The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-03-28
HE PICKS MoGOYER| IN /
Omaha Kid Thinks the Brooklyn
Terror Will Put Out Young
Corbett.
Former Crack Feather, Who Has
Fought Both Men, Discusses
Coming Battle.

8 q. 4 + p ~ z. g.
Local interest in tho outcome Of the
Young Corbett- McGovern fight at San
Francisco Tuesday night is greater than
could be aroused by any other contest
save possibly by that between Jeffries and
Corbett. The uncertainty of the result
naturally intensiaes this interest.
In the bout between the two men some
eighteen months ago at Hartford, Young
Corbett Won after two rounds of furious
glve-and-take smuggling. The very short
ness Of the contest made the result less
decisive in regard to the actual fighting
qualities of the two men. Had Corbett
worn McGovern down slowly for six or
eight rounds. he would have been more
highly regarded than he was after putting
the former champion away with one
| punch. That McGovern lost his head was
admitted. Terry's fight with Dave Sulli-
van at Louisville soon afterward lowered
him somewhat in the estimation Of fight
| followers. but in his recent bouts he has
| shown much better form than Corbett,
| who has been notoriously out Of condition.
! especially when he met Eddie Hanlon on
| the coast a few weeks ago. r., ~ af-G
| Oscar Gardner, the Omaha Kid. former
! ly one Of the top notchers in the feather
/ weight division, has met McGovern in
the ring twice and Young Corbett once. On
| this account his opinion in regard to the
| coming battle Is Of more than ordinary in
| terest. Gardner said to-day, in discus
| sing the contest: " r-.s r.. g.. = . e. +. -,
| "McGovern should win the fight, and
| will give him about six rounds to finish
Young Corbett. This is my unbiased opin-
ion, although without any feeling against
McGovern my sympathies are with the
| Denver fighter. 80 r - J:
Both men fight in about the same
style. Both are rushers and hard hitters,
] but I think -McGovern has the harder
punch of the two. Terry's weakness is
| his inability to stand a punch, and his in
| clinat1on to lose his head It will surprise
the majority of the fight followers to hear
that McGovern cannot take punishment,
but such is the fact. In my first fight with
him I dazed him with straight left
punch, just sticking out my glove to keep
| him away, and got a chance to cross my
right to his jaw. I had him down and
| out, though. the referee would not allow
It, and he came back and finished me-
IF McGovern gets stung. he loses his
head, and forgets everything he knows
about fighting. Corbett is cooler, and can
keep his temper better under, punching.
/ Still, think McGovern knows more about
| the game and I pick him to win. = - =. q
'McGovern certainly has shown better
form in his recent battles than Corbett.
still think Corbett will be in good shape
Tuesday night. There is no reason why
he should not make the weight of 127
pounds, ringside.' =: t. =
Nominally McGovern and Corbett will
+ fight for the featherweight championship
Of the world In reality neither can claim
to be feather The limit for that class is
supposed to be 1872 pounds, yet Tuesday
nights battle is at 127 pounds, and neither
man is likely to be more than a pound ~
two under weight -. -
| The decadence Of British pugilisrn Is one
of the most remarkable things in ring his.
tory. Within a space of ten years every
fighter of presumed ability turned out pS
the Britons has been soundly thrashed by
American fighters, and now England has
not a. really first-class man to- represent
the country in any division. If it has
that man has been carefully concealed te
date.
American fighters who could never wir
preliminaries in this country-dubs from
all over the United States who were o,
absolutely no accOunt-have gone to Eng
!, land and blossomed out as fighters of the
first class. Men like Sandy Ferguson OF
Boston, who was considered in about the
same class with Jack Dunleavy over here
have gone to England and whipped heavy.
weights whom the Britons thought were
good men. ...-.. - e..
One reason for this is undoubtedly the
, fact that the English are not profres-
|
one and the same style of boxing. Wher
, they have learned to jab rapidly with the
left and swing an occasional right over
they have acquired the offensive arts O
, the game, while an adept at clipping ant
ducking is supposed to be versed in al
a the branches of the defensive portion o
boxing. Blocking Is little practiced, ant
, the old, clumsy style of guarding is fol
lowed instead. s" =:
: Instead Of improving with each gen
= Grafton of fighters the English have simpl,
taught their scrappers the same old trick
practiced twenty-f five years ago. The us
of the right fist, except in case Of a few
boxers, has dropped down to the STANDARD
followed by Eddie Toy, who use 1t onl,
as a means Of blocking and to admins
ter an OCCASIONAL slap. Ducking, consid
= cred vastly clever In England, wher'
d straight punches are the only blows t.
!, be feared, has been taught as a, chic
point for fighter to attain on the de
8 fensive. :7s
Ed O'Malley Of the. Chicago Journa
! hands James J. Corbett the following no
: roast in a recent issue:
i "And now we must go through a delug
Of gush about ]. j. Corbett who Is desir
: Gus to regain the championship Of tn
: world, which he won by tapping poor oil
. whisky soaked John L. Sullivan into ex
0 haustion at New Orleans.
LAS a boxing master Corbett probabl
has no equal, but we can't imagine why h
4 wishes to re-enter the prize ring. Ate
e hitting Fitzsimmons until his arms reall,
!, got tired, the veteran put him away witt
:, a punch s
!. ''Jeffries is easily Fits master-now
:. for the love of goodness, what chance l1a
: gabby Corbett?
!; "Jeffries is undoubtedly the creates
, natural prizefghter we have had in years
and we hardly think Corbett would have
s chance with him, even If the champion
3 were to enter the ring in almost any kin,
h Of condition.
i .Corbett is thing Of the past, and tn
present championship battle has a YER
farcical tinge to 1t. It's too bad jim
doesn't stick exclusively to the vaudeville
where he does much cleverer turn thai
he will ever do in the prize ring
!. The limited round bout between 10
: Choynski and Philadelphia Jack
! O'Brien, which was to have been decide