Omaha daily bee., 1910-01-09
BOON FOR PUCILISM in 1909
More Interest in Ring Contests Than
Ever Before.
RECORDS OF LEADING PUGnIsT'
johnson, IIetcheI, LanEfOrd, Nelson
Atten, DriscOII, welsh, woIsast,
COnIOn, jeanette, Moran
and Others.

tracted more attention and excited more
interest in the civilized world than ever
before. This is shown by the fact that the
Jeffries-Johnson fight scheduled for next
Fourth of July has drawn a record break
ing, purse of S1O1, 900. The aJohnson-B Burns
contest in December. 1908. worked up AUS
tralians to a high pitch Of excitement, so
that large crowds saw inferior contests in
the Antipodes last year, the climax being
reached when 1000 persons saw Lang
knock out poor old Fitzsimmons at Sydney
a couple Of weeks ago. In England there
was the same old interest in fistiana,
which received new impetus when Jem
Driscoll and Freddie WEIGH earned new
laurels. In France the boxing game con-
tinued to be a rage, with enthusiastic
crowds paying fancy prices to see contests
between American and English second
%raters.
In this country there were many glove
contests, though comparatively few of
them were Of more than ordinary import
ance. In many of the leading cities, in
Guiding New York, the lid was lifted so
that fight fans received an excellent run
for their money. Jack Johnson maintained
his supremacy in the heavyweight class by
practically outpointing Al Kaufman in a
ten-round bout at Colma, though no deci-
sion was rendered, and by knocking OUT
Stanley Ketchel in twelve rounds at the
same place Johnson incidentally removed
all doubt as to his real prowess as a pugi-
! list and convinced the sporting world that
he is a worthy antagonist for Jeffries, who
began training nearly a year ago, but
studiously avoided actual contests in the
ring.
KetcheIs downfall was probably due in
la measure to = mismanagement. Though
merely a boy, he was matched with John
, son when it would have been wiser to keep
him in the middleweight class for at least
another year. Prior to his defeat at the
U hands of the negro champion Ketchel was
regarded as a phenomenal pugilist. He
knocked all the fight out of Philadelphia
I Jack O'Brien on two occasions, and though
in poor physical condition he had no trou:
a BILE in beating his old enemy, Bill Papke. IL
D a twenty-round bout in which he broke his
5 hands and was therefore unable to score
4 a knockout.
I Some persons regard Ketchel even now as
the mlddleweight champion Of the world,
: but as a matter of fact the title is in dis
Q pute, inasmuch as Ketchel has failed to
meet Sam Langford. who can make los
pounds, r~ingside. and is one of the most
$ dangerous fighters\in the ring. Langford
was dNuiueO Dy JOirlSOu Wnen Iney were
g matched to fight in london last May, but
; Sam took on the British heavyweight
d champion instead and put him away with
ease. Because of this achievement Lang.
Q ford was hailed as a champion of the worlt
a by the National Sporting club and received
a belt emblematic of the title, but he says
9 he intends to win those laurels inside Of
the ropes rather than by default.
Q The w~elterweight championship of Amer
lea is also In dispute. Four good men havt
laid claim to the title, Jimmy Gardner
Mike (Twin) Sullivan, Willie Lewis IN
Harry Lewis. Not one of these men, how
ever, compares with the former weller
n weigh champions, Joe Walcott and Mys
%terious Billy Smith. 7NYillie Lewis hai
gained fame by whipping numerous count
u erfeits in Paris, France, but he is not lie
garded as a champion by competent RIM
n judges. ,s:E
d Battling Nelson is still the lightweight
g champion, partly for the reason that ne ha
refused to accept challenges from frs
class opponents such as Freddie Welsh
the English champion, and owen Mora
another clever Briton. Nelson in the las
year took part in only four contests, all 0
them comparatively easy. He knocked on
I a third rater named Pete Shaughnessy il
three rounds at Fort Worth, Tex, las
February. In May he stopped Dick Hy
land in twenty-three rounds at Colma AT
in June he put another soft mark to sleel
in the person of Jack Clifford who wa
stopped in five rounds at Oklahoma City
In July Nelson was actually outpointed b.
AID IWolgast of Milwaukee in a ten-rouu'
" no-decislon bout at Los Angeles and is nov
lie asking for a $4,000 guarantee, win, lose o
10 draw, to meet Wolgast In a torty-tlVe
round bout in California,
in Wolgast, a coming lightweight, climbe
10 the ladder rapidly in 1909. He took part
sixteen battles without suffering a defea
In addition to his ten-round bout with Ne
In son. Wolgast easily defeated Lew Powell
al CALIFORNIA; best boy in this class, earnin
ne the referees decision by a wide margin 9
err the end of twenty rounds.
~ Abe Attell. the American featherweigf
W champion, was also extremely busy, wit
sixteen fights. He won five of them b
ly k~nockouts, three on decisions and held h
Is own In the others, which carried no vel
70 diets. But in a no-decision ten-round bot
IN in this city Attell was outpointed by Jel
he Driscoll Of England, who is general
a recognized as the champion featherweigf
he Of the world.
n. Johnny Conlon. the American bantam
SO weight champion, went through the yes
without a defeat in ten battles. But thei
ed are many good boys in his class includir
is Monte Attell, Dan Webster, Joe Wayne
n. Phil McGovern, Joe Coster, Charlie Gol'
man and others, who are anxious to me
cd the little pugilist.
ay Freddie Welsh, the recognized Enghs
lightweight champion. who recently We
st. this title in a twenty-round bout wit
ok Johnny Summers in London, took part
cd nine contests In the last year and did n
as suffer a defeat. In fact, Welsh has on
of lost one bout since the beginning of h
"a ring career and is conceded to be one
he the cleverest men of his weight and inch
in the profession.
Toe Jeanette, the colored heavyweight
en- New York City. INDUCED in thirteen figh'
ul He was twice beaten on points by Sam M
IN Vey and Sandy Ferguson, both of whom
I subsequently knocked out. He is ready
he says, to meet kaufman or Langford
I the other side at any time.
lat Langford had eleven fights, all with ca
iIe marks, but 1t must be considered that
an was unable to secure matches with job
al son, Kaufman and Papke, while his pr
ICE posed bout with Ketchel at the Fairmo
cd Athletic club was called off at the la
moment
Joe Cans, former worlds lightweig