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NO HITCH IN BIG FIGHTPromoter Coffrotb Takes Possession of Side Bets.LEGAL COMPLICATIONS FEAREDRefusal of Frisco Sporting Writer to Hoia Money Due fo Fact That Anti-Bettmg Law Makes It Felony for Any One to Act fls Stakeholder—Betting la Still 10 to 4.San Francteco. Oct. 15.—The disquieting rumor that tomorrow's championship fight between Jack Johnson and Stanley Ket-chcl might be declared off. because of a dispute over the $5,000 side bet agitated the pugilistic world today, but the official announcement of Promoter J. W. Coffroth tonight that he h«d Uk«n pos-sess.Ion of the 510,00? staked by the two principals hie allayed all fearsIt 18 believed that trouble was duo to the refusal of the appointed stakeholder to continue In that capacity. Tins refusal is a aid to have been caused by a fear of local complications,' for by the terms of the new hntabettlng, law m this State It is A felony for any boo to aol as a stakeholder. Notwithstanding this. Coffroth took charge cf the money and gave each of the lighters a receipt for his share. There is now no doUbt that the side bet will stand as originally made.Wbeu the local newspaper man who was holding the slakea announced his disinclination to lay himself liable to an infraction of the antibetting law, a dispute 3rose between Britt, representing Ketchel, and Johnson as to the proper person to whom the money should be transferred.Coifroth Took Money.Johnson accused Ketchel of an attempt to evade Lhc side bet. but Bntt announced that Ids man was confident of pocketing the whole amount at the end of the light, and tho matter finally ended by Coffroth taking the money, which he deported with a business man to the credit of the two principals.Nothing now is likely to interfere with tho fight. Weather conditions alone can prevent it, for the sunshine arena has no cover, but the prediction is for clear weather.The tight is scheduled for 20 rounds, and will begin at 3 p- m., after Lwo trn-round preliminaries- Jack Welsh ; will be the referee. The betting continues at 10 to 4 that Johnson will win, and at even money that he will knock Ketchel out in less than fifteen rounds. There was no rush of Ketchel money today to raise the odds, and the poolrooms still hold enough coin to keep the odds stable for some time. Considerable money wos wagered toda^ on the flftecn-rouml proposition.How Fighters Compare.Johnson, 8 feet t-4 inches tall, says lie will weigh 195 pounds when he steps to tb* scratch. KetcheVs height has been announced aa 5 feet 10 1-2. but he js fully half an inch shorter. He will tip the beam at 175 pounds, being heavier by sixteen pounds than when he knocked out Jack O'Brien in Philadelphia last spring. Ketchel is 22 vears old, and Johnson is *21. Ketchel shows a shorter reach. 70 1-2 inches. Johnson’s being 72 Inches. Abound the neck each man Is 17 Inches. In chest development the bi» negro shows 401-4 normal and 4G 1-4 expanded, while the Michigan roan measures 30 and 43 reupectively.physical construction, Johnson is IruUt on the lines of James J. Corbett, pnwci*u! In arm and back de%*elopment, and rather slight, comparatively, in the legs. Ketchel’B strength ie more evenly distributed. He resembles Sharkey in build, having extremely broad shoulders, a thick neck, and good substantial underpinning.In style of action, the mdn widely differ. Johnson, cool and deliberate, is a flit-footed, clever boxer, with marvelous di.'fensc and a right-hand uppercut a8 bis beet blow. He. la on adept at picking an opponent’s blo.wu oui of the air; also at blocking, covering up, and clinching; but he,lacks aggressiveness* and Is not regarded as a hard hitter. His Height and w*dght give him an immense advantage. It is generally believed, but whether be possesses a natural fighting instinct, which means plenty of gameness and stamina, remains to be seen.Johnson experienced so little trouble In defeating Tommy Sqm a and A1 Kaufmen that He is .regarded by many fight ex-peHs aga sure wime*- of tomorrow's ^RJU. It . ta4ieUcvcd-14*at taknetk Ketchel out, lie will be the winner on sc:er,tlfic points.Johnson predicts that he will stop Ketchel inside of fifteen rounds, and also s:i7S he will try to win as cjuiekly as pos- j slide. When he climbs through the ropes J he will have as seconds Bob Armstrong, Dave Mills, George Utile, arul Barney Furey. with the veteran Sam Fitzpatrick acting as chief adviser near by. If Johnson wins, he will come East prepared to make a match with Jeffries as soon as the boilermaker arrives here from Europe Jf fclt;? loses, a theory that he Is overrated and not real champion will be strengthenedThose who fail to regard Johnson as a first-class heavyweight Insist that he has never beaten a really good fighter, and as proof of this assertion they point out the fact that Johnson has failed to stop such men as Jeannette and Ferguson They also say that f Johnson could not put Burns away in fifteen rounds and was unable to stop Kaufman in ten, he will find it a difficult matter to send Ketchel, a better man. Into dreamland m twenty rounds tomorrow. , KetcbeL is a natural fighter.Ketchel Fears Nothing.He has a lion’s courage and fears nothing. He i» the first white man to chal lenge Johnson and to sign articles of agreement after the negro’s arrival her-' from Australia. He posted So.CtfO to go as a. side bet. being confident of winning, |and he has never lost faith id his protv -’ ess. While Ketchel is not much of a boxer, he known enough about ring tactics to be dangerous, while as a two-lto andl fighter he bears the reputation of | being the greatest puncher of his weight and inches In the world.If Ketchel beats Johnson, it will be fwholly due to this power to deliver a tc-r-: nble blow. The Michigan boy has been 1 fighting all comers since lie was is years j old. and in tackling Johnson he seems to ; think that he has not assumed an arduous I task. He says Johnson cannot hit hard enough to hurt him, and if he finds an opening for the body he will send home a I wallop that will end the mill. 1
Newspaper Details
Washington Post
Washington, Washington-DC, US
Sat, Oct 16, 1909
Page 16
Full Page
Clipped by
John H.
IL, USA 10 Jun 2018
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