The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-06-26

last night from his pedestal of pu-
gilistic greatness and at the same time
husky Tom Sharkey, who was eight
months ago a mere bluejacket at the
Mare Island navy yard, mounted to
the top notch in the sporting calendar.
Ten thousand people saw the sailor
give and take blows with Corbett for
twelve minutes. and at the end OF the
fight they saw an undefeated worlds
champion hanging around his oppo-
nent's neck, weak, listless, painting and
leaning against the ropes to prevent
himself from falling.
AS it was, the fight was declared
draw Had it lasted a few rounds
more. there might have been a differ
ent story TO tell-a story that would
make pugilistic history. There are
those in San Francisco today-and
their number is legion-who say that
twelve more minutes of fighting last
night would have made
A NEW WORLDS CHAMPION.
Corbett went into the ring smiling
and confident He came out OF it
trembling and crestfallen. He had
not only failed to stop the sailor in
four rounds, as he and his thousands
of admirers confidently expected he
would. but he narrowly esca ped being
a whipped man. Round after round,
the champions 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 a
fight to a finish for the worlds cham
pionship. Corbett, in the hope of re-
covering the laurels. accepted.
In all fairness to Corbett. 1T is to be
said that he did not put up the fight
last night his admirers expected. Pos
sibly this shortening was due to over
confidence; probably Tom Sharkey
himself was really the cause of 1t, for
Sharkey is wonderful fighter. Cor
bett is magnanimous enough to de-
clare that the sailor is the best wrest-
Ter he ever met The
BLOWS RAINED THICK AND FAST
on the champions head. Twice the
sailor tripped him to the floor. Twice
he fought him to the ropes, while Cor
bett, in return, failed to deliver the
looked-for knockout blow.
The surprising feature of last night S
doings was not so much that Corbett
failed to win, as the narrowness with
which he escaped defeat. For, view
ed from whatever side one may look
at it, Corbett had the advantage. In
stature, he was taller than his oppo-
nent. His superior reach enabled him
to land with effect.
In discussing the fight Corbett said:
when L say that Sharkey is a good
strong man l tell the whole story. He
is a bull, but he is no fighter. The
people are mistaken if they think he
landed a serious blow on me. My face
now is without a mark or bruise. My
shoulders are a little red from the eff
fects of his blows, but that is all. In
the second round L had him groggy
and would have put him out if the round
had lasted ten seconds longer. The
referee stepped up when l had Sharkey
in his corner, ratified, in the second
round, and offered to
GIVE ME THE DECISION,
but 1 would not accept it.
II had no difficulty lin hitting Shar-
key, but he can stand more punish
ment than the ordinary man. / could
have blinded him by continuing to hit
him on the right eye, which 1 nearly
closed in the second round, but it
would have done no good to hurt the
poor fellow that much, so I refrained
from hitting the right eye after the
first blow
The people seemed to think that
was doing all the hugging in the last
round, but that is a pardonable mis-
take. Those who simply saw it could
not realize what was being done as
the participants could. Sharkey Rugged
me as often and as long as he could
and / had hard time of it keeping
him from crushing in the top of my
head with his arm. He aimed blow
after blow at my Uranium while we
were clinched and if one Of them had
landed I would have had a fractured
skull.
IF my seconds had made the claim
l would have secured
THE DECISION ON FOULS.
Sharkey was continually giving me the
shoulder and cross bullock. But my
seconds had instructions to claim ne
fouls.
About the $4,000 proposition to fight
to finish, l am ready for Sharkey al
once. Let him cover the money anG
all arrangements will be made at once
for the affair. l am going to leave the
city in a few days, so he must act
quickly. Finish fights are what I de
sire. and not four-round battles, il
which man cannot fight scientifically
but must slug and wrestle.'
The fight itself was a good deal O.
ppointment. There was more
clinching than punching. The CALLER!
called it a wrestling match in deri
sion.
After the decision had been an
nounced, Sharkey shouted: "Choynsk
is the greatest fighter that I ever We
met
With reference to
CoRBETTs PHYSICAL CONDITION
the sporting editor of the Examine
writes:
THE Corbett 1 saw fight Sharke.
last night is not the same dashina
pugilist, whom 1 watched lay low boil
John l.. Sullivan and Charlie Mitchell
1t would be folly to say that Jim is
wreck, but have no hesitation in say
ing that he will require careful an,
extended preparation when he mex
elects to fight II finish"
Shortly after the fight Sharkey said
Il can whip Jim Corbett in a finisl
| fight and will be glad when we fac
| each other for a second match D. J
Lynch is ready to back me against jim
| Corbett or any man in the world; TO
$4,000 or $4,000 in a finish fight and
am ready and willing at any time t
| fight him or anyone else. We, il
| fact, challenged Corbett to fight las
night and l do not see how he cal
avoid giving me the match.
Il believe that if we had gone OF
last night I would have whipped hin
He was done out. and chung TO me t
save himself ] asked him in the thir,
round to stand up and fight like
man, but he would not do it. / wa
not tired at the close. / was neve
in any fear of him and believe I hel
- L. 1..o1-