The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1921-02-24
NO MATCH
SAYS JOHN SON
LOCAL BOY SAYS HE HAS
NOT HEARD OF BOUT
Dennies Hair-Brain Story APP
pearing in Duluth Papers the
Past Week AS Being a Fake
Pure and Simple.

pearlng In Dulutn FaperS TIE
Past Week AS Being a Fake
Pure and Simple.
A good deal of comment has been
heard in local sporting circles the
past few days over, an article appear
ing in he Duluth Herald regarding
promised bout between Battling
Johnson and Jack Whitaker, the
two-fisted lad. johnson says the
paper containing the announcement
of the match is the first he has heard
of it, and that the article regarding
the knockout some years back, ex-
cept the knockout part, is fake pure
and simple. In that battle Johnson
sent his opponent into dreamland in
the third round, after the local boy
stood for considerable beating.
: Because of the comment and the
interest locally we publish the article
appearing in the Duluth paper, which
is as follows:
Little Johnny Whitaker, the two
fisted lad, who boxed in Head of the
Lakes circles for several years, but
who has been on the side lines since
the big row over in Europe, in which
he took part, will return to the hem
pen square on March A, when he will
meet Battling Johnson of Wash
burn, Wis, on the card which the
Duluth Athletic club will stage at
the Shrine auditorium.
The Whitaker Johnson soiree is a
grudge affair, pure and simple, and
as such, should furnish a world of
wallops. Several years back Whit
taker met Johnson at Washburn when
the latter stopped Jack in three
rounds, knocking him for row of
Brooklyn bridges. In explaining his
signal defeat Johnny says that before
the Washburn fight Johnson's father
came to him and asked that he treat
his son with consideration-that is,
not maui him too much and by no
means knock him out.
Johnny's Mistaken Kindness
"Daddy johnson informed me that
his boy was just breaking into the
boxing hurrah and did not-know much
about the game and asked me to just
brush him up a bit and let it go at
that" is the way Johnny explains it.
"Wishing to please the old man and
having no hankering desire to show
up his offspring, I took things easy
and simply boxed Johnson instead of
clouting him. I got careless in the
third round and he cracked me
straight on the button and took the
count.
'I found out after the fight that |
had been jobbed. learned that john
SON had been training for months, had
had several good ring battles and was
really fairly good boy. They told
me in Washburn that when training,
johnson used to walk barbed wire
fence in his bare feet for two miles
every morning, carrying a wild cat
under each arm. They said he was so
tough, when he was kid that the
sheriff used to have to put him in a
straight jacket before he could take
him to school. Well, he was tough
all right, but had i known just what
the game was when he. met me that
eventful evening in that sleepy Che
quamegon Bay town, Johnson would
never have cleaned me.
johnson Rubs 1t In.
"But what makes me sore is that
johnson had shouted his victory from
the house tops. For three years now
he has been out in the highways and
byways telling the world how he
knocked me sitter than vanished
stove poker. Every place | poke my
nose in I am greeted with the in
formation that Battling johnson
knocked me out in three rounds.
."When meet johnson in Duluth a
week from Friday will show the
fans just how much chance this
Badger bird ever stood with me in a
real fight. There will be a familiar
name back on the payroll at the Bige-
low Single factory at Washburn the
dav after T meet Johnson"
johnny Whitaker is sure peeved,
Johnson has his Nanette for fair. The
blonde boxer is training day and
night over in Superior for his mill
with johnson ard says ne will be in
the grandest condition of his career
when he dons the spangles on March
4.-Duluth Heard.