The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-04-27
JOHNSON--FLYNN FIGHT
 LOOKS UNEVEN TO C0RBETT
Former Champion Picks WoIgast to Easily Beat Mexican
 Rivers
By James J. Corbett Former Heavy weight Champion of the World.
 (Written for the Farmer.)

(Written for the Farmer.)
 We've got to hang it to Jack Curley the enterprising young man employed in promoting the Johnson-Fqynr match. He is entitled to a blue rib- bon for that sticlr-to-ittveness that re- fuses to admit defeat no matter how rough the going. The fight now looks like a sure thing for the Fourth of July, and Las Vegas is the town that lands the prize CD championship con- test of recent years.
 In the face of the hardest knocks a proposition of the sort ever enccun- tered Curley proceeded on the eve1 tenor of his way and with the aid of a friendly legislature mas at last locat- ed a site for the fracas. Apparently ali Instructions have been removed and Jack has nothing to do till to- morrow to quote the eminent T. :Aloysius Dorgan, except to slip the thousand bones into the massive init of the champion. For 1t is to be pre- stunned that Johnson will insist upon the cash in advance, as is his prerOg- ative under the agreement.
 I have enjoyed Jack Curley'S friend ship for some time and am one of the greatest admirers of his genius for successful promotion of athlet- ic affairs, and am also an adherent of the Pueblo scrapper, Jim Flynn, In and powerful, if not clever, expon- ent of professional pugdNsm. Needless to say 1t would afford me much pleas ure to 'sboost'' the proposed exhibi- ton to the full extent that my mod est efforts as 2 contrfputor 10 noxing 4; the affair anything that looked like a good sporting proposition. As 1t IS the match to me looks as uneven and unequal as could be figured with the aid of dope book.
 Johnson and Flynn met once before and the contest was only an exercise ga1lop for the smoke. The disparity in the skill of the men was plainly pat ent Sam Langford has twice placed the Pueblo man hors de combat with in the last two or three years; Al Kauf- man has the credit of a 'k. O. as well as defeat in two battles with Johnson's challenger. In answer to all this Cur ley asserts Flynn is a much improved man, and that the champion has greatly deteriorated during two years of likeness. Jack could not very well say anything to the contrary in view of the fact that he is financing the match, and is Flynns manager. He will have a hard time bringing pa- irons of the sport to his way of think ing. Should Johnson be licked the pictures would prove gold mine, but the other way about the promoter fa- ces a deficit of vast proportions But Curley is a good gambler and willing to take the long chance.
 Since Ad Wolgast signed to box Joe Rivers he has been unmercifully grflled by a dozen or more rivals, each of whom advances claims as the "logicaP' contender for the title. The fact remains, however, that very few
 cCnd Q Y1V great desire to meet the champion prior to the closing of the Rivers match.
 rather fancy the majority of the gang is well satisfied to let Rivers be the goat notwithstanding all sthe bluster and even though Ad is doubtful quantity in the eyes of many experts since his sick spell. Re- cently I had a chat with a well known specialist in the Wolgast mat ter and in answer to my query about the after effect an operation for ap- pendfcitis would have, he replied that the champions youth and unusually rugged constitution would stand him in good stead, but that as a rule the entire system of a patient experien- come.
 On the record of the matched pair there is nothing to suggest anything but an easy win for Wolgast Still. if Ad experiences difficulty in round- ing to form. Rivers may be considered "a lucky young man. I doubt very much, though, that the champion would be permitted to go through with the match if it Is found after course of training that he is no longer the wonderful little piece of fighting ma terial of yore-before the doctors sep arated him from his appendix.
 Leach Cross is one of the numerous New York light-weights who wants to box the champion. At least he says he would like that pleasure. Cross re- gently met Harlem Tommy Murphy In a ten round no-decision contest and the majority of the newspaper critics gave him the verdict. As a result he is all swelled up and prOfesses to believe the public clamorS for a match between WOlgast and himself.
 Personally I think Cross a very or dinary boxer. He has been getting by in New York recently and was very lucky in a number of instances. He is the 'tcover-up'' type of miller and not above resorting to questionable stunts to beat his opponent. I did not see Cross battle with Murphy, but my representative and several other experts advise me it was Murphys Feht all the way. They also express ed the opinion that Murphy would win decisively in twenty round contest
 So far as Cross having a chance to beat Wolgast goes, it would look like joke match The champion could lick half a dozen of the kind in the same ring. if feeling right. The only time in his career the New Yorker essayed the long route was at COlma two years ago and Dick Hyland knocked him out IF made him quit on that occasion. If tI1e champion makes good in his "come back effort with Rivers he will find worthy opponents in plenty; he will not be forced to pick out mediocre performers of the Cross type to keep busy.
 The retirement of Battling Nelson marks the passing of one of the od- dest characters that ever held cham pionship title in this or any other country. Differing from the average pugilist in that he was self-taught, he lacked the skill that is the stock in trade of most successful boxers. Bats chief assets were stamina that a. mid- dle-weight might boast of. and heart of oak With these he fought and won his way to the Hghtweight divis- ion. The ideal fighter, whom time alone could batter down, would be one with the cleverness, let us say, of Nc" Farland, the craftine6s of an Attell, end the naver-say die spirit of Battling