The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-04-09
Salt Lake Pug Fans Show In
terest in Cyclones Match
With Hugo Kelly.
SYCAMORE MAN CLAIMS
MIDDLEWEIGHT TITLE
Uses Victory Over Papke, Who
Defeated Dave Smith, as
Argument.

Salt Lake fistiana will await with
deep interest the result Of 'Cyclone
Johnny Thompson Is match for ten
rounds with Hugo Kelly, the Chicago
Milwaukce i % April 2s Thompson IN has
done considerable fighting around here
and numbers wide circle of aequaint'
auces and friends in Utah S pugdom.
Several pounds heavier, Cyclone
Johnny returned from Australia re-
Gently. claiming the middleweisht
over Billy Papke. Here is Johnny s
argument: He was defeated by Dave
Smith, the Australian middleweight,
but he afterwards won from Papkc in
a twenty-round bout. Papke later
scored Knockout over the Australian,
Kelly, however, believes that he is
the logical middewcight champion and
he finally consented TO meet Thompson
to show the pugiIistic world.
Will Be Grudge Battle.
The fight will be a grudgc battle, as
harsh words were exchanged when
articles were signed n Chicago few
ers and their managers almost came to
blows Two or three times il looked
as if the pugs would mix and settle
matters on the spot
81 had hard time convincing the
Australians that /! was real fighter,
said Johnny on his return. "Whcu an
American goes over there they expect
him to be clever fighter and have a
punch in either hand. Simply because
did not put ont somo of my oppo-
nents in the first five rounds they
labeled me a dub, and if it had not
been for my contract with Hugh Me
lntosh calling for seven fights at a
fixed sum / would have been back in
Sycamore long ago.
"The fans there are hard TO con-
vince. but once you show them you
the limit. If ] was not a married
man ] never would have quit them un-
til my services no longer were in de-
mand
"McIntosh offered me neat little
guarantee to stay longer, but the de-
sire to get home was stronger than the
money attraction. The Australian pro
moter is fine fellow, and after my
experience ] advise any American
Demands Ringside Weight.
"Now that / have graduated from
the lightweight class, ! will not hes-
tate to meet any middleweight: The
weight, however, must be ringside, as
! can make 15s pounds easily and do
not intend to give away weight to any
of them. When | was fighting in the
lightweight class | had lot of trouble
securing matches with the topnotch-
ers. and now that | have legitimate
claim TO the middleweight title | am
going to make them accede to my
terms.
& "Billy Papke, Leo Houck, Jimmy
CIabby or any of them can have my
game if the proper inducements are
offered. don I pretend to be a
boxer am fighter. and the longer
the fights the better | like il. In all
my fights / never tried to put away An
opponent with a single wallop, but |
have banked ON wearing him down to
the point where ! could deliver the
sleep producer without any amount of
physical energy am not pugilist
of the Mcfarland style and every time
7 step into the ring | expect to take
beating, but | always bank on my re-
serve powers and endurance to bring
me victory in the end.
Wins Five out of Seven.
"My Australian trip was success,
financially and otherwise. | had seven
fights and won five of them by knock
outs. | lost one decision to Smith in
ten rounds when ! think j should have
been given the decision. When first
arTlNeu Nds W lncet .betpHdn, pub
had to forfeit my weight money, as
| was over the l37 pound limit. Meeg-
han fought and | beat him in five
rounds Then ! took on Rudy Unholz
and won from him i'm six rounds. After
that they brought on the big fellows,
who weighed anywhere from 100 to 100
pounds ] beat Tim Land in tho
twentieth round; Jerry Jerome in threo
sessions, and Land in return 20 in
three rounds,
"'Mv victories set the inhabitants
elamoriug for a match between me and
Dave Smith, and he was given the long
end of the purse, After the Smith
fight ] was matched with Papke, but as
both of us were Americans, the match
did not draw as we'll as the other
bouts. Because Of this victory ] think
am entitled TO the middlewelght
championship.
Thompson had many interesting IN.
cidents of his trip TO relate. He stopped
over at the FIJI islands, where he beat
to have been friendly bout, but the
the Yankee fighter that Johnny he.
number of body punches which weak
cued the negro to snch an extent that
johnny had little trouble in pinning a
waIop on his opponent 8 jaw which
put him down for the count.
Thompson attributed the weight
taken on by American battlcrs in Aus
tralia to tho dry air, He weighs 1863
pounds now,