The San Francisco call., 1910-07-24


matches simply because the stars of
the ring assumed an independent air
@Bnd held out.
p. Thus it was tin the famous Hoboken
conference last winter, when the JEFF
.fries-Johnson match was made in that
aoforious star chamber session. I'm
inediately the whole civilized world
0ent up in the air. It was nothing but
+ Jeffries and Johnson. Nobody seemed
20 care a bit whether any Of the other
fighters ever would meet to settle their
differences. They wanted the big fell
lows, and they were willing to pass
= everything else up.
SAD BLOW TO GAME
Well. they got the big fellows and
7 incidentally they paralyzed the game,
and now everybody in the boxing game
I is mournful and forlorn- Had it not
been for Jehries and Johnson we would
Z still be having plenty of action around
san Francisco and Los Angeles. The
regular matches would be pulled off
every month, the fans would see what
they wanted and they could very well
have forgotten about the black cham
pion" and the ''hOpe Of the white race"
How they wish now that they had for
gotten.
There is no doubt that the JEFF
fries-Johnson affair did more to hurt
the game than any big event that has
ever happened in the history Of the
modern ring. The air of mystery and
uncertainty which surrounded the
match from the moment il was made
till the great white hulk fioundered
around the ring in the Nevada desert
on the fourth OF July had a tendency
10 disgust the followers Of boxing all
over the civilized world. There was a
chance TO revive ii with a great bat
tie. but when the prize lemon was
plucked they all went skyward and
they are still talking about how they
were stung.
And now that ii is over there is
nothing for the others to do. Plenty
of matches are in sight. but none of
1 the states in the union Will stand for
F. them There is no chance TO go back
10 Reno with any of the present at
,. fractions. The days of $270,000 houses
are dead and almost forgotten and it
would not be worth any promoters
!. while TO take a chance in the sage
brush state for an ordinary sized gate.
KAUFMAN's STOCK Is GOING UP
Who knows but the future
scenes Of ring activity viii be down in
4. Australia, that great sporting land
where they will stand for any big, i'm
~
10 be on the level? Hugh Mcintosh
may yet blossom out as the man who
can control the prize fighting market
: and take back TO his own country all
Of our great fighters who are forced TO
lie idle in the country where they once
made fortunes.
A careful glance at the column of
champions and contenders will readily
show that there are plenty of splendid
. matches in sight. OF course, all the
lighters are ready and willing to fight
now that the chances of bringing them
together are decidedly slim. They are
challenging one another right and left
and shouting defiance from the house,
tops. This is always the way when the
game is dying out. A year ago, when
they would have been welcomed in San
4 Francisco, they were not so ready and
willing to measure their skill.
Take Jack Johnson, for instance. He
saws that he would rather fight than
6 show on the stage. but he comes right
back with the excuse that there is mo-
body for him to fight or no place for
him to fight. In the next interview he
loudly sounds the praises of Al Kauf-
nan. saying that he is the toughest one
IF the bunch and admitting that he
would have quite task on his hands
IRVING TO dispose of the big blacksmith.
As for Langford, Johnson has nothing
taVe contempt and sneer- He does not
)av any attention TO Sam.
Kaufman and Johnson would make a
strong ring attraction, provided that
the battle could be arranged as a As
round AFFAIR. Kaufman is a big, strong
fellow, and none of them have beaten
him since he lost to Jack OBrien as a
beginner. He is not clever nor scien-
tific nor spectacular, but he keeps on
winning all the time, and il johnson