC PRIZE FIGHT LIVE TOPIC
Coming Jeffries-J Johnson Mill is Now
Widely Discussed.
MUCH pTrFERENCE OF OPMION
Leading Ring FOLLOWERS Say Result
Depends ON Roller Makers ABILITY
20 show Hia ola Chana-
Dionship Form.

Wherever sporting men cOuhAe5eAp NV
adays the Jeffries-Johnson fight - tne
chief topic Of discussion. There - q wide
difference OF opinion as to the outcome Of
the mill. some OF the leading ring experts
being at odds. with the pugilists ready 10
begin training next month and the Emery
Vile race track finally selected as the
battle-ground the respective chances OF the
boilermaker and the negro provide plenty
OF material for the followers OF pugilism.
Some OF the questions that must remain
unanswered until the men climb through
the ropes on July 4 may be recited here;
can Jeffries after nearly six years Of
idleness come back7"
''WuI the fight be a long or short one7"
Can johnson hit hard enough TO score
a knockout IL Jeffries becomes tired2'
rs Jeffries able to 90 forty-five rounds
at top speed if necessary which means
three hours in the ringf"
"wn Johnson's great defensive tactics
prove more than a match for Jeffries'
attack"
IT'S johnson game enough to take neavy
blows on the body and come back?'
"Are the men going to stall ten rounds
for the moving g-picture machine?"
"can Jeffrles get to the negro in the
first six rounds and II 80 will he hit hard
enough to score a Knockout"
'wil johnson quit the moment he sees
the big bear climb into the corner7"
"win Jeffs wind give out and is Johnson
going to wait until that happensT'
Which is the better ring generalg'
''Will Jeff have too many advisers?"
And so on without limit These queries
can be answered in various ways by
theorists but no man can actually bank
on what he thinks There are facts and
events in ring history that are brought
into play to give a fair line on some of
these interesting points.
In opposition to the opinion of some of
the best exponents of physical culture, JEFF
fries insists that he will come back as
strong as ever. BY that he means he will
display the same wonderful form that en-
abled him to beat Fitzsimmons, Corbett,
Rrhlln, sharkey and other big men into
submission. In order TO prove this asser-
tion when he gets into the ring Jeffries
must show speed, stamina, hitting power,
ability to take a punching and head work.
He possessed all OF these necessary quail
ties when he twice knocked out Fitzsim-
mons, and actually showed more clever
ness than Corbett when he stopped the
latter in their second mill in Frisco
it is freely predicted that he will beat
johnson down and out in at least a dozen
rounds, because with superior weight and
height, also greater experience and heavier
punches, he will be able to get to the negro
in short order. johnson is not as fast on
mis- feet as Corbett was in his prime, and
IL Jeffries can move about with his former
swiftness the black man. II is argued,
cannot avoid him long Johnson is an
adept in defensive work with his hands
and arms, but he is considered too slow in
his movements to be able TO keep out OF
harms way when a big, aggressive man
is in hot pursuit.
At his best Jeffries was in a class by
himself. It is admitted, and johnson never
saw the day when he could begin to COM
pare with him, But Jeffa problematical
condition is an obstacle in the way of the
experts. who realize that the boilermaker's
success depends upon a great big "if."
Those who cannot make themselves believe
that Jeffries win show his championship
form are guided by numerous precedents
They point TO the fact that athletes in
various branches of sport have failed to
recover their strength speed and skill
after a long layoff. They say that this
point has been well illustrated in the cases
Of Kid Mccoy, Young Corbett Kid
Lavigne and other pugilists who tried un.
successfully to come back" after long alb
sence from the ring 1t is the same with
Tod Sloan, the Jockey; also with base bal
players, wrestlers. runners, foot ball play
ers and Oarsmen. The life OF idlenes:
dulled their energy and put them into per
Tnanent retirement
When Jeffries left the ring after whip
ping Jack Munroe In August 1904, he was
in superb condition. But as there were
no other first-class heavyweights to con
quer. he decided to live on his farm neal
Los Angeles for the rest Of his days. HI
became part owner Of a saloon in tha
city. visited the race track daily during
the winter. smoked countless cigarettes
and drank liquor whenever he felt like il
In years time he weighed nearly 2s
pounds perhaps more. and had forgotten
all about pugllism. He never put on tn
gloves and INDUCED In no violent exercise
II he wanted to stay up late playing
bridge or poker nobody objected II h
felt hungry before going 70 bed he pu
away a huge meal. This mode of livin
agreed with the big fellow so wen tina
when the news came from Australia tina
johnson. negro had won tho heavy
weight championship OF the world Jeffrie
told his friends that the black man wa