The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1892-09-06
suLLlYAN,s CONDITION.

Despite tho Claims of His Backers thoro Is
No Denying that He is Not What Ho
Used to be.
New ORLEANS, La, Sept. 5,-The state
ment is printed here this morning that
Sullivan has no abnormal development
OF fat about the abdomen. While this
statement is undoubtedly the express
sion OF an honest opinion, it is an error
of opinion and q misstatement Of fact.
There is, to be sure, no longer a jelly
like looseness OF flesh about the
abdominal region. That has been
worked, swelled and rubbed down. But
the clean hound.like outline OF muscles
is not apparent. A broad abdominal
belt is buckled closely about tho
champion when he Is at ease and Is re-
moved when he strips for his showers
and for his rubbings. When he sits
upon a chair and lifts one knee
to the other in tho act Of pulling
on a sock there arc visible
unquestionable folds Of abdominal
tissue which have not succumbed to
running or exercise. The TACT is not
surprising, These welts OF tissue are
the accompaniment OF added and grow
ing years. There is almost an absence
OF waist. That region above the hips
and below the ribs fills in with age or
easy living. Sullivan is now thirty-four
years old and he has lived easily during
recent years. Phil Casey, his trainer,
has, it is true, reduced to the minimum
possible by training, these tieshy feat
ures; but TO say that the champion has
no abdominal fullness is not wholly
truthful statement and is likely to mis-
lead those who choose to consider these
features OF n mans condition when
making up their estimates OF his chanc-
es in a battle to finish.
The champion himself aftirms that he
never felt better, and is willingto wager
$4,000 that he Will go into the ring
weighing not more than 210 pounds.
Phil easy, his trainer, says that Sulli-
vans weight as he goes into the ring
will be between 207 and 2l2 pounds.
Sulliyan's hackers affirm that their man
never was in better trim. There are
here old veterans who aver that q man
we'll trained may feel as good as he ever
did, but who question whether q man
may feel as good at "a as he did at %
and be relatively so efficient when great
strain is imposed. Those who question
this are in the minority, however. They
arc the reasoners who seek to reach the
conclusions by judgment and not as the
result Of preference. There is q feel
ing shared by many hero that II Cor
bett meets Sullivan squarely through
twelve or fifteen rounds, or even il he
escapes the champion that lenght OF
time, tho difference in ages and the pre-
sumed difference in condition which re-
suits, will operate in Corbett's favor.
On the other hand, Sullivan's follow
ers largely feel that even II there ts O
relative difference against Sullivan in
age and training he has, despite in
power, as he has the purpose. to sim
ply demolish the tall western man be-
fore points OF age or training have time
to combine in his behalf.
A determination has not yet been
reached by. the Sullivan people as to
whether Phil Casey will be behind
Sullivan in the ring during his battle.
The atmosphere here to-day has been
intensely sultry, the southeast breeze
serving only to set the close air in mo-
tion. The wise men OF tho turf are dis
cussing tho relative wisdom of Sulli-
vans time OF getting on the battle
ground and that Of Corbett and his
party. 1t is urged that Sullivan loft
bracing atmosphere at the north to
come by tedious journey to tho south
ern latitude four days before his con-
test. The enervating influence of the
change, say some OF the wise men, can
not fail to have preiudicial effect.
Corbett, it is said. will arrive here with
his system charged with tho northern
ozone, practically stepping from his
training quarters into the ring.