The Minneapolis journal., 1902-08-02
WITHOUT AN EQUAL
Jeffries Is Invincible Among the
Fighters of To-day.
CAN HIT OR TAKE A PUNCHING
lean Boxers Who Appeared at
Coronation Tournament.

Among followers of the prize ring gem
really it Is conceded after last weeks
battle at San Francisco that Jim Jeffries
is invircible, so far as any man at pres
eAt in the ring is concerned. once IL was
q common saying that no man could hit
Bob Fitzsimmons hard enough to knock
him out. When Fitz went down before
Jeffres three years ago at Coney Island
It was said that no man lived who could
not be knocked out if he were hit in the
right place by good hard slugger.
That theory holds good - that is. as
much as any theory can hold good JEFF
fries really seems to be the exception:
Fitz. conceded to be the hardest hitter
in the ring, with the possible exception
OF the man who defeated him. pounded
and punched the champion with the full
force Of his battering-ram right and left
for eight rounds. He cut the big fell
lows face into ribbons, broke his nose.
made him lose fully quart of blood, and
with what effect? He enraged JefYries
by his power to punch and get away; he
bewildered him by the swiftness and clev-
erness of his attack; he caused the cham
pion much bother from the blood which
streamed down the latter's face and in:o
his eyes, but did he knock him out? Did
he even weaken him by his blows? So
far from that, Jeffries was quite as strong
and active at the end of the fight as at
the beginning.
In many respects the battle resembled
that between C,rbett and Fitzsimmons at
Carson City In 1897. On that occasion,
Corbett was the boxer and Fitzsimmons
the rugged slugger who bided his time
and took his punishment, waiting until
he got chance to land the knockout.
Last week Fitz was the boxer, and JET
fries suffered terrible beating for eight
rounds until he got chance to land with
left and right. One punch was all the
victor needed in either fight
In the London Sportsman Of this month
there appears an interesting and appar-
emily very fair resume of the fights
contested in that country during the cor
onation tournament. 1t will be of special
interest to Americans, inasmuch as the
boxers from this side are given credit
for doing splendid work, and incidentally
reviving interest in the manly art, which
has been dormant there OF late years.
OF the American scrappers Ryan and Wal
colt came in for fulsome praise, partlc-
ularly the former, who simply astounded
the Britishers by his superb cleverness
and ring generalship. Kid McFadden is
likewise given due credit for making a
resolute fight against Jordan, who was
pounds heavier.
The Sportsman comments as follows:
The coronation tournament, the biggest
event of it's kind ever promoted, is a
financial success, and certainly not sup
ported as it should have been, consid-
ering the quality and ability of some OF
the men engaged, the show served to
introduce those who gave their patron
age boxers the like of whom have never
been seen in England at their weight.
At an enormous expense, nine Of the best
men in the United States were brought
over. and though more than one failed to
quite realize expectations, the sport, TAX
en- in it's entirety, proved very interesting.
To the credit of the strangers, let 1t
be put on record that every man who
took the ring fought on the level, or, in
other words, did his very best. For some
time previous to the start there were
tLose who, out OF jealousy, talked OF
crooks and fakes. Better boxing-indi
vidual contest, that is-we may have seen
at times. but never fairer fighting
There was nothing in the way of a big
battle that came up to the standard OF
the Jackson Slavin match, nor did we
see a repetition of the Burge Connolly
bout Of five years back. In Ryan S~.v
Walcott the tournament, however, ser eC
to introduce two OF the most remarka Ge
boIcr5 Of the a.-:e. Jem Mace considers
Ryan the cleverest middleweight he eve1
saw-an opinion that Is no doubt shared
by those who witnessed the skill and sci
ence Of this most accomplished exponent
OF the manly art. match between Ry
an anu 1Ou lWdll, DOtQ dL Iuclr UoSt
would have created almost as much inter
est as knuckle fight between Sayers ant
Mace.
The pity is both were impossible. Wal
oott's ability Is Of a different stamp from
that Of the Kansas City man. Were it il
the power OF the. manager to build TO
himself a boxer he would manufacture
one considerably on the lines of the black
with a head like iron, little or no neck
and a short trunk to hit at, Walcott 1
pretty nearly all legs, arms and muscle
His power OF hitting is wonderful for on
weighing but 10 stone 4 pounds, and hi
wind and stamina on par with it. On
can quite understand the remark made b
q well-knovn American sport: "Walcot
1s man that might beat any boxer in tn
world" In this way the black is surnme
up In very few words. Without wish
ing to be unldnd to the others or hur
their feelings in any way, Ryan and Wal
colt were undoubtedly the pick Of tn
Yankee basket. That they have som
opinion like this in the states is prove
by the words Of Doc Ordnay, who, in con
versation with the writer, gave himsel
off as follows: "Wa1cott and Ryan, why
say, match between these men woul
then there would be hundreds left out
side.''
This brings US to the final night, whic
Denver Martin and Sandy" Ferguso
opened with a red-hot display.
This was the best punching match Q
the series-a desperate struggle betwee
well-trained man and one decided
out Of condition. The black was appar
emily as fine as fiddle, while "Sandy
could have done without stone and
half Of what he had perforce to carr
about the ring. Despite this, Ferguso
made quite a creditable show, and NOR
than once Martin was decidedly in tan
gle. While the colored mans defense wa
not what it might have been, his craniul
proved strong to withstand the sledge
hammer blows Of the other. It looked q
though Madden's man got just a shad
f1urried by the hustling given him, br
word Of two Of warning from his mana
ger put things right, and, settling dow
Martin showed left-handed body bio
Of a very damaging character, one, 'ir
deed, that soon pulled him through SUE
cessfully. 1t Is just possible that bot
winner and loser are better men tha
their form Of "wednesday would convey.
The coronation tournament Is owe
and though one or two of the visitor
have taught us little, and two of OF
own men, White and Jordan, have worth
ly upheld the honor Of the old countr
the American boxers have proved then
selves game men and triers in the rim
and gentlemen outside it. -
rom Wy rnuvp I'd r,u,r1Drc