The daily sentinel. [volume] (Grand Junction, Colo.) 1893-current, 1910-06-29
for Those Who Want to
Figure Out Big Fellows
Chances

None Of them. he declares, had any
terrors for him.
His four most important battles
have been fought within the last year
and half. dating from his defeat of
Tommy Burns in Australia, December
20, 1908. Having wrested the cham
pionship from Burns. he determined
TO meet and defend his title against
all corners. His fights with Philadel-
phia Jack O'Brien, AL Kaufman and
Stanley Ketchel followed in rapid sue
eession.
On his fights two or three years be-
fore, that had brought him promi-
nece and helped him along greatly in
his career, his contests with Sam
Langford, the Boston negro, Joe
jeanette, Sam McNey. 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 | really can let
myself out and show the public Just
what | can do. That's one reason
why I'm so anxious to so 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 ever, ex-
tended himself, and was capable of
striking harder blows than he has
ever 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 a slip and a 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.
johnson was born in Galveston, in
1873, his birthday being March 81,
and if ring experience goes for any
thing he has it. In 1901, his first
year as a fighter. he fought six fights,
winning all but one, which was a
draw The next year he 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 oppon-
ents have not been of the style to test
his mettle, his frequent bouts have
served al least to keep him always in
training, and this is one of the strong
arguments of his partisans
Temperamentally Johnson is an in
teresting study. His chief character
istics is his unfailing good nature.
curiously constant sort of even tenn
per that nothing seems to ruffle. His
golden smile" is seldom out of evil
dence, and not even the coarse and
insulting jibes that frequently greet
him from fight spectators seem to
have the power to disturb him. Even
when ducking a storm of blows and
showing wonderful skill in evading
the onslaughts of his opponent John
son never loses his poise nor his pow
err of observation. His eyes take in
and appraise everything that trans
ptres at the ringside. He seems to
hear every comment made by the on
lockers, and even in the midst of
clinch, when every muscle is tense.
will recognize a witty sally from the
audience with a flash of his ready
smile, and, like as not, an equally