New Britain herald., 1914-11-21

part of his packers. it begins to look l. as if Jess Willard will not get first
 crack at Jack Johnson for the world $ title. The latest news concerning the l future engagements of the champion
 is that either Sam McVey or Battling
 Jim Johnson is to be his next oppon- 1 ent. the battle to take place in Ha-
 vana, Cuba, the latter part of March or early in April, 1915. I have this information direct from a gentleman representing George l Bradt, of Havana, who is at the head
 a series of heavyweight matches dur i ing the coming winter and spring
 season. According to my informant
 the plans originally called for fight
 co a finish between Sam Langford and
 Sam McVey, the winner to meet 1 Johnson. But it developed that Me-
 vey's manager, George Lawrence, at
 present in New York city, did not care
 for any of the "tar baby's'' game and 1 entered his objections to Langford be- 1 ing made principle. Then it is also thought that Johnson objected to any plans which would give him Lang 1 ford for an opponent
 It has been announced in the New York papers that Jack Johnson and McVey have been matched, but &C., cordng to my information this is a trifle premature. McVey's participa- ton in match with the champion depends entirely upon the success he 1 meets with in the preliminary skir- mish with Jim Johnson. The winner of that bout is to x get the coveted chance for the title.
 That the proposed importation of the "nigger fighters as they are termed in Cuba, is not at all popular with certain interests in Havana is evident by the following excerpt from a recent issue of the Cuba News, weekly newspaper published in that city:
 "The Cuba News desires to enter an emphatic protest against the pub fisher of Havana Post (Mr. Bradt) to convince the people of Cuba that Americans, and especially that class of Americans who have the means and the desire for foreign travel, chase around after second rate 11ig- ger prize fighters, and spend lavish sums for the opportunity of seeing
 
 right here brands the statement that 10000 tourists would come to Cuba to see two niggers put up perhaps a statement, and the man who made it knew it was false and nonsensical when he made it.
 "The publisher of the Havana Post may be nigger lover and enjoy such spectacles as he purposes to pull off here in Ha1hna, but if he is he stands alone in his class. Instead of 10000 tourists coming to Cuba to witness a second rate boxing match there would not be 100 persons actually attracted by the fight, and anyone who has seen prize fights and knows prize fighters and the followers of the, game knows that there are not 10000 persons in the United States who would pay $1O to see Langford and McVey fight, to say nothing of spending twenty times that sum for the expenses of their trip" -..-
 The New York papers enormously announced a bout between Jack John son and McVey, and nothing has been said about the preliminary match be- tween McVey and Jim Johnson to de- termine which is to be the champions
 
 it would appear that the promoters of the proposed matches will meet with considerable opposition in their at tempt to introduce the sport in Cuba through the medium of negro fight ers The statement that the United States would send 20,OOO people to see Langford and McVey fight (this was printed before the shift had been made) is absurd. It is extremely doubtful if bakers dozen would travel to Cuba even to see Johnson and Langford, and that layout would be made up solely of newspaper men who would go because it came as part of their duties. But with the big negro population in Havana the venture may be able to make little money, leaving the greater profits to come from the sale of moving pie ture rights
 Anyway it looks as if Willard has Eeen left out in the cold for the time being.
 Wills Coming Black Man.
 While on the subject of negro fight CTS a word concerning this Harry Wills, the New Orleans heavyweight now matched to box Sam Langford twenty rounds in San Francisco, may be interesting to the readers of this column. I don't know anything about Wills myself, but he has plenty of admires to boost for him. Billy Jor- dan, the veteran announcer who prob ably has seen more prize ring battles than any other man in the world thinks Wills a better fighter than the great Peter Jackson ever was. This is praise indeed coming from so good a judge as the veteran Jordan, who goes on to- say that Wills can, in his opinion, beat any heavy-weight in the game, not excepting Johnson sLnd 1angford, and the coming battle with