Delaware gazette and state journal., 1896-07-02

Champion Jim Corbett climbed down.
last night, from his pedestal of pugilis-
tic greatness and at the aame time
Tom Sharkey, who was, eight months
ago, q mere blue jacket at the Mare,
Island Navy Yard, mounted to the
top notch In the sporting calendar.
len Thousand people saw the sailor
give and take blows with Corbett for
u minutes, and at the end of the fight
they saw an undefeated worlds cham.
pion hanging around his opponent'a
neck, weak, listless, painting and lean
ing against the ropes to prevent him
self from falling. The fight was de,
clared draw. Had 1t lasted few
rounds more there might have been a
different story to tell.
Corbett went into the ring smiling
and confident. He came out OF IL
trembling and crestfallen. He had
not only failed to stop the sailor in four
rounds, as his thousands of admirers
confidently expected he would, but he
narrowly escaped being whipped
man. Round after round the cham
pion's admirers cheered and goaded
him on to the victory he could not win
and when he went to his corner for
the last time the crestfallen world.
beater suffered the ignominy of having
the sailor challenge him to finish
fight for the worlds championship,
Oorbett, in the hope of recovering his
laurels, accepted. In all fairness to
him it ia to bo said that he did not nut
up the fight last night his admirers
expected. Possibly this shortcoming
was due to over confidence ; probably
Tom Sharkey was, himself, really the
cause OF it, for Sharkey is wonderful
hghter. Corbett is magnanimous
enough to declare that the sailor is the
best wrestler he ever met The blows
rained thick and fast on the cham
plon's head. Twice the sailor tripped
him to the floor. Twice he fought
him to the ropes while Corbett, in
return, failed to deliver the looked for
knockout blows. The surprising feature
OF last nights doings was natsro much
that Corbett failed to win as the mar
rrowness with which he escaped defeat,
In stature he was taller than his op-
ponent. Tho fight by rounds:
First-Corbett assumed the aggres-
sive from the start and landed on the
Jaw with left. Corbett landed again
on the jaw and ducked heavy swing
from Sharkey. Sharkey struck Cor-
bett on the breast and clinched. Cor
bett got in heavily with right on Jaw.
in a mixup Corbett landed with left
and followed with right
: Second-Sharkey landed light left on
Jim's face and followed up with al
rush. Sharkey was on the aggressive.
Corbe't neatly lodged heavy left
swing and landed on Sharkey's face
with left. Clinch followed. Corbctt
then followed Sharkey. Sharkey landed
heavy with right on Corbett's face.
Sharkey landed loft on breast. Sharkey.
again got in on Corbett's jaw. The
eailor appeared groggy. Corbett put
left in heavily on the sailor. Sharkey
struck Corbett he&ily on the breast
as the round closed. Sharkey made
very game fight. The round closed in
Corbett's favor
Third-Sharkey rushed at Corbett.
Cofbett lodged and Sharkey clinched,
Sharkey landed heavy right on Cor.
belts ribs. Corbett landed right on
jaw and followed with left. Corbett
sent in heavy right and left jabs on
the face. Sharkey was groggy and in
ciined TO clinch. Corbett landed heavy,
left on Sharkey's jaw and Sbarkey
clinched to avoid punishment. Sharkey
refused to break. Corbett landed
heavy right Sharkey striking wildly,
but not landing. Sharkey got in his
right as the round closed.
Fourth The men came near the
centre Sharkey rushed ut Jim and
ciinched. Sharkey adopted foul tactics
ana refused to break. Referee was un-
able to break men apart Corbett
clinihed Sharkey and held him tightly
to avoid the sailors rushes. Corbett
appeared groggy and unable to land a
heavy blow. Corbett fell. Corbett
got mixed up with the referee and fell
again. Police broke into the ring to
stop the fight but Sharkey jumped at
them and refused to be led from the
ring. Corbett appeared very tired.
Sharkey made great tight throughout
Fight declared a draw.
"When l say that Sharkey is good,
strong man l tell the whole version,
He is bull, but he is no fighter. The
people are mistaken if they think he
landed serious blow on me. Ny face
is now without mark or bruise. NV
shoulders are a little rcd from the
effects of his blows, but that is all. In
the second round | had him going and
would have put him out il the round
had lasted 10 seconds longer. The
referee stopped us, for / had Sharkey in
his corner, ratified, in the second round,
and offered to give me the decision,
but l would not accept it, had no
difficulty in hitting Sharkey. but he
can stand more punishment than the
ordinary man. l could have blinded
him by continuing to hit on the eye
which l nearly closed in the second
round, but it would have done no
good to hurt the poor fellow that much,
so | refrained from hitting the right
eye after the first blow"
, Shortly after the fight Sharkey said:
II can whip Jim Corbett in finish
fight and will be glad when we face
each other for second match. ID. j.
Lynch is ready to back me against
Corbett or any man in the world for
50, 600 or $40, 900 in finish fight and
am ready and willing at any time to
light Corbett or any one else. We, in
fact, challenged Corbett to fight last
night and l do not SEQ how he can
avoid giving me the match. believe
that II we had gone on last night /
would have whipped him. He was
done out and clung to me TO save him
self l asked him in the third round
to stand up and fight like man but
he would not do it. was not tired at
the close. | was never in any fear of
him and | believe had the best of it.
He cannot lick one side of me and /
will show him that be can't if we ever
meet again. l am not hurt and my
only regret is that he did not fight me
In hal la,f