The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-12-09
SPORTING NEWS.
Champion Jim Jeffries Has Few
Kn0ckOuts.
The Big Fighter Declares They
Are Too Dangerous.
ARE NOT A NECESSITY.
Feels He Would Hill the Man
He Hit His Best.
Says He Is Satisfied to Win His
Battles on Points.

New York, Dec 9.-Probably no
champion who ever held the heavy
weight championship, has knocked out
so few men as James J. Jeffries, the
present holder of the title In the days
Of Sullivan and other champions who
have preceded the famous boilermaker
champion, aspirants fell victims to the
knockout with a regularity that made
the referees decision hardly necessary.
Jeffries, in the following interview.
tells why he has failed to knock his op-
ponents out. 1t is a fact that most of
Jeffries' battles have gone some dis
lance, and in almost every instance his
opponents have been beaten down to a
point of helplessness, yet not knocked
out in the fullest sense of the word.
Jeffries handles his victim with more
consideration than Sullivan did, and,
unlike Sullivan and Fftzsimmons, he
has been satisfied with outpointing his
opponents.
II have not been a knocker-out for
the simple reason I have never found it
necessary to knock my opponent clean
out to gain a victory, except on one or
two occasions. Even in a fight 1 be-
lieVe man can be humane, and if the
same results can be obtained without
endangering your opponents life then
think it is better for all. 1t is true that
most of my opponents have been count
ed out, being helpless and unable to
continue the battle. yet they have re-
manned conscious. The fact that have
not knocked my men out in a few
rounds, like most fighters, does not
mean that have been unable to finish
my victims sooner than 1 did.
Were to put all the strength and
force at my command in an effort to
| land a knockout blow, I feel sure
would do considerable damage. 1 hon
estly believe that If I were to hit any
of the men that I fought with all the
force possible would have killed him.
I know my strength perfectly well,
and in none of my fights have l been
required to try to do my best. 1 pre-
fer to win my battles on scientific lines,
and that is the reason I have allowed
my fights to last so long. 1 know I
am scientific enough to beat down all
of these clever boxers. Were I simp-
ly depending on my strength to win
fights. then would have to resort to
different tactics and would be more
| anxious to win in a hurry.
Il am satisfied to win my battles on
points and it makes little difference to
me whether the contest goes the limit
or not. There have been a number of
my fights which would have been very
brief affairs had it been my desire to
make quick work of my OPPONENTS
There is not the least doubt in my
mind but that I could have defeated
Rubin, Fitzsimmons or Corbett in less
time had I been more aggressive and
been anxious to score a knockout. To
me there is nothing in a knockout only
that brings victory home the sooner
Rubin was beaten down gradually I'M
til he was so badly used up that he
could fight no longer. He was all out
so far as fighting was concerned, yet
because he showed signs of life and
was conscious some people thought he
was stalling. He was not, you can BET
your life on that.
What damage do / think could dc
by swing with all my strength
Well, that is hard to say. AS 1 say,
have never tried to hit man with al
my strength. I have practiced such
blows on the punching bags and have
found it an easy matter to smash then
with a single blow.
at might be possible for a blow t.