The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1897-03-09
Joe DONOVAN'S TIP
After Careful Study Hs Picks Cor
bait as a Winner.
FlTZ MAY ENTER NERvOUSLY
The Chicago Authority Has Put
This and That Together and
Set His Opinions Forth for
the Benefit OF Readers
Special Dispatch to the Standard.

ds pecomeS such an occasion, delVing
straight to the bottom. counting and
marking real value In plain sight on
every item cropping out. and tn. iva
rows OF figures are pretty nearly the
same total. Provided one has seen
them both at II In the ring and knows
something OF the game, he is. I believe.
apt TO go trife slow in settling on
winch shall win before II is done.
The swell OF the current In favor OF
Corbett amounts to nothing. The
worthlessness of such overloaded pub
nc prophecy was well shown in III.
Dempsey -Fitzsimmons. Corbett-Sulli-
van, To say nothing of the Jackson
Slavin encounter and others. Hun
dreds are blind as bats TO proper pugi-
lstic figuring where ten know anything
but with the blessed consolation that
the less they know the deeper is their
individual confidence.
However. as stated here last week.
must, after considerable minute bal
ancing, set my name on the 'orbott
side. IL is Lot because of the symua
thetlc drawing mower ~ the rliiorttv
nor because | am ''pr'iudiced IN idN ~
from narrow personal view: II Is sinl-
ply the best can do in Il tangled prob
lem of close pugl!stic cipher'ps. Ii Is
proposed to look at a couple Of side
dishes here not hitherto considered.
First. there Us chance that Fitz Is
going to be nervous in the ring Tor the
first round or two, which is not To hs
taken as euphonious way Of saving
that he has streaks II yellow. he has
put uD his money. gore To the battle
ground and is i'm daily preparation for
the go. which precludes any hint of
cowardice at this stage of the proceed
ings. Nothing is intended farther Than
IL said-that he is liable to he her 'ous
and on the contingency of that I am
bound TO drop "a little pellet over to the
Iorbett side Of the balance.
II is my judgment that The kangaroo
IL slightly inclined that way. The
meeting with Corbett Is the momentous
event In his pugilistic career: for the
first time he is to face the fastest big
man in the world. and II being granted
that he is given TO nervousness IL IL apt
to settle on him like a phantom till he
can shake il of with hard battling.
The pompadour thinker has concen-
trated a deal Of thought on the trans
planted Australian: he has hefted him
in dream and waking hours: he has
drawn him up in syllogism, punched
him. picked him to pieces. thought
through him, over him and under him.
and given men conversant with Fitz
salaries to come and Join him in H..
Jim is a harder cogitator than the
transplanted.
IL there he a weak snot of nervous
ness, then. when F'itz assumes his seat
"a feet opposite the Californian. await
ing the bell To action. James j. or some
of his lieutenants will nose IL out: in
which case, in the brief spell OF the
first or second round. the fierce por'ipa-
dourean. corked full of the devil for
the adopted citizen, will thrash to close
quarters with the charge OF whirl-
wind.
Second. there is a shade of prohablli-
ty-enough to be weighed in the bal
ance when two such oven adversarlos
are matched-that the phenomenal
ability of the kangaroo to shoot knock
out bolts has IN measure departed.
Perhaps his interminable training
year In and year out-he's always at IL
his battering the lighting sphere with
duinbbell- laden hand his partiality for
wrestling together with his close on to
81 years of life, have detracted trifle
from the razor-edge OF his wondrous
agility.
An inkling of this struck the writer
ON Fta1lnE Ntii'hS h''pbiiAN
of his slugging match with Tom Shar-
key last December in San Francisco,
and from talking with those competent
to Judge who had seen IL. Sharkey
ducEed outright. blocked or got away
from many more blows than landed ON
him, else he could not have continued
his rushing fight against the kangaroo
for eight rounds. IL was a common
thing during that struggle, ] have been
given to understand. to note FLIES
right and left swings sailing over the
sailors squatted head like hawks.
ON the other hand. there has been a
plenty of talk made concerning a de-
generation in physique OF Corbett. yet
this Is now supposed to have come
from stomach troubles. Daily reports
of Corbett's training at Carson have
shown him To lie doing an uDheard-of
lot of work and have been the means
of bringing back to his standard for
mer admirers Of his ring tactics, who
were ON the point Of reckoning for
Fitzsimmons. the writer among them.
Against the same tough customer.
Tom Sharkey. Corbett showed he was
inferior to Fitzsimmons. but only inso-
far as his wind was concerned; as 10
hitting auickness, during the first two
the sailor when and where and as often
as he chose. Yet he had no steam In
his blows and. worse. none In his bel
lows. He sank down with his own exer-
tions, and was, toward the end OF the
go. tossed about the stage in clinches
by the sailor like a toy man.
But the difference TO be noted here
between Corbett against Sharkey and
Fitz against Sharkey. Is not TO be con-
founded In the case Of Corbett II was
a lack of wind and a consequent re-
fusal of his legs 10 bear him up: in
Fftz's case a lack of accuracy, or
quickness, in delivery.
This cat-like quickness of Fitz has
been the foundation of his success. He
has won from his men. not as general
thing by mixing in. giving and taking,
but by fiddling about and darting in
thrusts to quick to be lodged or coun-
tered: no man ever took such liberties
with him before as Sharkey. who must
have been a phenomenon at quickness
himself, IL Fitz has not lost a trile.
The prattle put To the front every
time Fitz wins a battle. credting IL TO
his luck. is. in my opinion. simply bosh.
There Is not to-day and probably never
was a man who would dare 10 weigh
in with this fellow pound for pound