New-York tribune., 1919-03-16
Johnson's Ring Record
Sustains His Reputa-
ton as a Great Boxer
BY w. O. Mcclellan

The Willard Dempsey fight ought to
settle the vexed question, "Can Willard
fght?" Settlement of the foregoing
question may or may not be worth
$127, 800 of somebody's money. At any
rate, since the wandering Senegambian,
Jack Johnson, spilled the frijoles at
Havana there seems to be about as
much doubt on this subject as there
is on the league of nations.
1t is pretty safe bet that there will
be nothing queer about the Willard
Dempsey bout. The promoter, Tex
Richard, does not claim to be philan-
thropist with passion for the uplift
of sports. But he has realized that it
does not pay to bunk the trusting pub
lie. He does not claim that he has the
slightest interest in the settlement of
the heavyweight title. He believes
that Willard and Dempsey, if they fight
on the level, will bring certain
amount of money in his direction.
Rickard has staged three big fights
and made considerable money on them.
There never has been any question as
| the level. There is no guarantee that
the Willard-D Dempsey thing will be
dramatic or satisfactory, but it will
not be fixed. 1t probably will be
short fight, as the states where it
would draw will permit only short
fights.
Willard has fought just one fight
since he got the title at Havana. That
was with a mediocre heavyweight,
Frank Moran. The meeting with Demp-
sey ought to be something nearer
real test as to whether Willard can
and will fight
In the mean time the matter of the
johnson confession seems to be caus-
ing some unauthorized four round goes
among the fight fans. Many are point
ing the we'll manicured finger of scorn
at the record of Jack Johnson. A
statement was made in these columns
| to the effect that Jack Johnson at his
best was invincble.
Best of His Day
One writes: "Will you kindly inform
your readers what there is in Jack
Johnson's record to warrant the state
ment?" At his best, there was no
normal human being who was a match
for him.
This spondent points to the
showing by johnson in the fights with
Jim Flynn, Stanley Ketchel and All
Kaufman. happened to be lnger-
ing around the ringside at all three of
the bouts in question. The records do
not tell the story of Johnson's real
showing in these bouts.
The fight with Kaufman was pre-
arranged no-decision affair. Kauff-
man would not have been put in the
ring with Johnson if there was to have
been q fight. Even the promoter
grinned when he announced the match.
In those ten rounds johnson merely
toyed with the frightened Kaufman,
grlnning all the while and holding
him safe. The negro looked for ali
the world like a huge gorilla playing
with child, and when Kaufman swung
Intellectual and almost timid punches
at him the grin-the golden smile"
copyrighted by Jack London-merely
widened. johnson could have put the
bewildered Kaufman out in any sec
ond Of the bout, but he refrained.
"Why don't you knock him out,
Jack?" demanded somebody at the
ringside. Johnson, who had his ape
arms wound around Kaufman at the
time glanced backward over his shoul-
! der and shook his head. 1t was part of
his vanity to toy with less skilful
white opponents, to show that he was
the master at this one game and to
emphasize that by not landing the final
punch.
, AHoSe were coHllsonS s tactlcS when
the savage in him was not reused. In
the fight with jim Flynn at San Fran
cisco in 1907 the negro showed another
side of his nature. Flynn was of
course, no match for him. In the sec
ond round Johnson closed the old
Pueblo fireman's eye with left. After
that he toyed with Flynn as he did
with Kauffwan, chattering like mag
pie and grinning like an ape the while
Flynn, red and furious, continued to
rush the big negro. In the eleventh
on each of Flynn's shoulders and,
grinning down into his face with that
tantalizng grin, said clearly, "Now,
Jim, you're game little white boy.
Don't you go for to excite yourself, be-
cause we got long way to travel
yet"
Flynn Invites Knockout
Flynn snarled back an oath and
called johnson an obscene name. In
an instant the grin faded from the
negro's face. The thick lips closed
over the golden teeth and burrows
appeared on the narrow brow. With
the quickncss Of a rattler's spring the
long snakey, left arm Of the negro
shot out. Flynn dropped to the mat
@enseless when Johnson's fist crashed
against his jaw.
The Ketchel johnson fight was
another one of those things" Ketchel
went into the ring with guar
antee that he would not be hurt.
Despite the fact that Ketchol was one
OF the best mon in his class, he was
utterly helpless in the hands OF John
son, 80 much bigger and 80 much his
superior in ring cunning
:, johnson would have kept MIS- word.
He would have kept kotchcl at arms
] length and would hnye ncrInittcd him