The San Francisco call and post., 1913-12-20


the knockout wallops, and he has
been sent In against the best OF
them, so nobody can claim that
soft matchmaking helped to boos
him to the front.
DuT the edict of the New York
n commission is that he or some
other claimant to the heavy
weight title must put the
crusher on Johnson before they
can be recognized as heavy
weight kings. The New York
commission seems to be the au-
thority on the game in this coun-
try. although there is nothing In
the Queensberry rules to up
hold II.
~HE European boxing authori-
ties recently met and declared
. that the heavy weight king
was an absentee. that II was an
open race between the various
contenders and that Johnson was
not entitled to wear the crown
any longer for the simple reason
that he had forfeited 1t. This
sounded fair enough till the New
York commission stepped in with
Its little say.
NTH will fight Johnson or
any other black man, pro-
vided that suitable terms can
be agreed upon So says his man.
ager Jim Buckley, and Jim al
ways has been the absolute boss
OF his lighting stable. Pelkey will
fight Johnson, but no other negro.
So says his manager, Tommy
Burns, who seems to do all the
debating for the New England
hope.
TT goes without saying that X
the present heavy weight con-
tenders, Smith and Pelkey, are
going to follow the orders of Tho
New York commission they must
make the trip over to Europe and
there engage johnson in combat.
But at the same time 1t won't get
them much II the European au-
thorities stand by the ruling which
they have made.
JOHNSON never will fight In
America again. This has been
J settled once and for all. He is
a fugitive from justice and he
dare not return to the land OF his
birth. Then, again, practically
every state where boxing is al
lowed has ruled against him, so
It's to 10 bet that no pro-
moter would take q chance of
putting him on even II he were
smuggled in here.
IT is the general belief that
Johnson is in and has no in
q tention of fighting an opponent
who might give him run. In
this case Smith and Pelkey stand
better than they ever stood. The
winner of the New Year day battle
will be recognized by at least half
the lighting world as the heavy
weight champion. which will be
some consolation.
y X
~ MITHS recent twelve round
decision over Sam Langford
in Boston has tended to send
him in stronger than ever. for the
Boston tar baby was looked upon
as even a better man than john
son up to the time that the Gun
ner slipped q decision over on him.
1t is likely that Langford has
gone back as well as Johnson, but
still Smith is entitled to his
credit.
X
~ ELKEY'S enormous size. we'll
developed muscles and square
jaws are bound to win him
favor among the local followers
Of the Queensberry sport. He Is
practically unknown here. but he
has been making many friends
since he started work. and IL he
keeps up his good licks he is
very likely to win thousands OF
other converts to his cause.
y "
NELKEY will have an advan-
tage OF at least 20 pounds
over Smith. Besides, he will
have 1t on the Gunner in height
and reach. But the Gunner knows
more about the game. and. be-
sides, we are all aware OF the fact
that ha can deliver the knockout