Evening journal., 1910-07-04
Jefffes and Johnson in Fine FeffIe TO
Punch for Worlds Championship Honor

fight at Galveston, in 1902. Farmer
Burns was another of the training
squad. He is a wrestler Of consider
able repute, and not a day of train
ing passed but Jeffries engaged him
in struggling, hauling, helfting
match
Johnson is Sanguine.
Eight years ago, when Johnson be-
gan TO loom on the pugilistic horizon.
he urged his managers to make every
effort to arrange a match with jeff
ries. "Jeffries can't touch me-" was
his boast even in those days and he
fretted continually over the fact that
until he acquired a reputation his
prospects for a championship battle
we're but as gauzy as the tail of Hal
leys comet. He says he believed
then as confidently in his ability to
achieve the title as he did years
later, when at last his opportunity
to battle for the supreme prize was
realized.
1T was not my fights themselves,
but my fight oget those fights that
proved the hardest part of the strug-
GLE" Johnson told the Associated
Press in recounting his difficulties in
reaching the pinnacle OF his ambition.
1T was my color They told me to
get a rep but how was l to get a
rep without meeting fighters of
class? But | made them fight me. l
just kept plugging along, swapping
up what-chances to fight | could grab,
until by-and-by the top-notchers saw
that sooner or later they'd have to
take me on. AS soon 80 had shown
what / could do, the fight public
most of the fans anyway-took sides
with me, and that helped a whole
lot"
Johnson asserts that he has never
been apprehensive of possible defeat
in any contest he has engaged in.
None of them. he declares, had any
terrors for him.
His Best Four Fights.
His four most important battles
have been fought within the last year
and a 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 Philadelphia
Jack OBrien, AL Kaufman and Stan
ley Ketchel followed in rapid success
sion.
On his fights two or three years
before, that had brought him promi-
nence and helped him along greatly
in his career. his contests with Sam
Langford the Boston negro, Joe
jeanette, Sam McVey, 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 l really can let
myself out and show the public just
what | can do. That's one reason
why I'm so anxious to go up against
Jeffries."
Was johnson Holding Backl
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 ap-
pears to have been a general belief
that Johnson was holding back"
This was particularly noticeable in
his recent fight with Stanley Ketchel.
In that bout Johnson toyed with his
man all the way. He seemed to
tnink the fight joke until a slip and
a timely punch brought him to his
knees and aroused his anger. Just
what happened next has never been
clearly known. IL was too fast to
watch; and in an instant's time Ket-
chel was on his back and being count
ed out He did not seem to realize
what had struck him, and Johnson
himself seemed astonished at the re-
suit OF his sudden exhibition Of
strength and speed.
Negro Comes From Texas.
Johnson was born in Galveston, in
1878, his birthday being March 81, and
If ring experience goes for anything
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 16
times. and from then on was almost
/ constantly engaged until to date. He
has to his credit over so battles.
While many of his opponents have not
been of the style to test his mettle,
his frequent bouts have served at
least to keep him always in training
| and this is one of the strong argu-
ments of his partisans.
| Temperamentally Johnson is an
/ interesting study His chief charac-
/ teristic is his unfailing good nature
a curiously constant sort Of even tenn
per that nothing seefs to ruffle His
] golden smile is seldom out of evi-