The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-07-13
JIM CORBETT SIZES UP SITUATION IN
 PUGILISTIC CAMPS
Says Referee Had No Right
 to.Give Decision to Wolgast

UvO45SssSO
 Especial totthe Farmer by James J. Corbett, Former Heavyweight Champion of the world)
 New York, July 1S.-Although Jack gohnson and Ad Wolgast retained their titles in the holiday battles with Jim Flynn and Joe Rivers, neither champion added to his reputation.
 The Las Vegas affair proved that Johnson is far from being the marvel ane was dubbed by press and public following that wonderful feat of beating a wreck of the once great Jeff fries
 The writer has contended right along. as readers of this column can testify, that Johnson is a greatly over rated pugilist, and I believe his per 1ormance in the holiday battle with Flynn furnishes plenty of evidence on That point.
 Johnson has never defeated a first class man. Tommy Burns, a great little boxer, was too severely handl- capped in weight and strength to hope to beat the big negro Jeffries was Dnlys a shadow of the man who won 4he heavyweight championship and who successfully defended it until lack
 
 his retirement from the ring. And the record book shows why Johnson side-steps return meetings with Jean nette and Langford, really high-class heavy-weights.
 While not an eyewitness of the JohnSnn-Flynn contest and though aelegraphic and mail reports of the battle vary according to the view points or possible prejudices of the writers. a careful perusal of the sew eraL detailed stories of the fight round Dy round convince me that Johnson has shot his bolt and is sliding down the toboggan at high speed. Against Flynn he failed to deliver the goods expected sand was awarded the decis- jon only after the police had stopped Ehe battle on account of ir having de- generated into hugging and putting match in which the rules were disre- garded by both men. An agreement made beforehand by the contestants calling for decision in favor of the man who led on points up to the time Df any possible Interruption of the battle, was all that saved the much Routed Johnson his highly prized title uf heavyweight champion of the world. And this in competition with R man probably forty pounds lighter.
 Taking line from the encounter of Fhe Fourth. Johnson is a wise bird in deciding to retire from the ring after Labor Day. His reign at the head Df the heavyweight division of pugil- ism Is rapidly drawing near an end I reckon no one is more "hep'' to the fact than the accidental champion himself.
 It looks like a cinch that Johnson Will refuse to do battle with either Sam Langford or Joe Jeannette be- fore the date set for his withdrawal rr1T II nd sf7 Q lof ne No take on one or two of the white hopes. if arrangements can be made. kkl Palzer is mentioned as the one to be favored in this respect. Of course, the retirement thing may be only a bluff to avoid the other negroes for The time being and enable him to pied fort.
 If he has no intention of ever again meeting either Langford or Jeannette the champion had better quit the game for good and all. He can no longer get away with that "bull'' about mo body to fight him. The public fell for that talk for while, but now that Flynn has made it plain that John son is not of the ''unbeatable' kind, he will have to fight oftener or duck into seclusion.
 - It may be Jacks agents have tipped him off to the fact that within the ranks of the young white heayfes- are to be found one or two who give promise of developing into fighters of nudity, and has pulled the retire ment' thing with the hope of pulling the novices into meeting him before they are fully matured; Johnson is no boob, whatever else he may be ac- cused of.
 I had considerable to say about young Al Palzer in this column last week, and a few more words on the same promising subject may not be anniss in connection with the discus sion of the heavyweight situation. Es- pecially so as ,Palzer has challenged Johnson to box for the championship.
 When big Al fought Bombardier, Wells a few weeks ago he entered the ring in miserable condition. He won, at that but not until knocked down down and almost out by the English man It was phenomenal power to assimilate punishment that turned de- feat into victory on that occasion. And lf was lack of stamina and vitality In Wells makeup that prevented him from finishing Palzer in the first round when the American was practically helpless.
 Palzer's fight against Kaufman last Winter made a great impression on experts who saw the contest. He made hosts of friends and rooters on that occasion by defeating a boxer who had been regarded up to the time uf the knockout by Jim Flynn as the solitary hope of the white people, in the race for the championship. But when Al entered the ring the other night the crowd was surprised at the marked change in appearance of the youthful gladiator.
 Palzer was in rotten shape, if may use that expressive though inele- gant adjective; he was hog fat and carried at least 20 pounds of super fuous weight. When in charge of Tom O'Rourke, the big Iowan was at least always in good physical trim Whoever directed his recent training Knows as much about conditioning fighter as do of the science of avia- 1ion. and that's nothing at all.
 When 1t was first announced that r-a---'- s,-sa&I tas shax Eza1Iz. learning that