JOHNSON RETAINS CHAMPIONSHIP.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Issue 1162, 18 July 1912, Page 12

JOHNSON RETAINS CHAMPIONSHIP.

A REPETITION OF RENO. FLYNN OUTBOXED BY NEGRO. The world’s boxing championship between Jack Johnson and Jim Flynn, the Pueblo fireman, at Las Vegas (U.S.), on July 4, is now a matter of history, and the second of the “White Hopes” to take the ring against the giant black has, in a vain attempt to wrest the title from the coloured race, gone down badly beaten and battered at the hands of the ebony-hued pugilist. Flynn’s earnestness regarding his chance against the champion caused more interest to be centred in the Las Vegas battle than would otherwise have been the case, as from the day articles were signed for the match the hopelessness of the white man’s case was generally commented upon. However, with the arrival of Independence Day, boxing followers in all parts of the world found themselves during their leisure time concentrating their thoughts upon the scene of the combat, and the cable news was awaited with a good deal of curiosity, there being much speculation as to how long the representative of the white race would withstand those punishing uppercuts which played havoc with Tommy Burns on the occasion of the championship slipping from the grasp of the white man. There were a few enthusiasts who held out the forlorn hope that the “Fireman” might catch the negro off his guard, but the cables denote that whilst Johnson treated the encounter as a joke he nevertheless boxed warily, keeping the points well in his favour in each of the nine rounds fought. It would appear that the negro could have won earlier, but deliberately prolonged the contest in order to demonstrate to ring-siders his undoubted cleverness, speed, and generalship. At all events, he convinced all as to his great superiority, and left the impression that in unearthing a “Hope” who can possibly have a chance of defeating him, enterprising promoters and those interested in fistic affairs have a task, which the Las Vegas battle has made harder than ever. The attendance at the fight was estimated at 3 50 0, including several hundred women, among whom was Airs Johnson, wife of the champion. Flynn appeared in the ring smiling confidently. He did not seem to be at all worried. Johnson stepped over the ropes with his face wreathed in smiles, and then affectionately greeted his wife. At the champion’s request she was escorted to another box in order to be closer to the ring. Flynn joked with her, and asked her if she intended betting on her husband. Space will not permit of a detailed description of each of the nine rounds fought, but the following brief extracts from the special cable to the Sydney “Sun” -will be found of interest. Round 1. —Johnson hooked a left to the cheek, split the flesh, and scored first blood. The negro then uppercut to the jaw with his right twice in quick succession, and scored with two left hooks to the jaw that contained plenty of ginger. The round was Johnson’s by a mile. Round 2.—-Flynn endeavoured to bore in, but he reeled back from a right smash on the body. Once more Flynn put his head down in the vain chance of getting to close quarters. His face was smeared with blood — the result of three vicious lefts on the nose. Johnson was having matters all his own way, and beat a veritable tattoo on the white man’s body and face with both hands. Twice he uppercut his opponent with the right, and all the time Flynn was doing his best to get close. Round 3.—The Pueblo fireman hooked three lefts to the jaw, but there was no sting in the blows. However, he had more powder behind a left jab to the mouth, and the crowd howled as blood trickled from Johnson’s lips. The negro evened matters up by ripping a right uppercut

to the face. Repeated light blows angered Johnson, who sent both hands flying to Flynn’s face in vicious uppercuts. A moment later blood poured profusely from the white man’s cheek and mouth, and the bell went with nearly all the honours of the round to Johnson. Round 4.—Johnson continued to mutilate Flynn’s face in a surprising fashion with a series of short uppercuts, showing all that power and sting that used to characterise this blow when he fought Jeffries at Reno. Round 5. —Flynn tried repeatedly with stomach punches, but without success. However, he brought forth wild cheering by hooking his left to the negro’s head, but Johnson only smiled in his most golden smile, and stood off. Johnson’s gold-covered teeth glistened in the sun as he smiled on the crowd of whites. They hooted him, and to increase their anger he clapped his hands behind Flynn’s back. When the round ended Flynn’s face was covered with blood, while Johnson was apparently as fresh as ever. Round 6.— Flynn was warned for using his head in clinches, and the “Fireman” offered Johnson his hand as if to show that his tactics were unintentional. Johnson angrily refused the token, but instead vented his annoyance by banging Flynn’s head from side to side. The white man, too, was greatly angered, and hurled such a terrific right at the negro that the crowd gasped. Johnson nimbly danced out of range, but was back at his grim work of battering Flynn immediately. Round 7.—Flynn began to approach the helpless stage. Ten or twelve nasty sharp jabs came to his face as the rapper of an alarm bell strikes its gong, and the fireman was unable to send in an effective blow in return. The big black began to buffet Flynn about the ring in an easily brutal manner without trying, apparently, to knock him out. Flynn six times sent what he thought were jolts to Johnson’s stomach, but they only reached there as taps. Johnson laughed, and did not try to stop them. “You’ll find my stomach’s all right, Mr Flynn,” he said, as he easily avoided an uppercut from Flynn’s left. Round B.—The eighth term belonged to Johnson. Flynn rushed at him in the beginning, but when he bumped into several staggering lefts he was slightly more cautions. The blood was pouring from Flynn’s face, and his bruised nose was a sorry spectacle. Johnson held his arms at length, and laughed as Flynn tried to duck under them. Just to show his opponent, however, that he was in deadly earnest, Johnson pumped his left into the face. Johnson was doing what he liked, and Flynn was almost maddened. Three times he deliberately butted the black, and was given a final warning that his foul tactics would not be tolerated. Round 9.—This session saw the finish, Flynn, after being sent back with a staggering right to the jaw. coming in at close quarters, and vainly attempting to land blows to the stomach. Johnson drove his right to face, and a moment later the same hand to stomach, and, Flynn being in a hopeless condition, the police inspector, Capt. Coles, stopped the fight, the referee pointing to Johnson as the winner. FREAK BETS RECORDED.

The prevailing odds at the ringside were 2 to 1 that Johnson would win. The supporters of Jim Flynn had plenty of money to back their man at 5 to 2, but the Johnson backers were only prepared to bet 2 to 1. Johnson, however, posted a bet of 10,000 dollars to 3000 that he would win. A variety of freak bets were recorded, principally in the way of long odds offered that Flynn would knock Johnson down during the fight. A betting board was displayed in the arena, with the inscription, “£2OOO to £IOOO that Johnson wins.” This flaring offer was said to be the expression of Johnson’s own opinion of his chances, and represented the extent to which he was prepared to back himself with his own money.

Johnson stated that he had backed himself to win inside 15 rounds. COMMENTS ON THE FIGHT. That Johnson was not in any way concerned regarding the outcome of his meeting with Flynn was evidenc- . ed by his conduct on the day preceding the encounter. To dismiss the impression that he lacked condition, or that he was likely to be found with bellows to mend comparatively early in tbe flgnt, the negro took a 12-mile jaunt into the country, an unprecedented action for any boxer to take within 24 hours of a championship contest. On the morning of the fight Johnson was up with the lark, and went for a short stroll. On his return he ate a hearty breakfast. Johnson’s condition at the end of the contest caused the onlookers no little amazement. Apart from a slight cut on his mouth, he showed no signs that he had been fighting at all. His breathing was regular, and his temper unruffled. On being questioned, he remarked: “It’s no use talking about it; I just galloped!” The fight was a really greater fiasco than the Jeffries-Johnson affair at Reno two years ago. The negro refused to take the contest seriously. The only time that Johnson appeared in earnest was when Flynn insisted upon butting during the last two rounds. The champion towered above the white man in the clinches, and good-naturedly joked with the crowd over Flynn’s head. Jack Curley, the promoter, has stated that he lost £3OOO over the venture. That did not include the £2OOO guarantee lodged by business men of Las Vegas. The gate receipts were approximately £7OOO. When the fight was over Johnson was uninjured, and wore a broad smile. He hastened to collect the bets he had won, and then drove away in an automobile. But before he left he was forced to address the crowd. Flynn rushed away to his camp. His face was cut and bruised, but the injuries were nothing to speak of. The fight was devoid of interest to the spectators. There was not a cheer throughout the nine rounds, and the crowd accepted the interference of the police with feelings of . relief. Flynn would have been disqualified—he was bent upon fouling his opponent. He was as helpless as a child, and apparently made no effort to disguise the fact that he intended to do with his head that which he could not accomplish with the gloves. FLYNN WANTS ANOTHER FIGHT. Jim Flynn, when seen several days after the fight, was still suffering from the effects, and was sad and downcast. Nevertheless, he stated he is willing to fight the world’s champion again, and intends making an effort to get another chance. “When the police stopped the fight,” he explained, “I was beginning’ to wear Johnson down, and I was confident that I would win inside 18 rounds. He was beginning to tire badly, and was the happiest man in the arena when the police stepped in.” In explaining his goat-like tactics against Johnson, the fireman said that Johnson held him throughout, and the only way to force him to le f go was to butt.

JOHNSON’S AUSTRALIAN CONTRACT.

RETIRING FOR EVER. Mr Hugh Mclntosh, the Australian promoter, received a cable a few days after the Johnson-Flynn fight from his representative in the United States, announcing that Jack Johnson had signed a contract to make the trip to Australia and meet Sam Langford and Sam M‘Vea. Joe Jeannette, who is booked for Australia, was mentioned in the cable as an opponent for Johnson. Following upon this announcement regarding an Australian contract comes the following surprising declaration from Jack Johnson, who, on his way back to Chicago from Las Vegas, stated: “I never want to see another pair of gloves. If Balzer wants to fight me he will have to do it not later than the end of November. On the following day I shall retire for ever. That’s final.” Johnson also said that he had cleared £7200 over his match with Flynn, besides the £l2OO won by his wife.