JACK JOHNSON

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 19884, 10 March 1939, Page 11

JACK JOHNSON

FORMER BOXING STAR WORKING IN FLEA FIR(TS NOT IMPRESSED BY LOUTS In a New York combined flea circus and museum of oddities, with slides and strip tease on the side, you will find Jack Johnson, perhaps greatest of all heavyweight world's champions. 'Five times a day he gives a lecture on the manly art of self-defence. (Between sermons you will discover the former heavyweight champion of the world playing rummy with a “barker”—and winning for the most part- —in a cubby .hole about 10ft. toy six in fhe cellar of the “joint.” John ‘Lardner, leading American sports writer, discloses these tacts and says that Johnson’s dressingroom contains two outstanding “props,” besides the pack of cards. On a chair close toy him, is fhe Johnson beret. The old champion has been wearing this basque millinery for close on 20 years. In the open you will never catch him without the beret on his shining cranium. Louis’ Vulnerability The other “prop” is a picture taken from the movies of the first Louis-Sc'hmeling fight and enlarged as a still. It shows Louis coming in with a left at dose quarters and exposing his whole -side, including the chin, to a right hand punch. When fight arguments come up. Johnson trots out the picture and shows why Louis will never be a Jack Johnson. “Johnson likes to hammer this point home," declares Lardner. “and it’s hard to .blame him. All through his reign as heavyweight champion he was booed by crowds,, and kicked around in print 'Naturally, the old master’s happy-go-lucky attitude to-

wards life had something to do with that. He didn’t get rich and he never tasted the sweet flavour of acclaim. iEvery day he reads of Louis’ beautiful private life, Louis’ income tax rating, ‘Louis’ devastating punch, and it is not surprising that it gets under his saddle-coloun-ed skin.” Points in Boxing Under the present day’s weird fashion of giving all the points to a boxer who rushes to the attack, even though he does nothing really effective, having his punches blocked and being counter-punched, the great 'Galveston negro would not have won a fight unless he knocked out his man. Always his plan was to make the other fellow lead and then punish him by blocking and then countering. That wouldn't mean a thing to-day. A boxer must go in all the time to win on points. It does not matter whether he lands or not. But even on that referees are not consistent. 'A classic example of the attacker being honoured in a fight, says a Sydney sports wr.itcfr, occurred at the Sydney Stadium before the war when Rucfie Unhoijz was given a .draw with Johnny Summers by Bill Squires, who had just returned from America. Summers won every round, not by attack, but by superb defence and counter-punching. Unholz. knew he was a mile behind, so in the nineteenth round went down from a blow similar to dozens of others which had not affected him. (Afterwards lie admitted that he acted that way in the hope of Summers charging in to finish the 'fight and thus giving Rudie a chance of nailing him. Summers was too wary, and continued out boxing Unholz to the end, when, to tlie amazement of everybody, Squires called it a draw. Squires could not understand the outburst of hooting, for, lie declared, had Unholz not gone down in the nineteenth round lie would have given him the fight! Johnson told his interviewer why .Toe Louis would beat John Henry Lewis. “Lewis is smart.” he said, "but lias a weakness. “He can't hit straight with his left. He hooks it. You can’t beat Joe with a left hook. “He’ll beat you to that punch. A good straight left from a bov that moves around will whip Louis, but John Henrv hasn't got it. He hooks his left.” Jack was right again.