Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1910-07-04
For Ten Years Jack Johnson
Has Been Planning for Ring
Encounter With James
Jeffries,
HOW JEFF LEFT THE
GAME AND CAME BACK
Fact That Champion Is a
Negro Believed to Have
Brought Retired BeIt-HIoider
Back into the Fight Game,

lby Morning journal Speciat Laasss WireI
Reno, Nevada. July o.. Who is the
heavyweight champion OF the world q?
This is the question set for argument
tomorrow afternoon when James j.
Jeffries, undefeated champion, retired
and Jack Johnson, holder Of Jeffries
relinquished title by right OF con-
quest meet in the first real heavy
weight championship battie held in
feated Bill Squlres, the Australian
challenger. in this city Just three years,
ago tomorrow.
The purse of tomorrow's battle is
$101, 900 of which seyenty-five per
cent goes to the winner and the loser
takes the other twenty-five per cent
For the first time. sl' iia defeated
Bob Fitzsimmons in 1898, Jeftries is
the challenger. Through all his spec
tacular ring career, jeff never en-
countered a setback. He has never
tasted the bitterness OF defeat, and the
sporting public has held him to be
the champion, despite his voluntary
withdrawal in favor OF Marvin Hart
ia 1905. There were no new fields then
for Jeflries to conquer. OF all the
heavyweights before the public ht,
was SO easily the master that a bout.
between the champion and any one of
them proved a poor drawing card.
So Jeffries, in the prime of his man
hood and when his skill, strength and
fighting spirit We're at their height.
retired He passed completely out OF
the prize-fig hitting world. it was his
intention and desire never to re-enter
IT, Let who would struggle for the
honors he laid down. said Jeffries;
he was no longer a Fighter He pro-
posed to enjoy in peace and comfort
IN his Southern California home the
competence he had won in the give
and take of hard knocks
But there was a dark horse in the
race--a very dark horse indeed--aud
Jetfries never thought of the race
question, better known in the sporting
whirl as the color line represented
in John Arthur johnson. of Galveston.
when he planned a bucolic future for
He failed to reckon with
that mighty host public opinion.
Jack Johnson Of Galveston began
his ring career in his home town in
1901. He was a big, strong man. but
he lacked skill and experience and his
skin was black. No one thought OF
him except as a husky third-rater
That is, no ono but Johnson himself
For himself, It is said, Johnson had
marked out u high place in the pugil-
istic game. lie did not talk much !
about It, but he worked for It early
and late fighting everyone who came !
his way, but fighting craltily, steering
clear OF over-exertion and of men
who were decidedly his superior, anu |
apt to bring his ambitions to dsas- I
WIN fua B,.l
gained experience. He slowly bios !
sOmed out as a full blown scientific /
boxer. clever beyond the ordinary run (
Of big men. His ring generalship de- /
velOped in "a most surprising way, |
and his big body showed at each ap- \
Dearance that he was taking care OF 2
himself between whiles, carefully I
building up his strength without i'm (
pairing his speed.
Through all the time Johnson was |
lighting his way TO the top, his dreams !
were centered about the one fight /
that one day he would achieve 1
Tight with Jeffries. the great man Of .
he ring. With a mind single 10 that [
purpose he went forward, frettius (
against delays. but watching Jeffries.
always ON hand when Jeffries stcpped /
nto the ring. giving no part Of his ,
attention to any other object than /
he great white fighter
When JEFF retired Johnson did not
despair He went on toward the 4
champions hip, chasing half way
around the world to get his chance at
romy Burns in Australia, but never
osing sight OF the quiet farmer in
California. The champion
'hip meant a great deal to him. Il
meant that fighters must come to
him; that he would no longer be COM
belled to scheme and struggle just for :
he chance 10 fight. But more than
hat, in the end Il meant fight with
effries, and Johnson knew il, and also
le knew that Jeffries knew IT, He L
rad tested race prejudice in many /
ways He had heard the hiss of race D
ceiling in the shouting and yeils az
ring sides. He knew that it
i black man held the coveted title OF
he arena the day must come when
he white champion would be forced
,ut Of his retreat and do battle for
fC,nssn..A 90. - fsaI