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Show II FIGHTERS INTJipCE Battling Nelson and Tommy Burns Both Eager to "Come Back." JOHNSOFMAY RETIRE FROM PUGILISTIC GAME Efforts Aro Being Made to Revive Boxing at Coney Island. BY JEFF THOMPSON. By Leased Wire to The Tribune. NOT YORK, July 30. Thero aro two more prominent figures In tho pugilistic world who will try to coma bade. They aro Battling Nelson and Tommy Burns. Burns wants to win his title back from Champion Jack Johnson and Nelson wants to tnko his old-timo lightweight laurels away from Ad Wolgast. But at this point a new element arises. "Wolgast has been practically out of the gamo so long that ft Is a question whothcr ho can come back himself or not. Thero Is a possibility that Bill Lang and Ketchol will meet In New York within with-in a week or two. A match was arranged ! between them, but It Is was doubtful, owing to the vagaries of Mr. Ketchol. who won a polf ul of money on Johnson and who doesn't feel like lighting. Stanley Stan-ley may also experience somo difficulty In coming back, Burns's Important fight is his battle with Sam Langford on Labor day. Big fight men arc agreed that tho winner of the Burns-Lnngford fight is entitled to the next crack at Johnson. This coming-back question has got to bo tho most Important Interrogation In th gamo. Tho death of boxing has boon temporarily forgotten to the discussions whether this fighter or that can come back. Bill Lang, who may meot Stanley Ketchol soon, has Hugh Mcintosh for a manager, and tho foxy Colonial Is letting no chance go by. Mcintosh Is also the manager of Tommy Burns, Before leaving leav-ing for this country Lang lo3t a twenty-round twenty-round decision to Tommy Burns at Sydney. Syd-ney. In his two previous lights he stopped Bob Fitzslmmons In twelve rounds and Bill Squires In seven. Lang Is considered the best heavyweight In Australia. Ho Is game, rugged, and has a good punch. Joltnson May Retire. Jack Johnson mny never fight again, nnd this Is no joko. He wants to drive his racing automobile In the Vandorbllt cup races on Long Island, and as thero are always a couple of drivers mnimed and killed In those races, there is a possibility possi-bility that Jack may fall a victim to speed mania. A champion prise fighter can afford lo play tho rolo of dictator. Johnson, who has rlson to that fight honor. Is dictating right merrily. There are other champions, cham-pions, to bo sure, but smiling Jack Is king of them all by virtue of his victory over Jim Jeffries at Reno. And Johnson is taking his full prerogative. pre-rogative. Ho now will rest up for a yenr. or posslblv more, on his laurels, and rake In the golden shekels that pour Into the pockets of a new chnmplon. As the champion. Johnson towers abovo all his fellow artists of the squared arena. He Ik In a position to domand much nnd give little. This, of course refers to Ids place In tho pugilistic world. To big Galveston black .can make practically his own tormB whon the next man to dispute his claim to tho title flashes to tho front of tho pugilistic stago. He will have to make terms with Johnson. Such Is tho unwritten Inw of tho prize ring. Placed In tho position, of a practical dictator. Johnson will reap the benefits of his long, hard climb to tho top of tho ladder buforo ho gives another fighter nn opportunity to test his skill against that of the chnmplon, Vauilovlllc and exhibition engagements will fill Ills dates for a yonr or more to come. Tho history of Sam Langford, who Is trying to get a match with Johnson for Continued on Following Page, TWO FIGHTERS ; WANT A CHANCE i Continued From Preceding Page. a championship fight- 1b strangely slmi- , lar to that of Johnson. Johnson started life as a roustabout on tho Galveston docks and bummed his way into arenas ( to see fistic struggles In the old days. Five years ago Langford was hunting a place to sleep in Boston. At that time Joe Woodman was running a fight club In tho Hub City. Taking pity on Lang- ford. Woodman allowed him to sleep on the plank-flooring under tho ring with the watch dog for a bed fellow. Sam hung around and helped clean the club house and did other odd chores. He gradually drifted into tho graces of Woodman Wood-man until he was the Janitor of the club, but he never forgot tho yellow dog which was, by the way, his first recommendation recom-mendation to Woodman. One night there was a disappointment at the club and the Janitor asked the chance to participate In the place of the absent boxer. He mado his plea to Woodman, but Joe disliked the Idea of a good Janitor being a bum fighter, so ho waived him away and told him to go down to the amateur tournoy and get a fair start there where the game would not bo so tough. On tho next Monday morning Joe "Woodman "Wood-man nearly keeled over whon ho saw the janitor of his club wearing a gold watch, the first prize in tho tourney. Woodman had staked his Janitor to a quarter as entrance fee to tho tourney and had loaned him fighting togs to wear, thinking think-ing he would return to tho club a sadder sad-der boxer hut a slicker janitor. The janitor staked himself to tho next tourney fee and asked Woodman to be presept and watch him knock the novices nov-ices spinning. A scries of successea followed fol-lowed the janitor until Woodman gavo him his first professional fight which he won. Scveteon dollars and fifty cents was tho sharo of this fight. For two days after the fight, the Janitor of Joe Woodman's club was not to be found, and when he did appear ho was togged out in raiment which would have mado Bert Williams stage front look as silent si-lent as tho catacombs of Rome. Tho "Groat Unknown." Everybody who is anybody in flght-,dom flght-,dom la wondering who the "'Great Unknown" Un-known" is, whom Hugh Mcintosh .has unearthed. On behalf of the mysterious stranger MclntoSh has Issued a defl to all the heavyweights In the world, Johnson John-son Included, and Is willing to back up his offer with Jo, 000. Jim Corbett tolls me that he has consented con-sented to train the "Great Unknown." "I don't know who tho fellow Is." said Corbett. "Mcintosh came to me In groat excitement one day and asked mo if I would train a man for a championship fight. I replied 'Who Is ho?' Mcintosh said, 'I must ask you to have no curiosity curi-osity about this identity. I camo upon him by chance and I believe ho can whip Johnson.' That is all I know about hl Fighting- may be .resumed at Coney-Island Coney-Island on a small scale. In the old days Coney was a big light center, and such bit: follows as Corbett, Sharkey. Jeffries and Fltzslmmons fought there. However, tho New York state laws prohibit long fights there. Tom O'Rourko of the National Sporting club of this city has been dickering for a placo at Coney Island with a view to opening up a fight club. I am tipped off from tho west that Victor McLaglen, the now Australian fighter, is showing championship mettle. The Australian has boon doing a llttlo fighting in California, but he has not yet had the proper opportunity to show all he enn accomplish. Johnny Mooney. who brought Honoy Melody to this country, believes that Boston may take the position which ! Frisco used to hold in the fight world. Mooney Is now matchmaking for the Armory A. C. In Boston. During the summer vacation Mooney has been traveling trav-eling through California, Oregon. Washington Wash-ington and other western stales, accompanied accom-panied by Johnny Lynch, a Boston featherweight, feath-erweight, and Joo Llvins. Abe Attell is spoiling for a good fight. It Is time that some clever featherweight showed Abe up. In tho east Attell fought a lot of second raters and dazzled tho fans by his upced and cleverness, but ho has not met an equal In over a year There Ib talk that Attell and Lew Powell may be hitchod up In California soon. It Is doubtful whether Lew enn lake Attell's mecsuroi but even tint doesn't make Abraham's tltlo any more secure. Despite rumors and renorts out of Iowa, Frank Gotch la working with nr eye to the fight game. I predict that, bv, tho middle of the autumn, there, will bo i nn Interesting announcement from the Gotch farm near Fnrt Dodee. |