BOXING

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 840, 11 June 1910, Page 12

BOXING

(Br Mercuuy.)

THE WORLD'S CHAMPIONSHIP. IS IT A GENUINE MATCH?

June 22—Wairarapa B.A. Tomney, Town Hall, Masterton Juno 28-29—Wellington Amateur Championships, Town Hall. July i— World's Championship (Johnson v. Jeffries), San Francisco. September 8.-Burns v. Langford. To Check a Local Nuisance. ' Intending competitors are reminded that entries for the local championships on June 28 and 29 close at Armit's on Friday, June 24. As was the case last year, a nomination fee' of 2s. 6d. must accompany each' entry. This will he returned upon the competitors putting in an appearance, or, in the event of absence on the' deciding night, upon the receipt by the executive of a sufficient excuse. The idea is a good one, and will go a long way towards preventing the annoyance of a multitude of scratehihgs by people who never had any intention of competing. There are many who seem to think that they attain merit by figuring upon a championship programme, or who enter "just for tun," or because they "might have a go if they feel like it." If these gladiators wish to enter on this occasion, they may, but it will bo found that the 2s. 6d. deposit will na\e a very restraining influence. Scathing Letter on Jeffries and Johnson. American exchanges are, of course, fuller than ever of Jeffries-Johnson gossip as the date draws nearer, although there is not much of it that has not Weii said before. The most sensational item comes'froni Cincinnati, and it-came as a mild bombshell among a public whose fears of a "frame-up" had gradually been lulled to sleep. This was in the form of a statement issued by a Mr. John It. Robertson, manager for exchampion "Battling" Nelson, and said to he a sporting writer of repute, and is published below, with the elimination of very scathing remarks on the private character of the two boxers. Why the Letter was Written. . "To defend the honour of the white race." The diabolical irony of the phrase is being illustrated to-day in the .frantic efforts of James J. Jeffries and his corps of advisers to fool the people into the belief that the former world's champion, is back in the ring solely to gather, the laurels from the head of one Jack Johnson. \ Joke! Biggest joko of,the much-abused prize ring! . What .1. am going to say.regarding this event and the principals may shatter many ideals possessed by those who follow "the sporting pages. It may, not look in good taste, coming as it does from one who makes his living out of the ring and its followers. But I have been asked to tell' the plain truth, to tell of Jeffries the man and Johnson the man, Jeffries the boxer and Johnson the boxer, and to present an honest opinion .of the event which has usurped the place" of honour in the sporting chronicles of the day and overshadowed even a national election in point of interest. I saw Johnson work in his gymnasium in Chicago one week ago. Two days before Nelson and Wolgast met I saw Jeffries go through about eight minutes of work in San Francisco. This is perhaps later than anyone in Cincinnati has seen either man; consequently, I .am in a position to talk with a degree of authority. . • If the Contest were Genuine— If Johnson and Jeffrie's',meet on the level Johnson will whip the boilermaker sure as fate. Jeffries can never ''come back." Johnson is the'greatest heavyweight boxer the world has ever produced. ' He is faster than Corbett, can' hit almost as hard as Jeffries could when the latter was iu his prime, is craftier than Fiizsimmons, a greater ring-general than "Joe" Choyinski; a grander boxer than.M'Coy or- "Tommy" Eyan. Jeffries, as I saw him four weeks ago, weighs 215 pounds (17st. 71b.), is slow and fat, looks older than the average man of forty, short-winded, slow-moving—the very opposite to the smooth, graceful, powerful Jeffries who seven years ago was the wonder of tho ring. Ho came back into the limelight, not because ho wanted to defend the honour of the white race. Ho came back for the 2000 dollars per week for twenty weeks offered by a New York theatrical firm for his appearance on the stage. I believe at the time that Jeffries entered upon his stage work he had no more idea of ever ; really extending Johnson than he had of taking n course in a theological institute. He needed money.. That alfalfa ranch has not been a.paying proposition, and-the saloon in Los Angeles pays him such a small percentage of the profits that the naming of the amount would make you smile. Tho 35.000 dollars cash he could clear in theatrical work was just what he wanted. Men who Pulled the Strings. Enter one Sam Berger, smooth,' clever, a natural born manager and press agent, business associate and chum of Jack Glcason, promoter and baseball man. Berger was the sparring partner, manager, and press agent. A good fellow, well liked by all his acquaintances, -he was just the buffer against which the surly growls, of Jeffries would b,e turned aside before reaching the newspaper men and the pub-, lie. He made the Jeffries tour a success, and also made Jeffries train, simply because he realised that unless Jeffries showed a gradual reduction of flesh the public would see through the thin veil covering the theatrical interest and know, thai: Jeffries was just out for the fortune' to be gathered on that trip. Now to get down to the real meat of this event. It presents the greatest mystery in the annals of modern pugilism. We in the business should keep fur away from knocking,'but I want to be a newspaper man first and a boxing manager afterwards, and that is my excuse for giving some pointed statements. Personally I would not wager counterfeit money on the event. Berger and Gleason are business associates. Tex Kickard is in the combination simply because he is tho gambler of the outfit—the fellows who is talcing tho big risks and whose iron nerve is required to handle the boxer and the officials". When it comes to hold-ups, a California county or city official runs a close second to a trust senator. It takes a mau like Eickard to handle them. , Berger swung the event to Gleason and Eickard. The purse of 101,000 dollars will be posted after tho advance sales reach that moment. The big money-gatherer will be tlie moving pictures, j. heard a legitimate offer of 500,000 dollars made for those pictures in Chicago a few days ago. If Jeffries wins they will be. worth 1,000,000 dollars at the lowest. If Johnson wins they will be worth .not less thali 300,000' dollars. And here is where the mystery conies in. "The Fight is Framed." Three-quarters of a million swayed between three men. Enough money' to put tho average man beyond tho ken of want.. Jeffries, the most conceited, egotistical mau on earth, meeting n negro he despises. Bull-headed, he would never take a chance of losing that event. Berger, behind the guns, crafty and wise. Johnson, money-making, lacking backbone. Here is the combination against which the great American public must line up. The combination is a 1 to 100 favourite. The poor public is up against a harder clique than the beef trust ever dared to form. Pick the combination and write your own ticket. In plain language, the fight is framed, and Johnson will go down. Still, Johnson framed a fight on the const"n number of years ago, and at the last minute ho double-crossed and won. My advice to you, readers, is not to wager a dollar iu Ihe event. Forget your prejudice against the black race and "keep of!'." What Must We Think of It? This and similar matter is published by "Mercury" lo give his readers an opportunity of • keeping in touch »'ith

American fueling on this much-dcbated question, and not in any way as being indicative of liis own opinion. It may be said that out hero we are too far away to make the formation of any decided opinion worth while, but perhaps it is that this very distance gives us a better perspective, and a clearer and less prejudiced vision. Bo this'as it may, and despite warnings like the above, the writer cannot help thinking that a win would ultimately pay Johnson better than a defeat —arranged or otherwise-— even if the immediate cash emolument was no more than sixpence—alul it is, considerably. Furthermore, he considers Johnson too good a man of business not to sec this. Congratulations to "Tim" Tracy on his victory over Bert Murpliy at Hastings on Wednesday. The Wellington man had no trouble throughout the contest, and Murphy "quit" at the expiration of the eights round.