Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1912-03-22
WHY jim FLYNN
WAS MATCHED TO
BOX JACK JOHNSON


Jack Johnson for the heavyweight
championship of the world, set for
July next, why did Flynn and his
Jack Curley, make the
match?
Not for any losing end they may
hope to get out of the contest. for the
conditions are so framed it Is the big
gest kind of a gamble whether there
will be losing end of sufficient size
to pay training expenses.
Any other answer might be hard to
those who have a well-grounded I'm.
preston that Flynn will be child IN
the big blacks hands.
But 1t Is easy for Flynn and his
manager to give good and sufficient
reasons for thus running their heads,
and especially Flynn's, into this sup
posedly deadly moose.
Flynn's faith in himself is abiding.
He infects others with this conf
dence. So 1t was with Curley. but
long before Curley and Flynn formed
their alliance Curley got some ideas
about Johnson and he Is willing to
give them to the public now for the
purpose of justifying his action and
Flynn's in the matter.
while was in Europe saw much
of Johnson and had to take notice
of the way he was living here Cur
ley said HE was much in evidence
In the boulevard cafes in Paris, and
every time l saw him l felt that II
some scrappy, game fellow would
show up he could take the title away
from him. As d matter Of fact, l
thought knew OF some middle
weights In America who could whip
him.
Mind you, this was long before I
had any idea Of hooking up in any
way with Jim Flynn.
when I returned to this country
and saw Carl Morris I gave him
grand outside chance Of being the
lucky man against the big black.
They told me that Flynn had given
AL Kaufman an unmerciful beating in
Kansas City, such a beating that poor
AL was laid up for p hours and Flynn
was under police surveillance. Kauf-
man ruled 1 to first choice. but 1t
was Flynn's fight over every inch of
the way.
Before that contest there had been
much talk of matching Kaufman
against Johnson, he being considered
the ideal white hope: Indeed, as I
remember it. Jack was roasted severe
ly for seeming to dodge AL when the
late Billy Delaney and Billy Brady Of
fered to find fat purse for the scrap.
Nov, If Kaufman was so we'll en-
titled to a match with Johnson, why is
not the man who so thoroughly whip
ped Kaufman? This query goes d.
rectly and pertinently to Brady, Mas
terson. Corbett and the other wise fell
lows who conceded Kaufman such a
grand chance with Johnson.
Then, too, please consider that
Johnson never would give Sam Lang
ford chance, sidestepping him per-
sistently and religiously. Did not
Flynn once beat Langford in Los An
geles in ten rounds, getting every
newspaper decision there after the
contest?
"And did not Flynn hand out an I'M
merciful beating to Carl Morris; such
a beating. in fact, that the referee,
Charley White, nearly lost his license
for not stopping 1t. and the club was
severely censured. Had Norris as
much as shaded Flynn the country
would have acclaimed him the real
goods and would have demanded that
Johnson fight the Oklahoma man. AS
a matter Of fact, that match would
have been made the following day
Nov, then, here's the point: II
Kaufman, Langford and Morris were
fit opponents for Johnson, why not the
man who beat them all?
Five years ago Johnson beat
Flynn, who weighed 1856 pounds and
was really an inexperienced beginner.
Today Flynn weighs 1876 pounds,
knows how to pillow in and at the
same time protect himself.
Surely no one will say that John
son is any better today than he was
then. And besides this, five years ago
Johnson did not stop Flynn He
pecked away at him until he gave him
a bad eye and had him bleeding so
that Mrs. Flynn jumped into the ring
in the eleventh round and stopped the
battle, the referee refusing to permit
the game and still willing Flynn to
continue. Coast critics have told me
all this.
Before Johnson beat Jeffries did
the people think he was SO much?
Marvin Hart went Is rounds with him,
and even If the decision was question
able Hart was there and fighting hard
at the end. Johnson didn't stop Tom
my Burns in Australia, Burns always
claiming it was rotten decision that
stopped the battle. So much for John
sons championship career.
and Flynn claims that Johnson is
not nearly as good now as he was
two years ago, and never will be that
good again"
Curley further points out that it
will be two years to the day on the
next Fourth of July since Johnson has
had battle, that the black man is IS
years Of age or more, has lived rap
idly and, summed up, never was a
man-killer in the ring.