The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-01-30
.PUG|L|GM GAINED
FAVOR in | 9.09.
Purse Offered for the
Jefries.J Johnson Fight
Shows This.
MANY BOUTS ON
AMERICAN SOIL
Ketchel Was Matched With Ne
gro Champion While Mere
Boy, or Else He Might
Have Had Chance to Car
ny Off the
Honor.

Pugilism during the year 1909 at
| 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 record breaking purse Of
100000. The Johnson Burns contest
| In December, 1908, worked up Austria
lians to a high pitch OF excitement so
that large crowds saw inferior con-
tests in the Antipodes last year. the
climax being reached when 1900 per-
sons 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 re-
ceiyed new impetus when Jem Drls-
coll and Freddie Welsh earned new
| laurels. In France the boxing game
continued TO be rage with enthusiast
| tic crowds paying fancy prices to see
| contests between American and En-
/ Elish second raters.
In this country there were many
| glove contests. though comparative
\ ~ few of them were of more than or
binary Importance. In many of the
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
4 practically outpointing AL Kaufman in
a ten-ronnd bout at colma. though no
decision was rendered and by knock
ing ont Stanley Ketchel in twelve
rounds at the same place Johnson Incl
dentaliy removed all doubt as to his
real prowess as a pugilist and con-
WINGED the sporting world that he IL
n worthy antagonist for Jeffries. who
began "training'' nearly year ago,
but studiously avoided actual contests
in the ring
Why kctchcl Lost Out.
4 Kctchcfs downfall was probaly due
in measure to acknowledgment.
7 Though merely boy lie was matched
with johnson when II would have been
wiser to keep him in the mlddlewe!ght
class for at least another year. Prior
to his defeat at the hands of the me-
4 gro champion. Ketchel was regarded
4 as a phenomenal pugilist. He knocked
4 all the fight out of Philadelphia Jack
Il O'Brien on two occasions, and though
In poor physical condition he had no
4 trouble in beating HIS old enemy Bill
4 Papke in a twenty round bout In
which he broke his hands and was
4 therefore unable to score a knockout.
Some persons regard Ketchel even
now as the middleweight champion of
the world. but as matter of fact the
y title is in dispute inasmuch as Ketchel
Il has failed to meet Sam Langford, who
can make 15S pounds. ringside. and is
one of the most dangerous fighters in
1.-the ring. Langford was avoided by
johnson when they were matched to
4 fight In London last May but Sam
4 champion instead and put him away
4 with ease Because of this achieve
4 mcnt Langford was hailed as a champ
i ion of the world by the National Sport
ing Club and received a belt emblema-
4 tic of the title. but he says he intends
\ to win those laurels in the ring bs de-
4 fault
4 Four Claim the Title.
4 The welterwcight championship OF
4 America is also in dispute. -Four good
i men have laid claim to the title. lin
my Gardner. Mike (Twin) Sullivan
'fWillie Lewis and Harry Lewis. Not
ono of these men. however, compares
4 with the former welterweght champ
II ions. Joe Wolcott and Mysterious Bill
lily Smith. Willie Lewis has gained
q fame by whipping a field OF some OF
the best who have come to France.
Battling Nelson is still the light
a weight champion. partially for the rea'
I son that he has refused to accept chal.
Sllenges from tirst-class opponents suct
( las Freddie Welsh. the English cham
4 pion. and Owen Moran, another Clever
Briton. Nelson in the last year tooH
part in only four contests. all OF then
comparatively easy. He shocked on
II third rater named Pete ShaughnessS
lin three rounds at Forth Worth. Texas
Hast February, In May he stopped ptel
\ Fiyland in twenty three rounds at Col
ma, ana in Juno he put another soft
! mark to sleep in the person Of Iacl
iClifford, who was stopped In t1v'
: Grounds at Oklahoma City. In July Mel
son was actually ou;pointed by AZ
!. Wolgast, of Milwaukee, in a aten-rount
! no-decision bout at Los Angeles, ant
n is now asking for a $4,000 guarantee
Twin, lose or draw, to meet Wolgas
! lin a, fortN-fve-round bout In California
III Climbed Ladder Rapidly.
Wplgast coming lightwelght
climbed the ladder rapidly in 1908
He took part III sixteen battles with
n out suffering a defeat In addition
to his ten-round bout with Nelson
: Wolgast easily defeated Lew Powell
California's best boy In this class
/, earning the referees decisioniby n wild
4 lmargin8at the end of twenty rounds,
Abe Attell, the American feather
!. weight chnmpion was also extremel!
I busy with sixteen fights He won hy
!, of them by knock-outs, three on de
! cisions, and held his own in the others
|. which carried no verdicts. hut In a n,
9 decision ten-round hnat in New Yorl
Y, 5Attell was Soutpointed by;,Iem p r'scol
!. OF England, who is genera u " srecog
/; nized MS the champion featherwe' g t q
Il thaisWorld, N 81, ii Il 81 II SSs
4 AN johnny Sl,oulan.s the, Anew ca n ban
II (Continued ON cond Fa gs,3 s5