Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-06-26
HARD FIGHT
FOR Jim JEFFR|ES
Battling Nelson Thinks Johnson
Will Give Boilermaker Hardest
Battle of His Career.
MOST WHITE FIGHTERS
FAVOR FORMER CHAMP
Dane Gives Reasons for His Opinion.
Doesn't Believe Jeff Can Come
Back as Good as He Was.
Special Dispatch to The Star.

Special DlSpatch TO The Star.
NEW YORK. June 25-Now that the
big fight is only a few days off, the
different pugflistic celebrities are begin
ming to air their positive views as to
the question of whether Jeffries will win
over the big Galveston negro when they
finally meet in the prize ring. Already
a number have been quoted on the princi-
pals merits and condition, and the latest
to add their mites are Battling Nelson,
former lightweight champion, and Terry
McGOvern. another One-time title-holder.
majority of the white boxers are of
| the opinion that Jeffries will have little
trouble to win. This is natural Nelson
however. is not So enthusiastic.
According to the former lightweight
! titleholder, he is not so sure that Jeffries
will have ssuch an easy task to defeat
Jack Johnson. Nelson says he favors
Jeffries and wants to see him the victor
but he thinks that if the Californian is
to win he will have to fight, a harder
of his ring career. Nelson says that
Jeffries. at his best. would have the
time of his life to defeat the negro. In
a recent letter Nelson stated his views,
which follow, in part:
You tell me the big fellow looks great
to be good. eh?" Nelson writes. We'll,
l hope they round him into good con-
dition, but l always have my doubts
about a man coming back after a long
period of idleness. L hope Jeffries is in
shape, SO that it will be a good fight
for the public to look at, as it is entitled
to a lot of consideration in this mat
ter. 1t is paying the bills, you know.
and ought to get run for it.
Here's point that a lot of the critics
tO have nVQrlOOkp6 IN IS five
years since Jeffries laid Off but seven.
1t is true that he boxed Jack Munroe
the second time in August, 1904, but he
didn't train for that contest. He didn't
have to be in shape, and knew it, be-
cause Munroe was thoroughly fright
ened when he made the match that he
was licked then.
Trained Last in 1903.
1.-The last time Jeffries trained and got
into any kind of shape was for his second
battle with Jim Corbett, decided in Au-
gust. 1903. That makes the duration of
his retirement close to seven years, and is
a long time for a man to lay off, and
even if Jeffries looks fine now and does
work enough to kill a horse every day, il
is no sign that he is going to stand the
gaff when he gets in with Johnson.
Sentiment should be case aside in this
battle, because a fighter is fighter when
he enters the ring, no matter what his
color may be. Perhaps lot of people
don't like Johnson, and perhaps | don't,
but that isn't binding my judgment.
know him to be fighter through and
through, and JeffrieS would have had his
own trouble with him at any time. JEFF
fries never did care much about boxing
him at any time, and / doubt if it was
altogether because of his color. Naturally
it would be better commercially for the
white man to win. but l doubt II there is
any agreement. If there is Jeffries isn't
in on it.
'TeX Richard makes a mistake in be-
ing referee. He has not the experience,
though he is an honest man, i believe
Eddie Smith of Oakland, even IL he did
call me the loser with WOlgast, is the
man for the place. as he is honest and in
his 11eaft fair
The once Terrible Terry McGOvern is
more optimistic, as follows:
do think jeff will win? Now, let me
tell you thing or two. There's been q
lot of talk around as to whether JEFF can
come back The big fellow, to my mind,
is going to surprise them all. 1 think he
is going to defeat Johnson in such a
manner that the negro will have no oc-
has an awful wallop. If he lands it in
true style he'll cave in Jacks ribs.
"Jeffries is down to good weight now, |
speed with Johnson when they meet as
he has at Rowardennan there is no ques- |
ton in my mind as to who will be the
winner. The negro is a good man. but \
it's case of him meeting a better one"