Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1903-02-14
# leffries Refuses to Accept the
Fort Erie Club Offer,
THEY ARE LIKELY TO FIGHT
Champion Claims lilo IA Anxious 10
Fight Finish Fight with jim
Az Carson city

| After Jim Corbett and James j.
Jeffrles get through jabberIng about
terms, they are likely to come together
and accept tbs offer OF the Fort Erie
club for $4,000 and then fight It out.
For many months the former has been
challenging the latter While Jeff ana
Fltz were in Salt Lake recently, the
champion said that just as soon as they
| got east he would accept Corbctt's
challenge. Instead Of doing 50, he has
met Corbett with a counter PROPOSE
t.on-he wants 10 fight to n finish.
Jeffrles friends think Corbett should
jump at the opportunity, But there are
two sides to the question. In the first
place, Jeffnes did not win the title Ia
q finish fight, and In the second place
he should be willing to give Corbett
the same chance as he gave Fttzsim-
mons.
When Jeff was In Denver that was
his constant complaint He would say
IL want to have a finish fight 80 they
can't say won the title at one OF those
PINK tea affairs. If fight one battle
20 finish | will be ali right and there
viii not be dot on my record, As
matters stand now / never fought q
finish fight in my life"
While all that may be true still, many
ring followers are wondering II the
champion Is not afraid to meet Corhel
under the same conditions as he def
fIiesl won the title from Fitzslmmons
"Jeftries simply cannot avoid meeting
~, ~. - . lftsin
club is too big for him to turn down.
snys Corbett "He thinks he can lick
me, and II he can he will make lot OF
money, for l won't split the purse with
him, like he has had to do In all of his
fights. l VIII sign an agreement for the
winner to take IS per cent Of the purse.
That ought TO satisfy him. II ! lose
don't want any of the money, The %
per cent would just about cover my ex-
penses.
what want Is q chance to fight him
under any old conditions | have 81, 500
forfeit money UP with Al Smith already.
and | viii make It $1,000 any time he
wants to put up like amount His
talk about betting me $4,000 on the
side is nonsense, for he could take that
money and lay Il OFF so as to be ahead
any way, for he will be an OddS-on
favorite In the betting should we get
together
81 do not see how he can avoid meet
Ing me. He must fight some one, and
there is no one who has better right
than me TO look for a chance. He has
whipped all Of the other heavywheights
two times each, and there Is no one
left for him 10 take on.
III he means 10 fight at all he must
fight now Everything he wants he
can have, and II no does not accept the
chance l will claim the championship,
az | will have q right to.
What excuse can he have for not
meeting noe? a champion must defend
the title. and Is be does not do SO he Is
not the champion, Is he?
"f feel that can whip him now, and
I think he feels It. TOO. l am going to
force him to get into the ring with me
II can, and l do not see why he
should turn down this offer Of the In
ternatlonal Athletic club. Their de-
post Of $1,000 shows that they mean
BUSINESS and no matter how long he
would hold OF no one would offer
larger sum.
There has never been but one fight
Tor $4,000 or more-thc one between
Sullivan and myself-and even Jeffrlcs
cannot turn up his nose az that amount
ANY time will suit me. ! am ready
70 so on tomorrow. I believe l will get
n chance at the title this time. Jeffries
will either have TO fight or get out.
want him TO fight