The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-07-19
WRITTEN FOR THE SUNDAY REPUBLIC.

WRITTEN FOR THE SUNDAY REPUBLIC.
Tommy Ryan, the :niddle-weight boXel
who taught JeTries his noted crouch ana
who is credited with having been largely
! responsible for much of the champions
/ knowledge of the game. is now lined VI
on the side Of James ]. Co-bett in the
coming championship battle.
While Ryan does not express himself
definitely as favering one man above the
| ether. he states that the fight is extremely
| likely to be repetition of the mems las;
| meeting; that Je:fries has the knockout as
| his best chance Of winning and Corbett has
| the best likelihood of n decision IL the fight
! goes any where near the limit.
! This proposition has often been tilrashed
| over and is generally accepted by fight
followers. Ryan goes farther than most
patrons of the game. however. by stating
that he believes the men have even chances
in the fisht-that Jeffries should be no top
| heavy favorite he is no more likely TO
| win than is Corbctt
| Ryan has attached himself TO the Corbett
| camp and often spars with the former
| expressions should be in favor OF the man
with whom he is working. Still, there Is
enough value i'll his summary of the affair
| to cause reflection.
Tommy expressed himself as follows last
week:
| Corbett before and 1 know all about the
| big fellow. Jeffries wants men to come 10
him. and he lick anybody who does:
He can beat all the sharkeys. Ruhiins ar, ana
That Is because those fellows carry the
fight to him.
to Jeffries. 1t is the only way he ever did
fight. He's quick and all that sort OF thing
yet he fought the way Jefrtes wanted III
their last battle Now Corbett's style is
directly opposite
"Corbett wants a safe getaway after
to talk about changing his style. III.
his head going away from Jeff. He is going
to fight that way. too; l., -, ,.ss.
fighter of the age. No heavy weight ever
had his speed. l think. with the bout only
twenty rounds long: that 1t is an even
may get Corbett just right at some STAGE
II he does. he'll get the money. Other
wise. the fight VIII go along as It did be.
fore, only Corbett oughtn't to get caught
as he did the first time"
Ryan's opinion is Of considerable value.
oven admitting that his disagreement with
Jeffries after their former relations may
have prejudiced him against the champion.
Ryan will certainly want to be with the
winning party in this battle. There IS no
profit or honor in being on the losing side.
That he has taken up with the Corbett
bunch is a stronger indication than words
that he really believes the former champion
has an even break
Corbett's stock is being boosted steadily
In San Francisco. As this Is his birthplace.
1t is perhaps natural Moreover. his faith
full preparation of late has won him many
friends. He probably has the most sympathy
in the battle on account Of a general i'm
preston that he Is the under dog in the
coming fight and this has resulted in his
receiving much attention.
In reality. reports show that he IS In
remarkable shape for a man OF his years.
Though young in fact, considered from or
binary standpoints, 81 years is old for q
pugilist. Whether his speed has slackened
IN the last few seasons Is the real Ques-
ton at issue.
Accounts show that he has been trying to
develop strength and muscle. This is all
right in its way. But the gymnastic ex-
ercises, to which he seems addicted are
generally believed to develop muscle at the
expense of speed. Speed will be Corbett.s
chance in this battle. All the strength he
can develop will be secondary when fighting
a man like Jeffries.
The latter seems to be perpetually sore
headed these days. Reports from his
training quarters indicate continual bicker-
ings with the genial Bob F1tzsiunmonS va
ried by alterations with Billy Delaney.
This method Of passing the time is not