The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-12-08
MUST WIN THREE FIGHTS
CoRBETT RECOMMENDS Han IN
CHAMPIONSHIP RULES.
nance Blows Figure Too Prominent-
~ i'm the Fistic
After n ~FIght-Rfng Gossip.

During his engagement in indianapolis last
week he talked freely about men who have
gained the championship in various classes
and how ii has been lost by chance blows.
Take Terry McGovern. for instance" said
Corbett, "and you will have an example OF
how a fighter has met every man in his
class and easily defeated them. only TO lose
TO another fighter in more or less OF a lucky
fight for his opponent. In losing the battle
McGovern also lost the championship and
Young Corbett is now credited with being
the teatherweight champion. do not want
to detract from Young Corbett's great vic
tory, but IL does seem TO me that ne should
not be entitled TO the hocor Of champion.
In my opinion a fighter should win at least
three out OF five nights from the best men
in his class before he can be called cham
pion. and lose as many before he relin-
quishes the title. In other words. McGov-
ern should be the champion until at least
two more men have defeated him. or until
Young Corbett has won from him again,
and in that event he will lose the title. On
the other hand, Young Corbett should have
to defeat Dave Sullivan and one other good
man in the class before he is really the
champion. There have been many nights
lost i'm the history OF the prize ring by
champions who were knocked out by a
chance blow, although they outgeneraled
and outpointed the opponent. Take the fight
in Chicago in 1899, between Mccoy and Jack
Mccormick, of Philadelphia. Everybody
knew that Mccoy was the better fighter,
but Mccormick made a wild swing and
knocked Mccoy out. Later Mccoy made
Mccormick look like a poor penny. Had
the first fight been a championship battle
McCoy would have lost the title because q
man not as good as him had happened TO
swing wildly and land. 1t is not right and
there should be a revision Of the rules gov
erning the manner Of winning a champions
ship"
Corbett is a great believer in science. lie
is the most scientific boxer the fstic world
has ever produced and he wants to get
back into the ring. Talking OF the fighters
OF this time and what they were ten or
twelve years ago. he said: Ten or twelve
years ago there were but three men in
the heavyweight class who were good
fighters-Sullivan. Mitchell and Kilrain.
1t was a hard thing for one of them to
get a fight, but look at the difference now.
There are Jefries. Rubin, Mccoy, Shark
ey, Maher, Fftzsimmons and myself who
are able TO give any other heavy weight
a good argument. II a man In that class
goes around the country agreeing 10 put
any man out in four rounds or wants a
fight he is sure to be quickly accommo-
dated. The fighters now are 90 pc cent.
better than they were when Sullivan was
in his prime. Now they are more scien-
tihc and know how to box and there are
any number who can go into the rinE
and put up a good stin bout. The same
thing holds good In other classes. Cham
willing to give them a battle If they viii
only sign articles"
Tom Sharkey Is tired OF waiting for q
chance to fight Jeffries for the heavy
weight championship. and the sailor has
decided to force the issue for the purpose
OF finding out whether or not the cham
pion is sincere in MS desire to give him a
return match In the near future. Sharkey
has posted $500 in Mex York as a guar
antee OF his good intentions and TO bind
the match if Jefries will accept. Shsrkey
has also posted an additional $500 on be-
half of Dave Sullivan TO bind a match
with Young COrbett, the feather-weight
champion. Both fighters are anxious 10
that remains 10 clinch a match In for JEFF
fries and Corbett 10 cover the ~forfeits.
Xxx
One Of the hardest fights that James J..
Corbett ever had in his life does not appear
in the book of records OF puglists. IL is
probably because the fight occurred when
he was about seven cen years old and had
not then entered the prize ring as a full
hedged pugilist. While discussing ancient
history and battles in which he was en-
gagged Corbett told Of the encounter while
talking with a few friends in indianapolis
last week.
MY hardest and bloodiest fight occurred
when / was a mere kid. about seventeen
years old. My opponent was Joe Choyn-
ski. who later grew into prominence the
same as / aid. The fight was held on o
barge I'm the bay near San Francisco. IL
was "A terribly hot day. and II was arranged
that we should begin hOstilities early in
the morning. In the center of the barge
was erected a small house. There was
quite a crowd on the barge, and when We
stripped for the fight | had three-ounce
gloves and Choynski borrowed a pair OF
common driving gloves from a man and cut
of the fingers.
The rope was stretched and we entered
the ring. From the time the word was
given We slugged hard. The sun beat down
upon us with all the fury that Old Sol could
concentrate upon two lads who were bat
Ting for fistic hOnOrs. We were getting
blistered from the hot sun when 1 noticed
shadow In the ring. ! fought around the
ring until | could get IN that shadow. IL
was a great relief. and l Jared better than
C~hOynkst, who was forced To stay I'm the
sun. As the fight progressed and round
after round was fought l always managed
10 get into that shadow. There were places
on my face where he had struck me and
the seams on the driving gloves he wore
tore the flesh. We knocked each other
down time and again and we showed the
effects OF the terrible encounter. After L
had enjoyed a monopoly OF the Few square
feet of shadow I'm the ring for awhile IL
l seemed that Choynksi saw the advantage l
Z AaA - AAoAF AAE way " VIZ AaAN 49,
we fought harder TO gain that place OF
vantage that we did at any other time dur
ing the nCht. He was the first 20 get into
the shelter from the sun. and / was deter
D mined that he should get out. i aimed A
5 straight left-hand jab at him and IL landed
sqUarely. but / evidently injured a nerve In
5 my arm in Landing the blow. for there was
a fearful pain in my wrist that ran up 10
. the shoulder. ! thought ] should faint and
evidently acted queerly. Tn crowd about
2 the ring and ChOynski thought / was only
bluffing and would draw him on. but IN
70 truth was about 10 faint. One OF the
young fellows that acted as "a second for
ChOynski first noticed my weakened condl-
ton and tipped IL of 10 my opponent.
while suffering the great pain / fought
q around the ring. keeping Ch0ynskt OF un-
T Til / could recover myself. While on the
20 defensive / heard a voice murmuring. Our
j. Father. who art in heaven time and
again. / could not look 10 see who n was.
E but the words came oftener until they got
the best Of me and / was compelled Co yield
u my desire 10 see who was doing the NUT
> terin~. ! forced the lighting and punched
Choynski a hard one on the head and then
looked around where ! had heard the voice.
There. kneeiing at the side OF the ropes,
was a young Irish friend OF mine named
Gilhooley. who thought / was going 10 lose.
j.. and. keeping his eyes shut. he kept up a
! constant prayer Tor me. Well. | Won The
fight. but I knew 1 had been I'm one when 81
was over.
Z Ring Chatter.
; Gus Rhulin says ne will take = long rest,
hut will po Ffar TRTrfQu a~aFp