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BATTLES OF TODAY ARE BOXING MATCHES. By John L. Sullivan. The Burna Johnson fight came out as I predicted. I could never see how a good Kitte my had a show with a good big man. Johnson had everything — height, weight end reach. se with his victory the meagre can't assume the title of fighter, for the prev ent bouts can not be styled prize fights, but boxing matches where padded mitts are used. 1 can't see where Johnson will be given a high position f in the opinion of the public, and 1 do not think the people will make a great bonever the colored man when he re turns. BY JOHN L. SULLIVAN. The year 1968 passes into history as the greatest of the present decade. Surprises mark atmost every turn. Three world’s champions have been dethroned and another went beyond his class and was defeated. The year started quietly, but warmed up, and as month after month passed the pugilistic calen dar grew more important until the climax was reached in the return to form of Stanley Ketchel and his recovery of a lost title Thanksgiv was twice fought to a it by Owen Moran and de feated in a 15-round engagement by Freddie Welch. Battling Nelson twice defeated Joe Gans, and took from him a crown that he had worn for six or seven years, and Stanley Ketchel won, lost and regained the world’s middleweight championship side from these events many of more than ordinary Inter were fought. Probably the biggest surprise was the work of Welch. This little Mag ligh man stands today, as the result of his showing this year, one of the greatest little men the world has ever seen, and in all probability will be given the first crack at Nel son for the lihenors in the light weight division. Moran has given his countryman 4 a run for honors, and while he was unable to defeat Attel, he put up two great fights against the late wonder and shares the honor of world’s featherweight champion ship with the California lad. Jem Driscott, another Pngtish man, has made such a good impres sion In the East that the writers are touting him as the future king of feathers. In the conquest for tithes Nelson and Ketchel quit with honors about even. Nelson turned the fighting world topsy-turvy when he took Gans Into camp the first time. In fact, his victory was so unlocked for that the sporting world was ready to call for another fight be tween the two with scarcely a month's notice. The Wattler turned the trick again and did it so decisively that no doubt was left. The Dane then did aa all other fighters of today do, crawled into the championaup hole he had made and pulled the open ing in after him. The Ketchel-Papke battles were knockout surprises. To start with, Papke surprised his friends by stay ing 10 rounds with Ketchel after he had been all but knocked out. Later, at Los Angeles, Ketchel TOMMY BURNS IN A FREAK weight championship, wos the most unique heavyweight champion the world has re duced. In height he le an tech shorter than Bat Ne son and but three inches taller than Terry McGovern, being but 5 feet 7 inches. Burnd has a reach Uke a gorilla. He le four and a half inches shorter than Fitzsimmons, but his reach of 74% inches beats Wite's an inch and is an inch less than Jeffries’. handed the # ing world one of the greatest shocks it has ever felt when he was beaten to a pulp by Papke. The boys were matched again and Papke ruled favorite. Thousands were bet on him at 10 to 7 and 10 to 6. Ketehel came back strong and almost knocked the can from the top of Papke's body. There was no room for doubt this time, either.a Victory was more decisive than Papke's in their sec ond fight. Once more the public had been fooled. The dope had been wrong. Minor battles of importance fought among the little fellows dur ing the that stirred up the pu gilistic following included the con tests in Which Packey McFarland, Leach Cross, Tommy Murphy, Cy clone Johnny Thompson, Rudolph Anhels, Jimmy Pritt, Johnny Sum mers, Jem Driscoll and Jimmy Crab be took part. The heavyweight division was al most at a standstill in America dur ing the year. Tommy Burns, the would-be champion, spent the year on the other side of the world. Al Kaufman, protege of Billy De laney, who has had more effort spent on him than any other pugil ist in modern times, has made some progress. He had a couple of fights with men who class no better than the third rank, and he won them. The game on the whole showed improvement over the previous year, and the coming cycle gives promise of being even more suc cessful from every standpoint, JOHN L. SULLIVAN.
Newspaper Details
Seattle Star
Seattle, Washington, US
Sat, Jan 02, 1909
Page 2
Full Page
Clipped by
Tim A.
CA, USA 03 Jun 2026
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