THE INVINCIBILITY OF JOHNSON.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1100, 12 April 1911, Page 9

THE INVINCIBILITY OF JOHNSON.

WANTS £6000 TO FICHT. INTERVIEW WITH W. W. NAUGHTON NOW IN WELLINGTON. If Mr. W. W. Naughton, tho prominent San Francisco sporting journalist, who arrived here yesterday from America, wore a quarter of a century younger, one would be inclined to look him up and down as a possible "white man's hope." For this man, who spends a third of his life at tho ringside, stands Oft. 2in., and is as massive a piece of manhood as has trod tho flags of Willis Street for quite a time. His ringside weight one would judge to be about 17st., his touring weight perhaps half a stone more. But he is as gejiial as ho is large, and when lie talks of Hghters ho deos so with a certain solid authority and conviction that there is no disputing. All who take pleasure in reading the American letter in the Sydney "Referee" know his breezy style and racy diction. Mr. Naughton is passing through Wellington en route to Auckland and Sydney. Ho was born in the former city, and has a lasting lovo for the latter. One cannot, of course, bo in his company long without talking of boxing. The Latest "Hope," "You've heard of Carl Morris, who defeated Sehcrek the other day," said Mr. Naughton, in opening the subject. "He is being referred to as the latest 'hope of tho white race' to get back the boxing championship from Johnson. That fight doesn't count for anything. Scherek is nothing—a big, fat man-who loves lots of liquor. He is too stout to be considered a factor in lighting at all, so Morris's win stands for nothing. I don't know Morris at all, and can't say if he has any chance of climbing. Ho is one of the 'hopes'! After the Johnson-Jeffries light (witnessed by Mr. Naughton) a craze was started throughout tho country to find someone capable of beating Johnson, and all the big burly young fellows of every town were looked over and tried out to see if there, existed the one superman. This Morris wr.s a. fireman down at Sapulpn, in Oklahoma. He liked the game, and as soon as Jeffries was beaten ho. gave up his work and said ho was going to train with the idea of beating tho life - out of Johnson, i't read like an American .space-writer's dream, but he is doing well, though nothing, so far, to justify the highest liopes. Now, if Morris had met Jim Flynn, the Pueblo fireman (who boat your Squires) you could get some soil , ; of lino as to .Morris's class, but this Scherek mill does not count.

Johnson's Pre-eminence. "Johnson is out by himself. There is no one in sight, white or black, who could heat Langford, and Langford would have no chance with Jack Johnson, in my humble opinion. The only man who will beat Johnson is Johnson himself. If he does not watch out he will'deteriorate physically, and, ono of these, days, some husky young fellow will give him a surprise. If Jio looks after himself he will reign as.champion for a good many years to come. He is enjoying life to the limit—has three or four automobiles, and races all over tho country, gets arrested, and pays his fines. The story that he was gaoled is not true —at least he. had not been gaoled before I left 'Frisco. He , had an automobile race with Barney Oldliold, and was beaten. Now he wants another, but Barney, is not reaching,out,. Johnson's Terms. "Ten days before I left 'Frisco I had a cable from Mr. Hugh M'lntosh .offering 30,000 dollars (£0000) for a match between Johnson and Langford, either in Paris or London, with Corrio as referee. 1 'phoned Johnson, and made an appointment with him along tho beach. He came flashing out on one of his cars, &nj I laid the proposition before him. He said that lie wanted £6000 for his'own share. M'lntosh had given that amount to Burns in Sydney, and why should he (Johnson) not get it in Paris or London? Anyhow, he would not fight with any but an American referee, and that in itself was a stumbling block, as it would hardly be the thing to cast such a slur on tho English referees. My opinion is that Johnson does not want to fight, and he does not want to fight Langford. He told mo that, if he did not get another fight within six months on his own terms (£6OOO and an American referee) ho intended to retire from tho game altogether. • "Though there is nothing very good at present in tho heavy-weight class, there are lots of splendid light-weights —one in nearly every town in America. One of the best of them is 'Knock-out' Brown, of New York. Chicago has a good one, and .so has 'Frisco, and I have heard of Mehegan, of Sydney. I am surprised to hear of the poor opinion expressed of Papke. He was a good man in' the class that wobbled between middle and heavy-weights. The late Stanley Kctchel was the best, and I place Papke next."

"Only Qno Thrill." Mr. Naughton was present at the big aviation meeting held recently in San Francisco. "You take your seat in the grandstand," says he, "and see a man fly round the course once — twice! It is a great thrill, but it doesn't last. It's the samo thing over and over again. Radley, on a Bleriot, flow round the harbour and hovered over the ferry boats and worships, and got a great ovation. When lie returned to the held Latham, the Frenciiman, asked him if he had gone through the Golden Gate and, on being told that he had not, Latham, on his little Antoinette, went soaring away to the coast, flew past Cliff liouse, and entered the- harbour through the. Gate. Tho Frenchman got all over the Englishman that time. Another feat was that of Ely's, _ who alighted on a platform built oh a warship and rose from it.- A few days later, at San Diego, Glen Curtiss, in his hydroplane, alighted on the water, and roso from it with the ease and- grace of a bird."

Mr. Naughton loaves for Auckland by the Main Trunk train to-djy, and will proceed on to Sydney on Monday nest.