The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1910-01-04
(By Tom Sharkey.)


Its hard to try and dope out fight
seven months before the men climb in
to the ring, but looking over the stu
alton of the big battle, feel confident
that Jim Jeffries will collect the large
end Of the purse when he meets Jack
Johnson, on July 4. Now before l go
any further / want to say that am
looking at this great contest from the
outside. 1t is only natural that
should hope that Jeffries wins the bat
tie If only to have the title remain
in the white mans class. Many may
shrek that there should be no color
line In the fighting game. but there is
and always will be as long as we are
on this earth. This does not mean
that 1 am knocking Johnson. If there
ras ever a colored man that was real
iy white Johnson is the man. If he
had been born light instead of black
well. there might have been a different
story. | have met both fighters time
and time again and want to go on
record as saying that 1 claim that I
consider the pair two clever men in
the ring, and outside of the squared
circle they are men that are worth
knowing.
One In Century.
There is one wait that has never
stopped since Jim Jeffries signed up
for the battle The croakers have
chirped without drawing a long breath
that "Jeffries will have to get back his
wind" That is the best joke l ever
heard since Joe Miller stopped kio1ing
the public. One would think Jim JEFF
fries was an ordinary mortal. Let me
tell you a thing or two. Jim Jeffries is
a fighter that is produced once in
century. He is composed Of tough
fbres incased in a bulk that is almost
unnatural.
With all respect to jeff he is like
a big black bear weighing a ton, full
of ginger and aching for a fight. And
they ask how about his wind! That
is the best joke of the year. If he has
no trouble with his wind there will be
no fight. Instead the coroner will have
q job on his hands trying to find out
what killed a tall, wiry colored man.
AS long as you asked me 1 want to
give you the inside dope on this fight,
and you can bet your family jewels
that Tom Sharkey knows what he is
saying. Let Jim Jeffries enter the
ring on the next Fourth of July one
half as fit-remember, half fit-as the
day he met me at Coney Island ten
years ago and he will win in canter.
Can Hit Some, Too.
When Jim ard started in that MEM
orable battle | had the shade of expe-
rience in my favor l had fought all
the topnotchers. But when it came
the blow counted, Jeffries has it on all
the fighters of the past twenty years
He slipped over a right swing that
crooked my life rib in the early part OF
the battle, and it was the first time IN
my career that anyone made me vince
when they landed. I don't want to
brag, but in those days there was no
man outside of jeff that ever made
me back up with a wallop. And don't
forget that Tom Sharkey was no
SLOUGH in those days.
One year before the Coney Island
fight l had met Jeff on the coast and
lasted the limit CT twenty rounds. Jim
was not as good in that battle as ne
was in the last meeting, and take II
from me, he she wed a wonderful i'm
provement in the following affair. In
these two battles they decided against
me- but l always contended that
should have gotten a draw. Still, don't
NiiAiIh mat kicking, LOT none ever
heard NE say that 1 got the worst of
it.
Crouch Is a Marvel.
JEFF has not put on glove in rea
light since he kicked the tar out OF
Jack Munroe, has he? Well. l know
that they come and go, but in the case
Of this big. stubborn fighter it looks
to me as if they will have to switcl
the dope. Getting back to my battle
with the white champion at Coney Is
and, I want to tell a little story tina,
dates back to Frisco. When l hooked
Ip win Jeh.ies on the coast, he stood
up and fought me like the averag,
fighter. 1 landed quite a few, and l.
l had to say it myself, my showing
was pretty good. When he and
started off at the Island, matters wer
much different. Between the time o.
the first fight and this battle. Tommy
Ryan had taught Jeffries the crouch