THE WORLD'S HEAVY WEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP.

West Coast Times, 7 September 1909, Page 1

THE WORLD'S HEAVY WEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP.

K AU FM AN- JOHNSON ' 'OFF— WAS IT EVER REALLY ON.

During the past few weeks the cableman informed us that the Johnson Kaufman match for the world' heavyweight boxing championship had been declared "off." This much and no more did he vouchsafe. Was the thing really ever "on"? our laiest 'Frisco exchanges referred to efforts being made to bring Johnson and Kaufman together and plainly stated that a 20 rounds arrangement would be no attraction at all. As Kaufman was a long-distance fighter, he might wear the big black down were, the limit 45 or 50 rounds, but a 20 rounds battle looked a cinch for Johnson bar flukes. In face of the attitude of the-Cah-fornian press, which, it is no more than reasonable to assume, voiced the views of the people generally. I wondered at so shrewd a caterer as Coffroth serving up a dish, which he could not help but know, the public had no appetite for. . . Did Kaufman possess the punch evidenced in the early part of his career, he might well be considered a fair match for Johnson, but, as with Bill Squires, the power he once owned to administer the potent sleep inducer left him some time ago. Most of the young American giant's latter contests have dragged over a goodly number of rounds. , , Again is it demonstrated to us that th« American front-rank boxer is, in America., a very elusive gentleman, he can never be considered safely corralled" till he is in the ring with his hands up. . , Of iow-pc, it might transpire, as already hinted, that Coffroth did not sign" the men at all though tho statement that the match had been declared "off" would indicate that some definite engagement had been entered in°Mavhap the "boxers agreed to fight and woro not satisfied with the money offered ?.