The morning call., 1894-06-27
TO ACT OR BOX?
Peter Jackson Talks Out
About Corbett.
All Pete Wants Is a ssFair Field and
No Favor in a Try for the
World Championship"

Peter Jackson. the colored heavyweight
champion puglist of England and A u.s.
traIia, was amused when be heard of Jim
Corbetts anxiety to meet him in a finish
contest.
IF Corbett only means half what he
says, or is reported to have said, he will
have very little difficulty in getting on a
second meeting with me, can assure you, "
said Peter Jackson, yesterday.
My friends are all aware that / have
been doing everything that it is possible
for me to DO with the aim of drawing the
American champion into the ring again.
After We fought draw in the California
Athletic Club nearly four years ago, Cor
bett stated In the presence of a plumber OF
people that he would not rest satisfied
until we had another contest to decide the
supremacy, and what has been the result
l need not say. as it is too we'll known to
every fair-thinking admirer of boxing.
81 am inclined TO think that Corbetrs
career as a successful actor is near its
close, but so long as he can make a dollar
on the stage l do not expect to have the
longed-foT opportunity OF meeting him in
the ring. The public is to blame for the
long delays that have occurred between
fistic contests which were to decide cham
pionships.
"Sinee the time successful pugiIists dis
covered that by stepping into the actors
boots they could live without fighting,
pugilism has received a setback. | have
been very successful as an actor myself, l
must contestant is, during mouths l
had had no fstic engagement on hand
still no man can say that | continued to
follow the exhibition route when the time
had arrived for me to cast off theatrical
Tegalia and settle down to course of train
ing preparatory to fistic contest.
Il DO not object to boxer making
money in any honorable manner when he
has no lstc engagement on hand to fulfill /;
but it is horse of a very different color
when pugillst tries to avoid a promised
meeting with an opponent by giving the
decidedly absurd excuse that owing to GER
tain show engagements be cannot posi-
bly, entertain any proposition to Sight until
the expiration of such and such a time.
"As previously stated. if the public
would but refuse to support an actor
boxer when the latter is in duty bound to
defend his fighting colors in the ring and
not on The stage. there would be more good
boxing witnessed and less paper wasted
in reporting theatrical engagements. l am
pleased to know of Corbett'S success on
the stage in England, France and else
where, but as pleased as | am to say this
much of Corbett, ] would DE thousand
times more pleased if he would cut short
his thousand and one stage engagements
and decide with me in the ring in q finish,
limited or any other kind of a contest the
title l desire TO own, and that is champion
heavyweight pugilist Of the world. l
only wish to annex America to England
and Australia to WIN that honor"
SO lar as the location of a fight is con-
cerned, jackson states that any place will
suit him, excepting Florida, where fair
play will not be guaranteed a colored man.
All he desires is a fair field and no favor.
and he is of the opinion tnat there is no
place on earth where those attributes will
be granted more readily than In COrbetts
own town, San Francisco.
Jackson will leave on Sunday or Mon
day for England, where be hopes to meet
Corbett and have q final understanding 5
to The time and place for meeting that is
to decide the heavyweight champions hip
of the world.
The members of the Sacramento Atb-
letic Club witnessed on Monday evening a
six-round contest between J. Lyons of the
San Francisco Athletic Club and William
McGraw of the Sacramento club. The
match is described as follows: Lyons was
the aggressor throughout, and won on
points. He is rusher and n-fghter and
depends almost entirely on landing his
wicked right where ii would do the most
good-to himself He did all The landing.
and for that reason was justly entitled TO
the decision at the end OF the six rounds,
aud be got it.
McGraw was all the time on the defen-
sive and did well to stsnd off his deter
mined adversary. He not only warded off
the Iatter's blows but usually countered,
though go lightly that he did little harm.
McGraw made one mistake. 1t was at
the opening OF the sixth round. AS soon
as the gong sounded he spraug across the
-fr, oF,R 7oA he oil 81 -
of catching his opponent unawares as he
left his seat and downing him before be
could make any defense. In this instance
it didn't WORK. Lyons slid to one side and
McGraw brought up heavily against the
post in Lyons corner, and if this post had
not been upholstered it would have
knocked him out.
This trick may be allowed in profess
sional contests. but should be dlscoun-
tenanced in amateur circles. 1t would be
no credit to any boxer 10 win a trophy by
knocking out his adversary before the
latter was squarely on his feet after the
gong sounded.