THE JEFFRIES-JOHNSON FIGHT.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXII, Issue 862, 7 July 1910, Page 3

THE JEFFRIES-JOHNSON FIGHT.

DETAILS. London, July 5. Crowds assembled in Fleet Street at nine o’clock and watched the fight bulletins at the newspaper offices. The special police on duty had difficulty in controlling the large and excited crowds of partisans who cheered the champions’ every point. The theatres and musiic-halls were packed, and the details of each round were announced from the stage amid the cheers of the audiences. When the theatres were closed their audiences flocked the streets, and eagerly purchased the special editions of the newspapers.

Similar scenes occurred in the suburbs and the provincial towns. The newspapers are devoting columns to descriptions of the fight, but Jeffries’s failure has generally diminished popular interest.

The Daily News says it is strange that the most sacred day in the United States’ civil calendar, the anniversary of the nation’s independence, should be celebrated before the world by the most markedly commercial prize-fight in the history of pugilism. It was nearly a quarter to three before the preliminaries were arranged and the two pugilists faced each other. Jeffries was attended by ex-Champion J. J, Corbett, Abe Attell (feather-weight champion), Choynski, Bob Armstrong, Eugene Vancourt, and “ Farmer ” Burns. Johnson had as his seconds “Bill” Delayney (Jeffries’s old trainer), Kauffman, George Cotton, Don Drury, Dave Mills, and Harry Foley. Stanley Ketchell was timekeeper.

Bad feeling was displayed at the outset of the contest, the men refusing to shake hands. Masters opened tamely, Johnson, who was smiling and confident, led off with some light taps, but the greater part of the round was spent in sparring and clinching. There was some roughing in the clinches, the pair evidently trying to size up their relative strength. Honours were about even. Jeffries became aggressive on resuming after the minute spell. While clinched he clouted Johnson in the face with his right and later got in a heavy body blow. Johnson, however retaliated with two uppercuts to the face, and the round ended with scuffling and clinching. Round three saw matters much more lively. Johnson landed his left twice to the face, and the pair closed in. Johnson then uppercut Jeffries, and blocked the latter’s return. After the pair had been separated, Johnson hit thrice with his left to the face. There was a long clinch before time sounded. Johnson won the round on points. Johnson rushed in the fourth round, and then hit Jeffries in the face. Jeffries, however, retaliated with vigour. By a right to the mouth he forced the negro to the ropes, and several of his punches landed. Johnson then hit with his right to the jaw. This was Jetfries round. In the fifth round there was a. lot of in-fighting, the men struggling in clinches. Jeffries was now scoring. He got home several short-arm jabs and then, with a straight left, jolted the negro’s head back about a foot. Johnson was looking serious. In the next round, however, the black, who was fighting cautiously had the advantage. He lauded repeatedly without Jeffries being able to get home. Three straight jabs, followed by the same number of upper-cuts, caused Jeffries to rush to close quarters, where he had been more successful, but he was met with a stiff upper-cut which closed his right eye. The balance of the round was also in Johnson’s favour. The seventh was largely a repetition of the sixth round, although the pace was slower. Johnson repeatedly got home on Jeffries’s face with straight jabs, the latter taking punishment in order to get home one of his heavy swings. Jeffries backing away, induced Johnson to come in, and when he did so, met him with a blow on the jaw' to which Johnson promptly responded with a left and right to the face. Jeffries rushed Johnson when the eighth round opened, but landed him tvyice on the face, but the negro was not damaged. Jeffries then landed two on the body. Honours were even in this round. In the ninth, Johnson, who had regained all his old confidence, was talkative. He hit a powerful left on the jaw. Jeffries butted, and the pair clinched. The negro drove for the body and then landed twice on the face, but the blows did not appear to trouble Jeffries. In round ten, Johnson lauded twice on the head. A clinch followed. There was much infighting and wrestling. Johnson was now completely out-boxing Jeffries and hit him almost where he pleased. In the eleventh round Johnson hit often, Jeffries fighting wildly. The negro upper-cut him frequently. Jeffries was showing signs of punishment and looking badly. He electrified the crowd, however, by rallying, hitting to the jaw and body. Johnson, ia the twelfth round, clinched. After the negro had missed a swing to jaw, Jeffries rushed, but was met with a straight left. The negro swung hard lefts to the body and lace. He was still talkative. Johnson blocked body blows, and sent his right to the mouth. The negro shot several lefts to the face;, sending Jeffries’s head back a .oot. The thirteenth round saw a little damage done. The men got in a clinch, and were wrestling in the centre for some time. Johnson

broke, and with rights and lefts got to Jeffries’s face and mouth. He cleverly evaded Jeffries’s clumsy attempts, and lauded lefts and rights to the jaw and body. Jeffries weakened. A right uppercut almost lifted Jeffries from the floor. He seemed at sea. In the fourteenth round Johnson landed a straight left as they met, and followed this with a jab to the mouth, at the same time taunting Jeffries, asking him to come close in. Corbett was yelling : “Jeffries, beware of his upper-cuts.” Johnson hit often to the mouth, and Jeffries shook his head. “Clever as you, Jim!” shouted the negro to Corbett, as he landed repeatedly—referring, of course, to Corbett’s reputation in recent times. The round ended tamely. The fifteenth round proved the last. Jeffries was now tired. Johnson rushed him and Jeffries clinched for safety. Thrice he was knocked down, but gamely rose and forced his opponent. Johnson rushed him again and be fell on to the ropes. The referee proceeded to count him out, but before the count was finished Jeffries’s seconds rushed, into the ring.

Johnson was still heavy-weight champion of the world. Jeffries being unable to continue. At the beginning of the thirteenth rou.id experts at the ringside passed the verdict that Jeffries must simply stay and not fight if he hoped to have a chance to stay to the limit of the 45 rounds.

The fight was one-sided from the start. The negro blocked the old champion’s blows at every stage of the game, and punished him severely. As Jeffries was helped to his corner he said : “I am not a good fighter any longer. I couldn’t come back, boys—could not come back. Ask Johnson if he will give me his gloves.” As Jeffries hung over the ropes hundreds of friends rushed up to him, crying: “Don’t let the old man get knocked out,” but the count went on. When the referee had counted seven it was evident Jeffries could not continue. Large numbers of persons broke through the ropes. Jeffries was assisted to his corner in a dazed condition, while Johnson stood in the centre and received the cheers and congratulations.

At first Johnson would not shake hands with the beaten man, but later he went to Jeffries’s corner. Corbett, however, waved him away.

John L. Sullivan was the first to congratulate Johnson in the corner.

Jeffries was taken to his training camp at Moana Springs. Sydney, July 5.

Crowds gathered at the newspaper offices awaiting the result of the fight.

There was considerable excitement, and much disappointment at Jeffries failure.

Reno, July 4

There are crowds of roughs, thieves, and cardsharpers at Reno. The police are armed with rifles and revolvers. The banks are guarded, and the streets patrolled night and day. to sterling was staked on Jim Jeffries, The Pittsburg authorities will not allow a negro parade in Johnson’s honour. Trouble is threatened.

Dunedin, July 4

Before the final bouts of the Otago Boxing Association championship commenced to-night, the president of the association (Mr Myers) faced a very large gathering of boxing enthusiasts in His Majesty’s theatre, and made the usual preliminary remarks. He then, with evident hesitation, referred to another matter.

“Just after hearing of that great battle in America,” he said, “I think it would be ‘British’ if we were to congratulate the winner. (Applause.) I am glad to hear that applause from the great majority of you here, though I would myself have given a great deal to know that the champion of the world was a white man. (Applause.) However, so far as we know, it has been a fair and square fight, and a good fight, and the best man has won. (Hear, hear.) Therefore, as this is the first meeting ot boxing enthusiasts in the Dominion since the fight took place, I think it only fair and British that, on behalf of the Boxing Association of Otago, we should offer the winner our congratulations.” (Applause.)

Seattle, July 5

The whites are glum over Johnson’s victory. Many wagered much money at heavy odds and the losses and race prejudice angered the lower class. Many riots occurred between negroes and whites in the south-east and there were seven riots in different towns. New York, July 5. A negro tenement was ignited here and there were three riots at Pittsburg and one at St. Louis. At Pueblo, Atlanta, Houston and Forthworth clashes were frequentThroughout the black belt there were only two fatalities. Two negroes were killed at Littlerock and one wounded. At Illinois the negroes were jubilant. They gathered in the churches and prayed for Johnson. There were numerous fights between the Jeffries and Johnson partisans and many were wounded in different localities. Two negro constables in Illinois and a negro in New York were killed. The negroes hold Keystone West, Viginia, and the police are powerless. Fierce racial disturbances have taken place at Pittsburg, Phila- , delphia, Atlanta, Kansas City, St.

Louis, and Houston (Texas). Disappointed whites were mostly the aggressors. Hundreds of people have been injured. Three negroes in Georgia and one in Texas were killed.

Five negroes and three whites are in the hospital at Los Angeles, California.

Experts agree that Johnson is the greatest fighter living. His physician says Jeffries’ injuries are not serious. There are cuts on the lips and forehead and his right eye is closed. Johnson says he won because he outclassed Jeffries in every department. Before entering the ring he was certain he would win, and he never changed his mind. Jeffries’ blows lacked steam. “How could he hope to win?” asked the negro. Continuing, he said that with the exception of a slight cut on the lower lip, really caused by an old wound being struck, hejlwas unmarked. He received no body punches, and was caused no discomforture in any shape, being quite prepared for another battle to-morrow. “Jeffries deserves credit for his game battle,” said Johnson. “He has the heart of a true fighter. None can say that he did not do his best. We both fought square, and nothing rough was said. I joked and told him he was a bear but I was a gorilla, and would defeat him. For the next few weeks I will be engaged at the vaudeville theatre, and then will go to Chicago for a rest, having no fight for several months. There are none to give me a good battle.”

Johnson is not paying much attention to Sam Langford’s challenge. He says the fight would not draw.

Jeffries says he lost because his youth was not there. He believed he had his former dash, but when the fight started his speed and youthful steam was lacking, and the old methods were impossible. His right body punch had never before failed him, but it was a mere “ love tap ” on Monday. “My trainers will say I did not box enough,” continued Jeffries, “ but the result would not have been different if I had sparred a dozen times more- It was simply not there, and that sort of talk is all false pride. Six years ago the result would have been different, I guess.” Jeffries concluded by asking the public to leave him alone now that the fight was over.