’ENGLISH WRESTLER’S CHALLENGE.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XVIII, Issue 1049, 14 April 1910, Page 11

’ENGLISH WRESTLER’S CHALLENGE.

(To tne Editor.) Sir. —I have just arrived in New Zealand, and I am anxious to meet L. Robertson for the lightweight championship for any stake up to £25. I am ready for anyone, Joe Gardiner, A. Land, Herbert May, or any wrestler up to 10 stone. I will take them all on. However, it must be a case of first come first served. Trusting this will lead to business. — I am, etc., JOE PRECHNER, Winner of the International featherweight wrestling championship, at the Sadler’s Wells Theatre, London, January 29th, 1909. P.S. —The following are a list of some of the men I have defeated: — George Mackenzie, lightweight amateur champion of Great Britain; Henri Maurice, professional lightweight champion of France, at the Foliere Bergere, Paris; Harry Burleigh, winner of the bantamweight championship (professional); Frank Pini, 9 stone 41b champion of Italy; Carl Zesslinger, featherweight champion of Austria; Young Bech Ohlson, featherweight champion of Denmark; K. Landsmidt, featherweight champion of Russia; Jack Moir, now touring America; Darky Stern, of New-castle-on-Tyne; Arthur Sax, of Porth, Wales; Jack Smith, of London Naval Volunteers (weight 11 stone 121 b). Bob Fitzsimmons is to fight Arthur Cripps, the Queensland boxer, who recently visited New Zealand, at the Brisbane Stadium on Monday April 25. The contest will be a twenty rounds one, and is creating a good deal of interest. * * ♦ ♦ Among sporting men who are not blinded by Johnson’s colour (says an American boxing authority), it is admitted that he is fully as clever and a great deal more dangerous than was Corbett in his best days. Conceding that the fight is to be on the level and that the men are battling for a championship and not a rakeoff from the moving picture trust, at this distance it looks as if Mr. Jdff. will have to get Mr. Johnson within the first five rounds or the dark man will remain the heavyweight champion. It is quite probable that Johnson does not know who Tom Cribb, of England, was, but to my mind the negro might well study up and fol-

low Cribb’s methods as employed by him in defeating men who, relying on their superior weight and bull strength, attempted to rush and smother him.

Can Langford beat Johnson? (remarks a Boston writer) I have said several times that I do not think he can and see no reason for changing that opinion. Johnson’s shoulders show he can hit a great deal harder than many are willing to give him cred’t, we all know he is clever. In a bout with Sam he would have

height, weight and reach on the Bostonian. and with conditions about equal as to cleverness and hitting power, ill s should return him the victor. With the exception of Jeff, Johnson and possibly Sam McVea, there is not a boxer now in the ring who has anything on Langford or any real chance of defeating him. With Sam in his best condition, there are plenty here who would be willing to hazard their gold that he could take Ketchel and Papke in the same ring and beat them both inside of 20 rounds. * » Harry Lawson, the Australian clubswinger, has succeeded in defeating Tom Burrows’ latest record by two minutes, having swung clubs continuously, at Lismore, for 67 hours 10 minutes. * » • ♦ Reports have lately appeared in the papers to the effect that Jack Johnson is going the. pace, and totally unfitting himself for a world’s championship battle. He is accused of being too partial to the wine cup, and a host of other things are said about the world’s champion boxer. A great amount of prejudice is shown by the majority of papers against the negro because of his colour, and little credence can be placed upon the statements referring to Johnson’s fast life. Prior to his fight with Burns, rumours were current in Sydney that Johnson was not looking after himself, but how true these were was easily seen when the big black stepped into the ring in magnificent condition. Johnson has a fine constitution, and is sensible enough to keep himself in the best of fettle as his ambition all along was to win the world’s boxing championship and it is not likely that he will let the title slip througn his hands for the want of condition. An occasional glass of beer or wine may be included in Johnson’s daily fare, and from this perhaps these exaggerated reports have originated. The public are misled by these ill-timed statements, and it i s safe to say that on the day of the fight Johnson will enter the ring in quite as good physical condition as Jeffries and will show little sign of the dissipation with which his name has been connected through prejudiced writers.

Dummy Mace, the one-time famous boxer, is reported to be in a very bad way, and if assistance is forthcoming he intends to take up his residence in New Zealand.