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Show CUBANS ARE 11 , TO THEFIGHT GAME The Willard Johnson Match Makes Boxing Popular on Island By T S ANDREWS HAVANA Cuba April 10 Cuba may be added to the countries where boxing is potmlar When the Americana occu p ed he Is and and overthrew the rule ef Spain more than fifteen years ago the Yankee boys first introduced the art of se f defense but the sport at that time was pract ced by the Americans almost exclusi ely Then the American gove n ment passed a law prohlb tln figh Ing and for a number of years tbe e as nothing do ng in the boxing I ne The Cuban government took a d fferent iew of he matter however real z ng that the sport would he p the tour st t ade here and g anted the rlht to estiblsa regu ar v organ zed clubs There were a few protests but the government offic a s de ned to be swaged from the r pu pose It s the plan of the offic a s now o esc nd the present laws regard Do bot ng and to p ace a new code on toe a ute books Cubans Favor Boxing The boost which the 1 ard Johnson raatel has given to the tour st trade has aston shed the bus ness and hotel men e resu t be ng that they are now w 11 ng to do anyth ng to help the game a ong It wi 1 not be surpr s ng If some b g match s arranged to take place he e dur ng the winter season every year for f o ng now ranks next to rac ng in draw ng he outsiders to the island 1 There is one t ng the offic as ml " ha e to do it they expect to keep the b xing gan e on a so id foundat on and ha s to place it in the hands of a omm sion sim lar to that of V scons n. e e ha e been some very poor matches e d here and the Americans are to b ame fo It Thev ha e staged any ng just to get tbe money w h no ought as to what damage might be done to the game The Cubans are not a enough ad anced as set to p ck out e flaw s but they a e fast learn ng and when they do they will be ab e to con d c their own boxing affairs to bet et ad an age Native Fighters Developing The nat es are thoroughly taken np w th the sport and it will not be long il before they will produce some real fight ers But they need someone to teach f them the rudiments of the game TheJ have some magnificently built men fo fighting but they lack all knowledge ol boxing They have been taking t nn ery fa"t however and before long na tive Cubans will be fightin fo hono s at some of tl e b g c ubB in the sta es One of the clubs matched up a nath hea vwelght the other n ht aainst John Lester Johnson the American ne gro flh er and it was a bad mistake. The nat e knew nothing of the art He w as a fine specimen of manhood scaling -abou 18o pounds, and well built, but wa stopped n three rounds. The poor fel low had no chance aa nst the super or know edge of Johnson He srouid have been nursed along for aw hi e and r matched against boj s of h s own cla'ss. Z It was a shame to spoil the chances o! so fine a prospect. V, th the estie only in ts nfancy he promoters ha e already started to fght one another Clubs have prung up al o er the c t and as a result none of the mall bouts has made raone The stadium a new plant is a splend d p ace for olding shows It seats more ran 8000 peop e and is bui t arena e sle be n copied af er tl e famous s ad um n & dnej Capta n Cushman R ce a b s plante here has the boxing fe er and has built a I ne arena in the heart of the city with John R. Rob nson a charge Then there is the b g arena at the race track where the illard-John son fght was he d seating more than S 0 000 peop e y Mike Gibbons Popular M ke G bbons the middleweight ta of t Pa 1 n ade a b g h t with the Cubans and the American v s tors Recently M ke was offered all k nds of matches, but hustled back to the sta es as he E wan ed to get Packev MeFarand for the proposed Mtlw aukee match He pos ed an extra 51000 with me ju't to how that he n eant business Gibbons s also th nk ng eriousli of tak ng on J romy T abby over the arathon route at hew Orleans dur ing May , One tt e tsltor came all the M ij from Goldf eld for the champion h p hea we g t battle He s Lou Po n newsboy fan who f rst became in e . ested in box ng when Gans and Batt ng 1 Nel on fought In to dfieU nine vears ago Little Lo s so d papers In the boon da s of Goldf eld He attended the John on Jeff les f gl t i Reno fi e ears ago and came to Ha ana In toe lope that e would be at the rings ae when a wh te nan won a champ on hip. Lou s wa ecen lj married and with wm Is his jo ng bride Few Stars Saw Fight T e number of fan oi s fighters lw atte ded dd not equal the number tsat saw John on wh p Jeffries at Reno M ; G bbons aimant for the mldd ewe 5 cha p on p witnessed the fight In cen pa w h Mrs u bbons The onh other figh er of n ernational reputation pre ent was Ba ng e son who co ered tna fig t for a etr ng- of American nes papers swam of f shters. br0,1f' here b e f ght cornl al preceding l cl a np ons p afla r were on hand But with the exception of Edd e Couoo. K o ko Sweene I on Row ands and Jlmn y Fr er none has reached any pron nen e n the fight game E ery auton ob le in cifr of p ana seemed to be at the race track anj the big parking spa e was fl led earw in the da Local auto 11 eries reaped a ants t t plajed e gan e fa r j A few of he free lance au o owne s maae th ee dlffe e t trips to the park durl" the rn g with passengers and st ee cars ook wck at least two m the oad The street ca sen ce J des g ed o 1 andle 10 000 peop e n In bo llreotio s a 1 -ent fare t charged from Ha ana |