The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-12-30
JACK JOHNSON CAN'T Get
FIGHT IN new YORK TOWN
Jim Corben Says Advert Of Black Champion
in City Would Kill Boxing

paid the small sum of $4,000 cash
in hand for each and every contest
he engages In. Same old song JACK
sang when Langford was pressing
him hard last year.
The champion promised to return
to New York after the holidays and
look over" the white hope" pros
poets. IT Johnson imagines he VIII
secure any matches in this city he
has another think coming. A proni-
nent promoter informed me the other
day that while johnson would be a
desirable party. SO far as he and
other club owners are concerned, the
mere announcement OF the cham
pion's signing for a ten round bout
in Manhattan would sound the death
knell of boxing in New York state.
Personally 1 can see no great OBJ
lection to Jacks showing here, prov
fded suitable opponent is found for
him, but the notoriety attached to a
match in which the heavyweight
champion of the world figured would
''holier than thou" element. 1t is a
safe, bet johnson is forced to look
elsewhere for his "easy" money.
Tommy Ryan, former middle
weight champion, gave US impse
the National Sporting Club the other
evening. Ryan has great confidence
in his youngster and told me that it
Is only a question of a short time be-
fore he fights. his way to the top of
the middie-weight division. Pitted
McGoorty, Morrow made a showing
that reflected great credit on his able
Instructor.
Howard has a most inpenetrable
defense but was not aggressive
enough in the McGoorty match. Pos
up. If Ryan succeeds In teaching
Morrow the offensive style of boxing
the lad will be wonder. AS IT
stands think he made remarkable
showing in holding the clever Nc
Goorty so successfully for ten rounds.
Mike Gibbons, New York's faNorite
for the welter-weight stakes. has been
offered two chances to prove his rights
to claim the title in that class. Ray
Bronson and Young Erne have both
challenged and the clever Michael
need complain no longer of lack Of
opportunity. Bronson is an accom-
modating cuss and willing to please
Mike in the matter Of distance. Erne
.stipulates ten rounds for his.
Battling Nelson was well named
the Durable Dane" When the ex-
champion lightweight boxed One
dred punches to the large collection
he has assimilated during his career.
To be truthful, Hogan's gloves were
in Bats face two-thirds Of the time.
Still the Dane was on the forward
march. :, Always after his man.. never
in the face of odds was superb and
another demonstration Of his stout
heart. He was outpointed all the
way. but strong and full OF fight at
the finish.
My idea of nothing to look at would
Nelson style of milling. But when a
fellow like Bat Is matched with a
clever boxer such as Hogan has de-
veloped into it becomes interesting
because it brings out strongly the
contrast between the clever man who
uses his mental as well as physical
equipment and the one who, relies up
on his gifts of courage and endur-
ance.
The recent Knockout Brown-Leach
Cross contest demonstrated not only
that neither boy is in the champion
ship class but also the desirability of
and crying demand for referees de-
cisions, The day following the match
n waded through fourteen leading
New York papers and found that
seven gave the fight to. Cross, four to
Brown, while the remaining three
called 1t draw.
am not going into the merits OF
the verdicts. I mercy want to Illus
trate to my readers the diversity of
opinion that exists among boxing
critics and to show how unfair, both
to boxers and to public, are the pres
ert methods Of judging contests in
New York.