St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-01-23
is BARRING NOBODY.
Champion CoPbett Is Willing
to Fight Any Pugilist in
the World.
He Seeks First a Fight With
Charles Mitchell, Of Eng
land.
Next He Will Give Peter Jack
son, Of Australia, a
Chance.
II These Fail to Meet Him, He
Will Meet the First
Challenge.

CHICAGO, Jan. 22.-Champion Jane
j. Corbett, who is in this city with his
theatrical combination, has been rathLr
severely criticised during the past few
months for his course in insisting on
years rest before taking on another
match for the worlds championship.
Prominent amoug his ASSISTANTS have
been Pat Sheedy and the hackers of
several pugilists of prominence who are
seeking championship hOnorS. Corbett
today gave ont an interview in which
lie defends his position and which he
concludes with sweeping challenge TO
fight any one, Mitchell or Jackson pre-
ferred, the fight to take place next fail.
for a purse. The statement, which is
signed james j. Corbett, champion of
the world. " discusses a recent article
by Pat Sheedy i'll part as follows:
lone Of MI Sheedy'sstatements was
that John L. Sullivan would have an
initiated me with one blow up to the
last three rounds. The result OF that
contest shows TO what high degree
MI Sheedy has risen as tipster. In
his letter the distinguished Mr.. Sheedy
alludeS TO Sullivan and Mitchell as two
easy marks 1 have never met nor
sought contests with easy marks If
were in the habit of doing so, 1 might
accept the challenges Of some OF the
WOuld-be champions who are now cnaS-
ing me. My re2ord shows that l have
successfully battled with men like Jack
Burke, Jake Klrain, Joe McAuiitfe.
DOminicB McCaifery, Peter jackson aud
John l.. Sullivan. Mr.. Sheedy did not
think Mr.. Sullivan was an easy mark
six months ago. when he made the pre-
dictOn alluded to above, and surely the
boxers that l have mentioned are not to
be rallied"
In reply to Sheedy's argument against
the practice OF fighting for large purses,
Corbett says:
IF champion pugilists are not going
to contest for S75, 600 purses and stakes
all told. as the distinguished Mr.Sheedy
suggests. who then are going to get the
money they will draw? According to
figures published, the battle Sullivan
and | fought the receipts were nearly
100000. the purse S25, 900, and the club
cleared close to $40, 900 by the battle.
The profits of the Myer- McAulitfe con-
test were $4,000; Dixon and Skelly,
$50, 600; Maher and FitZSimInOnS, $780,
600. The COney Island club adj
mitS that 1t cleared S25, 900 with the
DiXOn-JohnsOn match. S25, 900 with
the Choynski-Godfrey and $4,000
with Goddard. The fact that the CreS-
cent club, OF New Orleans, gives
FitzsimmOns and Hall $4,000 purse,
and has offered Mitchell and myself a
$4,000 purse, proves that at present
there are fortunes being made by ath-
letic clubs who are arranging boxing
contests between champions. Who Is
this money TO 90 to if not to the pugll-
ists?"
COrbett asserts. in Justification Of his
course in asking one years rest between
his battles, that Sullivan, although he
held tue championship twelve years,
only fought four men-Ryan, Mitchell,
kirain and COrbett- an average or one
battle every three years.
OF his arrangements for the champion
ship of the world, COrbett says:
Goddard must win the championship
of his OWn>cOuntry before l will recOg-
nize him. | am the champion Of Amer
lea and of the world and claim the right
to say whom | shall meet. l am pre-
pared to fight the champion of England
on that account. Charles Mitchell IS
acknowledged champion boxer of Eng
land and ali uudaunted man. After his
arrival in this country, which will now
be in very short time, l will allow
him certain period to show that he
means business. On his failure to do
so, Peter jackson is my next choice, and
in case he does not come 10 time, l Will
meet any man in the world, barring no
color or nationality, the fight to take
place next fail.