The times., 1897-06-28
Expects TO Be in Condition to
Meet Fitz On July 5.
is THIRTY EIGHT YEARS OLD
DIR. Gibbs Contends That the Ex-
Cha ainpion Cannot Reduce in
Weight and Be Strong Enough to
Go Into the Ring-DOes Not Think
Him in Earnest.


| Sullivan began training last Wednesday
at White Plains, n. J., he weighed 267
pounds, ithout clothes or shoes. In three
| days he has taken off twelve pounds
He viii continue working faithfully every
| day until July 5, when he will step into
the ring at Ambrose Park, South Brc5S
lyn, to box four or six rounds with Fob
Fitzsimmons.
II that meeting is satisfactory to Sulli-
van and his friends, he viii sign ar
ticles to fight Fitzsimmons to a finish
! for the championship of the world six
months later.
Sullivan is thirty-eight years old. He
has had hard knocks and high living.
Not that be has ever saturated himself
with alcohol as his enemies have assert
ed but the life led by champion OF the
world is full of sudden changes from Spar
tan simplicity and hard fighting TO the
utmost luxury.
Such changes may be compared to run
ming an engine violently at it's greatest
power and then letting 1T rust from dis
sort OF thing. He has survived 1T because
the average man is much stronger ma
crime than any possible combination Of
steel and steam, and because he had vastly
more vitality than the average man.
Sullivan not only survives, but he is fit
to be trained hard and to fight to finish
in the opinion OF William Muldoon, one OF
the best judges Of mans physical con-
dition in this part of the world. The fact
that Sullivan is getting into good condi-
ton is full of encouragement to ali men
who have lived as they should not have
lived, and especially for these who are
fat.
The question of Sullivan getting into con-
dition has occasioned much discussion, and
many of his friends believe that Muldoon
can get him into shape.
DR.. John Wilson Gibbs, who has made the
condition and physical peculiarities of
pugilists the study of his life, says no.
When asked yesterday what chance he
thought Sullivan had OF getting into con-
dition and fighting Fitzsimmons, the doctor
said:
why, the man must be crazy. Fitzsinl-
mons as he is today could defeat John L.
Sullivan as he was in his prime. John L.
ould simply be made monkey Of /
think that is the way sporting men ex-
press it.
sullivan weighs $50 pounds and is thir.
ty-eight years old. In order to put him in
condition for fight his trainers Will have
to reduce him to l9o or 80 pounds, and
they can t do it without killing him-that is,
il they try to make the reduction by violent
exercise
Sullivan has passed the turning point
of his life. He has reached the stage when
the muscles become set, when even the
adipose tissues become set, and the vitality
decreases. No course of training will ever
bring him back the vigor and strength
that he had ten or fifteen years ago.
Sullivan has lived dissipated life, and
his transgressions Of the laws of nature
have left their mark on his constitution
and stamina.
sit is possible to reduce a man 100
pounds in weight. I have done it with
several men, but it has got to be done
carefully and slowly. a physician las
to watch the organs, note their action, and
handle his patient carefully.
'.From my experience l would say that
a year would not be too long time to
reduce man 100 pounds, and it might
take even longer to do it properly and
carefully, eight pounds month being
very fair average for safe reduction.
81 cannot think that Sullivan is In
earnest. If he is, he ought to be sent
to Bloomingdale. 1 don't think that
Fitzsimmons will go into the ring with
biui, for il he does, it's good-by Sullivan.
as FitzsimInons is likely to kill him.
don't say that in q broad way, either.
mean actually kill him.
'.Fitz would not have to hit the old
man in the solar plexus' to put him
out. One OF those Australian blacksmith