The Savannah morning news., 1903-08-14

The decision for the worlds cham
pionship at Mechanics Pavilion, San
Francisco, tonight, in the battle be-
tween James Jeffries, champion, and
James J. Corbett, ex-champion, is the
one absorbing event to all Pugdom to-
day.
When Champion Jeffries sits in his
corner tonight awaiting the call of
time, and peeks over at Corbett, he
will see Tommy Ryan glaring at him
over Corbett's shoulder, as Tom will
be adviser general to the ex-cham-
pion.
What effect this will have on the
champion cannot be said, but, judging
from reports from Hardin Springs. it
will not take the steam out of Jeffries,
who, with his trainers. believes Cor
bett the easiest picking ever dished be-
fore him.
Regarding confidence, there is moth
ing to choose between the principals.
The champions confidence, however, is
shared by the majority of fight fol-
lows. The betting is 1 to on Jeff,
d
point.
Those who have witnessed Corbett
go through his fistic stunts are more
favorably impressed with his chances,
especially those who have seen the ex-
champion preparing for other battles.
They admire the mar in which he
has gone through the W, his general
physical appearance. and marvel at his
wonderful endurance.
Discussing the contest, Corbett says
he broke the knuckles of his left hand
in the tenth round of the Coney Is
land battle, and therefore fought thir-
teen rounds with his best tool prac-
tically useless. He is fearful the same
accident will occur again, despite the
fact that he has developed a way of
hitting with all the knuckles of his
hand with proper forearm leverage.
His Left Arm Short.
This blow will shorten the reach of
the delivery of his left arm at least
four inches, but the force of the blow
will more than offset the loss in
reach.
Corbett takes no stock in Jeff's con-
hdence of winning and says the cham
pion was averse to making the match
and would never have agreed to fight
any one else in sight had he not been
forced into it.
He has not forgotten the Coney
Island fight and his failure to put me
away until near the end OF the TWEEN
ty-third round. He may have line
on me now, the same as / have on
him. l think the better brain ma
chinery lines favor me.
Ryan, who was behind JEFF in that
nght, tells me he complained of be-
ing unable to lift his left arm after
the fourteenth round. showing that
continual hitting at the atmosphere
tired him. l will give him some of
the same dose this time besides which
! Will convince him / can punch
hck or two. With all his failure to
put me away until near the limit, he
nit me hard body punches. the eff
1ects of which / felt for over week.
have body this time fortified with
heavy coating of muscles, therefore
am better prepared to accept the same
Kind of doses"
Worried About JEFF.
In the maze of rumors from the
quarters of jeff some clear facts are
found. Jeffreis, who did not begin to
work at all until the fight was only
lew weeks off, has not done conscien-
nous training. He has refused to
follow any system, and only his own
VIII has been his guide, says a special
from San Francisco.
All suggestions and expressed desires
OF Delaney have been ignored unless
they fell in with the inclinations OF
the big fighter. He has not boxed
enough to be worth mentioning. He
mas kept no training rules, and up to
THIS very day he has eaten and drank
as he pleased. One story here, and IL
y believed to be true. is that few
Gays ago, when he went out on deer
hunt, he wound up at a mountain re-
sort. and while there consumed six
Dottles OF champagne. He has gone
N bad a. early or late as he pleased.