The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-04-03
MIDDLE TITLE IS
MUCH IN DOUBT
LangfOrd Considered Best Man,
but Ketchel Holds HOnOrS
With Papke.
JEFFRIES FOUGHT MANY
BATTLES TO GET TITLE
Battling Nelson Anxious to Re-
gain Lightweight Worlds
Championship.
BY JEFF THOMPSON,
ased Wire to The Tribune.

BY Leased Wire to The Tribune.
NEW YORK. April 2.-It is about time
we were deciding the interesting question:
Who is the middleweight champion Stan
| ley Ketchel used to hold this honor, but
for long time the Iaurels have been fluc-
tuating between Billy Papke and Kctchel
| Langford stands fair show now of get
ting crack at the title himself
Ever since Papke knocked Willie Lewis
cold In three rounds in Paris there has
been talk OF a match between him and
Ketchel. Stanley asserts that he is back
In the game for keeps now and that he
has cut out the foolish business.
A fight between Papke and Ketchel
would make a beautiful nstlc battle and.
il Ketchel and Langford do not settle
their differences beforehand, il is only
fair that the winner give the Boston tar
baby a chance.
Langford must always be reckoned with
as a rniddleweight champion. He is
hackers think him strongest and winning
In grand style when he is supposed 10 be
out OF form.
But it is high time that we settled this
middleweight championship question.
Jeffries has fought more battles 10
maintain his championship. before he
weight belt holder. John l.. Sullivan beat
Jake Kilrain in 1889, winning the cham
pionship. and practically took a rest for
three years, when he met Corbett at
! New Orleans and lost. After beating
John L., Corbett fought only one real
| battle in the ensuing five years Cor
bett fought Charley Mitchell between the
| time he won the championship and lost
| II 10 Fitzsimmons. but that was his only
real fight of consequence. Fitz won his
| title from Corbett at Carson City. March
again until he lost to Jefrries two years
| afterward Jeffries was compelled TO
| fight nine battles to hold his champion
ship. for just at the time when he beat
Fltzsinmons heavyweight aspirantS were
| growing on bushes.
The civil suit against Jack Johnson by
Bernard Gerard and the estate of II. c,
Minor to recover $l75S alleged due on a
| theatrical contract. gives the dusky cham
| pion another notch In his record of litt-
| cations. Counting writs in damage cases,
| criminal suits and arrests ] think this is
| the fifteenth time that Johnson has been
| hailed before the law. The big fellow has
been trying to keep out of trouble, but
| il seems that the more he tries the deep
| er he gets into the tangles OF the web. In
| this rspect Johnson stands in a unique
niche No other puGilist has ever been
arrested as many times as he.
Ryan Knows Game.
Tommy Ryan. who has been denom-
mated as the head Of the Johnson train
| Ing camp. is about the best selection that
could have been made. doubt II any
one knows as much about Jeffries's style
Jeffres was helped greatly by the point
| ers given him by Ryan.
Tommy Is still a fast agile boxer. al
| though ue is only good for training pur-
poses.
Stanley KetcheI. who had to have two
postponcments in order 10 get ready for
Frank Klaus in Pittsburg, Is now skirt
ing about for bigger game
Ketchel hurried over to New York i'm
mediately after the Klaus affair and
| consulted long and earnestly with his
new trainer. Jonathan Igoe.
They can't come fast enough for me
now" said Mr. Ketchel.
Battling Nelson who was recently
ousted from his membership in the
| Lambs club In this city says that after
| one more week of vaudeville he Will hit
| the great sunset trail for the west and get
back To nature for while, l do not
| know why Bat was elected from the the
| atrlcal club In this city. for never knew
| him TO be given TO alcoholic 1amDorees
wasn't legitimate actor. AS matter
| OF fact. he isn't.
The Battler will lay of in Mexico for
a long while getting the good ozone of
| things easy generally for some time. He
| wants TO meet Wolgast again in Septem-
| Der, and thinks that couple OF months
| roughing II in the wilds Will put him
| back into his old-tmc form.
! The latest date set for the proposed
| Wolgast Nelson fight for the settlement
OF the much -mootcd lightweight cham
pionship Is September o. When Nelson
was In Minnesota, some time ago. he
opened negotiations with Wogast for
| September date. The thing has been
hanging fire since Tom Jones, VOL
CASTS manager. says that he prefers Nell
son to Moran. Thompson or Murphy. On
| the other hand. Ad was inclined to bali
at this programme Wolgast wanted to
| meet u few OF the soft ones before going
| UP against Nelson again.