Omaha daily bee., 1912-06-09
NAUGHTON DOPES OUT PUGS
Hardly Looks for a Flynn Mill
Staged for Next July.
PREDICTING WHITE CHAMP SOON
4. raszcr and Luther McCarty Are
looked Upon as Being Among
the Corners In the Fight
Game.
PREDICTING WHITE CHAMP SOON
ny w, w. NAUGHTON.


..nw what I consider the greatest argu-
,,snt against Jim Flynn's chauces of
whipping Jack Johnson" asked San
francisco sport who has no aversion to
being considered an oracle.
Answering his own question the gentie-
man said:
III Is the fact that Flynn is neatly as
old as Johnson and has been IN tbs game
nearly as long as Johnson. Jonnson Is
"a: Flynn will be SO next'December. john
son according to the record, has been In
fhe ring for thirteen years, and Flynn
has been fighting eleven years. 1t IL
not therefore case of promising young
husky and a passe champion. 1t IS lici-
eulous to suppose that Johnsons fightng
ability is beginning to wahe and that
Flynn Is coming along like house afire.y
The men are SO close together in years
that IL Father Time is lying a heavy
land on one of them he hasn't far to
reach to the other
There is logic In this What Is more,
II suggests another line of thought, how
long will johnson remain champion, even
II, he defends his title successfully
against Flynn?
Jack says he is going to retire next
September. Well, ne may and then again
he may not. Very few champions bare
been proof against the temptation to get
back into harness when big money Is
hung in the balance, and 1t may be saat
johnson will be Induced to try again
after he has renounced the ring and Its
vanties.
III Things should Happen.
IL he retires and stays retired, we must
get a champion from somewhere, Of
course. But IL he keeps right along at
the game the writer doubts whether he
would be able to hold his own against
fairly good heavyweight two years from
now.
I draw my conclusions from what ]
have seen Of other pugilists. At john
sons time of life two years works great
havoc. have known famous fighters.
who after passing the Sa-year MARI,
have soughed away In Workmanship to
such an extent that II was pitiable, to one
who remembered them at their best. to
see them in action. And they were not all
fellows who dissipated, either
The writer believes there will be .
new heavyweight champion two years
from no wifi there is not one sooner And
this is by no means an inference that
consider Flynns chances OF gaining the
title thoroughly hopeless. am free TO
say that | hardly look for Flynn VIC
tory In July. but there have been so many
violent upsets OF expert opinion In prize
ring affairs during the last twenty years
that 1t does not do TO be too positive
IN matters Of this kind.
Even IL johnson escapes Flynn, there
is good prospect OF the next worlds
champion being white man. We have
some capable colored heavies just now
but, like johnson. they have been q long
time In service. and ! doubt II any cne
Of them Is as good as he was a few
years ago. Leaving the age question
aside, Sam Langford has been fighting
ten years, Sam McVea nine and Joe jean
nette eight, and these are certainly the
pick of the negro brigade. Jeanette is
possibly the best preserved Of the three.
but a year or two more of active serv-
ice will see him slowing up unless am
mistaken. and as far as know there are
no younger colored heavies coming to
the front just now.
Picking some Pugs.
Among the white fighters the writer
has an idea that AL Palzer and Luther
MeCarty are going to develop into good
men. The white hope situation Is In such
shape, claims of budding greatness being
aI iv, hal ~ hat I
not undertake to say how many other
promising fighters there are in sight /
always bear In mind that Jim Jeffries,
Tom Sharkey and Gus Rubin bobbed up
with considerable suddenness about the
same time and that each of them made
a name for himself. Remembering this,
Il would not surprise me II several likely
heavyweight hopes were uncovered
within the next twelve months.
Just at present conditions are favorable
for the development of good pugilistic
material. There never was time when
boxing had the foothold II has now.
With the game flourshing without him
6rance In SO many cities throughout the
country. IL will be hard luck indeed IL
championship material is not discovered
incidentally, II is a good time for any
young heavyweight on whom the public
has set the mark Of its approval to tread
the straight and narrow. and be mindful
Of the possibilities. A couple Of years
Is not long to labor and wait, and a
couple Of years will find Jack johnson
nut OF the running. provided, always,
that he remains In the running after next
Fourth OF July
The man who defeats Johnson-if he be
4 white man--wili probably have 1t in his
power to amass more wealth than any
worlds champion who preceded him.
And the manager or trainer that develops
1ohnson's conqueror will be the envy of
managers and trainers the world over.
The prospect is so alluring that the
wonder Is some smart sport who knows
champion In the rough as a horseman
knows colt does not begin securing the
nountry Systematically in quest of ma
teriai.