Biddle was forced to await Johnson’s return sitting on a bench with other would-be sparring partners. In a confused attempt to conceal his identity the banker introduced himself as Tom O’Biddle, an Irish heavyweight. Johnson, who was not deceived, could hardly believe his ears, but there were newspapermen present among the usual hangers-on, so he shrugged his reluctant agreement, thinking that he was in the presence of yet another white basket case.
His view was reinforced when, at the first bell, Biddle uttered an ear-splitting yell and rushed at his opponent as if leading a bayonet charge. Lazily, the champion held him off at the end of a long, extended left hand, saying soothingly, according to some ringsiders, ‘Hey, Colonel boy! What’s your point? Don’t go getting yourself all stirred up.’ As Biddle’s daughter Cordelia later wrote resignedly in her memoirs, My Philadelphia Father, her father was always stirred up. The millionaire banker was not accustomed to being spoken to in this manner, and anyway his dander was up. He threw a mighty right swing, catching Johnson on the ear and upsetting the champion considerably. Johnson aroused himself from his lethargy sufficiently to charge back at Biddle, unleashing a volley of punches. Prudently, the Philadelphian covered up in a corner for the remainder of the round. By the time the bell sounded Johnson had recovered his self-possession sufficiently to let Biddle live, and leave the ring in one piece.
The affair made the national headlines, with one newspaper commenting disapprovingly that the least Johnson could have done for the prestige of the Marine Corps was to allow Biddle, a reserve officer in the corps, to have floored him. The matter was taken as just another display of the champion’s ostentatious lack of respect.
It was never recorded what advice his backer gave O’Brien about Johnson’s condition when he returned to Philadelphia, but on the night of the fight newspapers commented adversely on the spare tyre that the champion was carrying about his midriff. The hall was packed, enabling O’Brien to comment approvingly, ‘A full house turned out and I cleared over nine thousand dollars for my end.’
It was the end of the good news for the challenger. He was much lighter than Johnson and had never been much of a puncher even at his best. O’Brien boxed cautiously while Johnson was content to pad about the ring, exchanging badinage with ringsiders and occasionally cuffing his opponent about the head. Afterwards, as would be expected, there was some discrepancy among the contestants as to the route the bout had followed. Johnson’s version took the form of a laconic, ‘the result of the fight, although no decision was given, clearly showed that O’Brien would have to be eliminated as a contender.’ O’Brien’s summary was a more hopeful, ‘I spotted Johnson forty pounds and had no trouble outpointing him.’ The consensus among spectators and newspaper reporters alike was that, had there been a decision announced, Johnson would have won it out of sight, a view summarised by a Philadelphia newspaper, which reported, ‘O’Brien got some very hard bumps and was pretty badly hurt at times, and there is no doubt that the Negro had the better of the contest.’ In the record books the May 1909 bout is delineated as a six-round, no-decision contest.
It was almost the end of the road for Philadelphia Jack O’Brien, but he had one more good pay-day ahead of him. It lay in a return match with Stanley Ketchel, who was also being groomed for a title shot with Johnson. If Ketchel could defeat O’Brien decisively, it would strengthen his chances of a match with the heavyweight champion by the end of the year.
For his part, O’Brien was still trying to convince himself that he had done well enough against Jack Johnson to continue fighting at the top level. To make matters even better, A.J.D. Biddle seemed to have lost interest in him for the time
His view was reinforced when, at the first bell, Biddle uttered an ear-splitting yell and rushed at his opponent as if leading a bayonet charge. Lazily, the champion held him off at the end of a long, extended left hand, saying soothingly, according to some ringsiders, ‘Hey, Colonel boy! What’s your point? Don’t go getting yourself all stirred up.’ As Biddle’s daughter Cordelia later wrote resignedly in her memoirs, My Philadelphia Father, her father was always stirred up. The millionaire banker was not accustomed to being spoken to in this manner, and anyway his dander was up. He threw a mighty right swing, catching Johnson on the ear and upsetting the champion considerably. Johnson aroused himself from his lethargy sufficiently to charge back at Biddle, unleashing a volley of punches. Prudently, the Philadelphian covered up in a corner for the remainder of the round. By the time the bell sounded Johnson had recovered his self-possession sufficiently to let Biddle live, and leave the ring in one piece.
The affair made the national headlines, with one newspaper commenting disapprovingly that the least Johnson could have done for the prestige of the Marine Corps was to allow Biddle, a reserve officer in the corps, to have floored him. The matter was taken as just another display of the champion’s ostentatious lack of respect.
It was never recorded what advice his backer gave O’Brien about Johnson’s condition when he returned to Philadelphia, but on the night of the fight newspapers commented adversely on the spare tyre that the champion was carrying about his midriff. The hall was packed, enabling O’Brien to comment approvingly, ‘A full house turned out and I cleared over nine thousand dollars for my end.’
It was the end of the good news for the challenger. He was much lighter than Johnson and had never been much of a puncher even at his best. O’Brien boxed cautiously while Johnson was content to pad about the ring, exchanging badinage with ringsiders and occasionally cuffing his opponent about the head. Afterwards, as would be expected, there was some discrepancy among the contestants as to the route the bout had followed. Johnson’s version took the form of a laconic, ‘the result of the fight, although no decision was given, clearly showed that O’Brien would have to be eliminated as a contender.’ O’Brien’s summary was a more hopeful, ‘I spotted Johnson forty pounds and had no trouble outpointing him.’ The consensus among spectators and newspaper reporters alike was that, had there been a decision announced, Johnson would have won it out of sight, a view summarised by a Philadelphia newspaper, which reported, ‘O’Brien got some very hard bumps and was pretty badly hurt at times, and there is no doubt that the Negro had the better of the contest.’ In the record books the May 1909 bout is delineated as a six-round, no-decision contest.
It was almost the end of the road for Philadelphia Jack O’Brien, but he had one more good pay-day ahead of him. It lay in a return match with Stanley Ketchel, who was also being groomed for a title shot with Johnson. If Ketchel could defeat O’Brien decisively, it would strengthen his chances of a match with the heavyweight champion by the end of the year.
For his part, O’Brien was still trying to convince himself that he had done well enough against Jack Johnson to continue fighting at the top level. To make matters even better, A.J.D. Biddle seemed to have lost interest in him for the time
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