The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1894-01-05
Mitchell and Corbett Will Fight
for Big Stake.
VICTOR WILL GET $4,000.
THE MILL is SCHEDULED FOR
JANUARY 20.
How the Salt Lake Sports View IT.
Both Men in Fine Shape-Phi-
sique of the GIadiators Compared
Some Interesting Pointers.


some bets have been placed on the re-
suit. the American. Of course, being
the favorite. Mitchell. however. is not
without admirers in Salt Lake. He
has been here three times, and made
a number of friends on each visit
1t will be a battle well worth win
ming. The purse offered is $4,000 and
each Of the combatants has an addi
tional bet of $1,000 on the result Aside
from the immediate financial benefits
accruing, the victor can gather in a
great many American dollars in a
tour as theatrical star. COrbett
would be lionized should he succeed
in vanquishing the doughty English
man who forced Sullivan to a draw
when the Boston boy was considered
invincible, while on the other hand if
Mitchell should win, SulliVan'S friends,
who have never forgiven Corbett for
his defeat of their idol, would rally
around the standard of Corbett's con-
querer and he would probably reap
rich harvest in America. Then cross
ing over to England he would be re-
garded as a conquering hero, such as
English pugiliSm has not known since
the days of Tom Sayers. Mitchell is
really unpopular in London, but should
he would be received with open arms
and London music halls would prove
a golden mine for the 'Brummagem
| (Birmingham) lad
In the light of the interest that this
international contest is creating a de-
scriptfon Of the physical attributes of
these modern giadiatOrS will be eager
ly pursued by even the laymen among
those who admire Drawn, muscle. agil-
lity and endurance, regardless of their
knowledge of the science of boxing.
Mitchell is 80 years old, barely five
years Corbetts senior, the Ea3hshman
| having been born at Birmingham,
England, November "a, 1851, while Cor
bett was born in San Francisco, Sep
TENDER 1. 1866. Both are sail 10 be IF
Irish parentage, but Mitchell is a
! typical Briton in appearance, while
Corbett is as thoroughly American.
| The Englishn1an is st ky built, but
at that is more rangy than the average
English pugiIist. He is 4 "bi9 little
man" the critic of pugilists would say.
! He looks big In street attire tut when
stripped he appears small when com
pared with Sullivan, Paddy Ryan or
/ even Corbett, the two former beng Of
the massive frame, while the CaJifoTl-
ian towers above niTn n height. He
stands about 5 feet 31a inches in height
and he will enter the ring at 40
pounds or Whereabouts. 1t has always
been contended by old followers CT the
prize ring that nan at 160 pounds
was big enough to fight anybody and
Tom Sayers's battles are quoted IN
support of that proposition, but in this
day and age there is much reason to
doubt that assertion. If a man at 100
or 165 pounds-granting that he may
be top notcher as a scientific boxer
and a stiff puncher-meets another at
nd hof o6
or twenty pounds difference is in
height and reach the lighter man is
certainly at a disadvantage and this is
MitchelPs situation with Corbett.
Mitchell has a wonderful breadth of
shoulders and neck for a man of his
inches and from the legs up is a study
in muscular development as will be
seen by the accompanying illustration
of his neck. His muscles are of the
soft, pliable kind that scarcely show
themselves under the layers of flesh.
He, is plump and we'll rounded, not
likely to become muscle bound. and
should always have that looseness of
faction so much desired in the make
up of shifty fighter. His legs appear
to be his weak point but his long
battle of over two hours with Sullivan
in the rain at ChantilIy tends to prove
that they are all right. His endurance
is unquestioned, as his record shows
that he met man after man with the
| raw 'uns.' He is as game as pebble,
but tricky: and prefers to make money
without fighting for it, but whenever
he has been matched he has always
been on hand, and once inside the
ring will stay there as long as anybody.
His hands have been well cared for of
late years and with the protection of
five ounce gloves will stand all the
force he can put behind them. He is
recognized as particularly clever
boxer, a good two handed fighter and
very active on his feet. He is as active
as a panther and often surprises his
Visitors by turning handsprings and
backward and forward somersaults.
The Englishman was we'll known in
Kansas City ten years ago as he was
matched to fight Herbert Slade, the
Maori, in this vicinity on October %,
1883, but the governors of Kansas and
Missouri objected and the fight was
finally called off, Mitchell trained for
that battle at Plunkett's old Shawnee
mission" on the Olathe road
Corbett is the opposite of the sturdy
Englishman in build. He is of the
greyhound order. He is over feet
in height, with a magnificent physique
but he does not show the muscular
development of Mitchell. His game
ness has been questioned, but his bat
4 llSS Will JOc CHOyHShl, anu his nerve
lin forcing Jackson to a draw and his
defeat of Sullivan proved it was ali
right. Sullivan's blind followers ridi-
culed Corbett when the news that the
match was made was sent out and
considerable money was wagered that
the young Californian would not face
the champion of a decade. His clever
ness and agility won that fight, but in
Mitchell he will meet a man probably
as active as himself, with the science
of the game down to fine point.
To sum up their respective merits
Corbett has the advantage of youth
height and reach, while Mitchell is
conceded to be a great ring genera
and gruelling puncher. At long range
fighting Corbett would have a decided
advantage, but If the Englishman car
force him to fnfighting, his superior
hitting ability might then be called
into play with disastrous result to the
American champion and his future
theatrical Ventures.
Bob Fitzsimmons, the phenomena
middle Weight champion, has set epin
ions on the result of the fight and fig
ures it out that the coming fight vii
lbe a cake walk for Corbett Look
ling at both mems records" he said
sit is simply absurd to consider Mitchell
as anywhere near a winner. Compar,
their recordsl Mitchell has only Tough
) two finish fights, which were bo.l
} draws. He fought Jack Burke on
race track in England with bar
knuckles for about an hour, and the,
afterwards fought numerous draws il
England ard in this country. Whel
1 Pritchard met Burke he sTnothered hin
: in three rounds; then Jim Hall goe