Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-10-23
A REVIEW OF SPORTS.
Corbett's Claim That He Introduced
Purely Scientific Boxing.
WHAT HE SAYS ABOUT SULLIVAN
Something Must Be Done to Arouse Wan
ing Interest in Baseball.
LOCAL PROSPECTS FOR NEXT YEAR

Probably the most important and inter.
esting sporting feature Of the week has
been the publication of letter written by
James j. Corbett telling his San Francisco
friends how he became champion. To me
that letter is exceedingly important because
of two things: First-That it is 50 full Of
inaccuracies, and second-that in 1t Mr..
Corbett would try to persuade people that
purely scientific boxing vas of his intro
duction. This brings to the front the
question a. to whether or not scientific box
ing is Of recent origin, as far as fighting is
concerned. This is one of the most inter
esting questions of to-day, and know that
thousands of people are always esger to
read or talk about it. Boxing was never as
popular as it is to-day and we find it being
taught in almost every Institution of
higher education.
Well now, SO. that will not misrepresent
what James ]. Corbett says, quote from
his letters He says:
AS far back as can remember boxers, or
rather fighters, used to stand up toe to toe
and give and take. The man who could take
the most punishment would generally win
the fight. Then some fellow came along, 1
forget his name; he was the first fellow who
did any loot work at all. Instead OF stand
blow. They used TO call him coward and
hiss at him: said he was not game. ana
everything else, still he used to win all his
fights. These fighters kept improving and
SO on up until about Sullivan's time. Then
Sullivan started in knocking out q man with
one blow. No min ever did that before Sui
on the jaw with right hand swing and
knock him out with one punch. Well, that
was the style until met Sullivan, and 1
was the first one to use the lett on Sullivan.
Mr.. Corbett's Very Great Mistake.
The above statement is the most ridicu-
lous that has ever appeared in print on box
ing, and had Sullivan, Mitchell, Kilrain or
anybody else made it any one of them would
have been called an Ignorant blowhard."
Now, while there was scientific boxing
nearly century ago, will not go that far
back to prove conolusively the nonsense of
Champion Corbett. will mention few
facts that have happened during the lives
of many of us and before young man like
Corbett was born.
Barney Aaron was one of the most scien-
tifc men that ever entered q ring. He de-
feated very big men entirely by his science,
and he fought his last battle, I think, in
1867. Jem Mace appeared in the ring years
before Corbett was born, and surely Mace
did not stand "toe to toe" with his oppo-
nents. Had Mace done this with big men
like Hunt and King he would have been
killed. But he used both hands, his feet
and his head, and more scientifically than
any man who ever lived before him or since
his day. Sayers, although not an extremely
scientific man, used tie very ''side step" IN
his fight with Heenan that Corbett would
have us believe is of his own invention.
any boxing at all in prize fighting, but most
certainly that time was long, long before
Corbett was thought of. Jem Ward was an
extremely scientific man and that's how he
defeated his big opponent and became cham
pion in 1925. The truth is that as far as the
art of boxing is concerned Corbett did not
show o single movement that was not al
ready known. True, he used some move
meats in a most dexterous way, As he il a
very active and clever fellow, but what
claim is he showed no original movement
Another Fallacy Pointed Out.
Corbett goes on to say in his letter:
"What proved most successful in my fight
with Sullivan was the very latest move that
have. 1t was peculiar side step that
have and by it the worst can get is a jab
on the shoulder"
Here again Corbett is wrong, because the
''side step" Is not the "latest" move; 1t is
very much older than Corbett and before
his time men used it with just as much sue
cess as he can. Years ago Edwards boxing
manual appeared and it has this to say
about the side step: "There is no maneuver
in the whole art of boxing that is so timely
and useful as the one known as the side
step. 1t is generally resorted to in avoid
ing your opponents most furious rushes,
especially it he is good deal heavier man
than you are and comes in at you constantly
to force you to infghting." Edwards then
proceeds to show how the side step Is made,
and Corbett's manner of doing 1t was no
improvement at all on the advice given by
the writer of the book.
ALL boxing movements were easy to per.
form in front of Sullivan at New Orleans
Corbett had plenty of time at all stages
and he performed his part we'll, but in try
ing to persuade his friends that he intro |
duced new method OF boxing he is simply
playing the part Of quack.
Another remarkable statement in his let |
ter is that he gives an opponent no time |
to put his hands down. and thereby tires |
his opponents arms. This is an interesting |
statement in view of the facts and circum- |
stances of Corbett's contest with jackson.
The former really kept so far out of the |
way that Jackson could not only have |
rested his arms, but could have taken sit |
down. Corbett further goes on to talk |
about the brutality of the London prize
ring rules as compared with the Marquis of |
Queensberry rules Let me say that where |
there has been one man knocked senseless
under old-time prize ring. rules ten
have been SO knocked under Queens
berry rules where gloves have been
used. Queensberry rules were not
to govern finish contests The
Marquis invented them to guide scientific |
boxing contests only and still hold the
notion that finish fight under Queens
berry rules and with gloves is more brutal |
than bona fide prize ring battle.
to disparage the merits of |
James j. Corbett. I am not. But am |
trying to show that he is claiming what he |
has no right to CLAIM, and that if he believes
what he saws is true his historical n nowiedge |
Of boxing and pugilism is very defective, |
indeed.
The Latest From Mr.. Mitchell.
Charles Mitchell, for time at least, il
free from the unmerciful clutches of the |
English law and has definitely declared !
that he is ready to fight Corbett next Nav.
I am inclined to think that Mitchell will do |
what he says and his latest offer is such
plain and fair one that Corbett cannot very
we'll avoid accepting it. Mitchell offers to
Eight the American champion at New Or
leans for satisfactory purse and bet of /
BIO, 600 side.
Let me ask you people who are always
railing against Mitchell and terming him
etc., what you think of that offer?
Could anything be fairer? And also let me
ask that if it is not accepted what will you
think of the man who declines it? While 1
may not be impressed with the notion that
can defeat Corbett. do claim
that Corbett as champion boxer. or cham