The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-08-03
: - ~ -.
SPORTS.
BIG FIGHT 7. IS NEAR
Speculation in Regard to Outcome of
the tfries-corbett Match
Increases.
Little Chance That the Ex-Cham-
pion Can Secure Knockout
ss. :s.szs Over JEFF. E

Speculation in regard to the Jefrries-.
Corbett fight is, increasing as the time
for the contest draws nearer. Attic JEFF
fries has been the least popular Of the
last four champions, he will undoubtedly
be a favorite at odds Of something like
2 to /, partly because2he is champion, and
partly because he has whipped Corbett
once before.
l. Perhaps there never was champion
| whose performances have been so much
| discredited as those of Jeffries. He has
| fought every good man in the heavy
weight division, has never lodged a fight
| has won decisively over all his opponents,
and has never been on Queer street. Still
| he is not popular as. compared with Ft1z-
simmons, Sullivan or even Corbett, when
the latter held the title,
There are. several reasons for this, but
perhaps the strongest, one Is that Jeffries
does not satisfy the public ideal Of an
aggressive fighter. In: all his battles .ex-
cept that with Corbett he has waited for
his opponets to come, to him, and the
public likes champion who, forces the
fighting. Jeffries,. however. cannot do
this He Is too big and too unwieldly to
waste his strength in chasing smaller
| and more agile man. (, He does not shirk
nor seek TO avoid punishment but meets
! his opponent fairly when the latter comes
| to him. In short he fights in the way that
is bestfcalculated to bring him the vic
tory. RI. .xntt t.~s:a 80
Corbett has announced that he has de-
! ve1oped his muscles land worked up,
l punch which will enable him to knock
1 Jeffries out, but few believe that he Will
! take chan ces on any give and take work
with the champion. Jeffries can hit three
times harder than Corbett. He has proved
this He can also stand ten times more
punishment than 1the Lex champion This
also he has demonstrated 1t would be
the height of folly for James j.. senior to
try much work at close quarters Win
James J. junior. y: >,.. =. H.. !,
Corbett undoubtedly will fight much as
he has always fought, hitting when he can
. without much danger Of getting hit HIM
self. If he sees a chance to get knock
out he will try for it, but his principal
hope probably, is to get the decision. Lots
,, of men who are credited with having, a
. better punch than, Corbett have given
Jeff an awful pounding, but none Of them
has come anywhere near knocking him
:, out Until Corbett shows that he really
has the steam necessary behind his punch
few will believe that he can turn the
: trick OF course, the more force Corbett
can get into his blows, the better will his
chances be, and that is undoubtedly what
he is figuring on. Whether he can put
i on much muscle without losing steam Is
d a question which cannot be answered un-
. til the fight Is over. "
J. While all who have seen Corbett work
6 agree that he is in fine fettle, the stories
!! in regard to Jeffries are widely divergent
"a Referee Graney visited Jeffries' training
f camp at Hardin Springs the other day
). and expressed great surprise at tie speed
, shown by the champion. Others say tina
the champion is way above welght, ane
not in the best condition. Undoubtedly
d Corbett, If he sees that the champion !:
:, not on edge will try to tire him out, bu
=, : If he fatigues the champion SO much tina
n the latter cannot deal terrific punch a
L short range, he will do more than an!
n man ever has done.
X The question Of Corbett knocking GU
. the champion can safely be eliminated
from consideration. The fight then re
a. solves itself into a. question or Wnetne
&c Corbett, without making runawayahgh
a of it, can escape a. knockout from y e1trles
4: If he fights on the defensive Corbett WI
t: not get the decision. If he mixes 1t an
:. forces the fighting. he Is taking chance
IL IL, | Of running against right or left, whic
e. will put. him in dreamland.
or -
e. Oscar Gardner, the Omaha kid, is or
of the most enthusiastic Jeffrtes adhel
ents in the country. Having seen most
d. the heavy weight battles in the last fl
: teen years, however, Gardner ~ IN a pos
ne ton to speak Of the coming battle r
at said in discussing the bout this week:
"Corbett can punch and punch hard,
he a friendly set-to., But the minute he ge
us into real match he changes his tactic
80 His punches lack steam, because he is
* intent upon getting away before he n
eff ceives a counter, that often he Is goir
'er backward when he strikes. His lack
,in hitting power is due not so much to lat
Dig Of muscle, as to this Discrimination to ris
loo punishment He may put on muscle b.
AS he is not likely to change his heart.
err 81 have seen Corbett in every one Of h
fights, beginning with the time when
met Sullivan. In that fight I did not r
gard him as a real fighter. ! marked II
fact that even when Sullivan was pra
ast tically helpless, Corbett was shy Of ge
~ ting too near him. But you cannot pos
lively mark the yellow streak. In MI
70, until you see him get stung In some fgf
* u; When Corbett fought .Sharkey, 1T look
20: to me as if he quit like dog mark
him talking to Con McVey, during the !
,ot- Permission, before the round when M
ith Vey Jumped into the ring. Then VIII
lay Mcvey committed the foul, and the thi
out out passed off without corbett ever making
40. fuss about it, was sure it was put
US, az job.
70: Jeffries is wonderful fighter. Y
2 Se. hear stories about his not being in conc
lat ton; but he could not possibly be in VOL
IRA, shape than when he fought Sharkey..
80 that fight he practically whipped Shark
50: with one hand When he fought Corb
Co before he did all the fighting. Corb
' ss. never could have got the decision tt
no. time, with competent referee, even
the fight had gone the limit, because
cd, was running away from Jeffries all
ulf. time. When you tap man not to HI
H., ~. VI Coos hi Ina