The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-03-22
GOSSIP OF THE FIGHTERS
REFEREE WHITE POINTS OUT
M,GovERN's CHIEF FAULTS.
He Says McGovern Must Guard His
Face More - Kelly and walsh
Matched to Box I'm This City.

~ McGovern, former holder OF that title
and aspirant for the honor. will step into
the ring at San Francisco TO battle twenty
rounds for the championship. IL is believed
the fight will be the best that ever occurred
between little fellows, and the interest in
the coming battle is surely more pro-
nounced than in any fight that has been
pulled of since Jeffries and FitzsimmGns
met last July.
News from the training camps OF the two
fighters at San Francisco shows that both
men are rapidly getting into superb condi-
ton for the great battle. Young Corbett is
within less than four pounds of the weight
at which he will enter the ring. Corbett
says that McGovern Is a great fighter. but
he knows his game from start to finish. and
II McGovern tries TO put him out in hurry
Corbett says the chances are there will be
a repetition OF the Hartford affair. Nc
Govern says he does not hold Young Cor
bett as cheaply as he did before their last
battle, and he Will enter the ring fully real
izing that he has hard man to whip, but
will surely come out of the contest the
champion
McGovern held the reputation OF being
the most perfect fighter that ever stepped
into the ring before his defeat by Young
Corbett on Thanksgiving day In 1901. Since
then Terry has been found to have faults,
and Charley White, the referee and expert,
has discovered them. White has witnessed
most OF McGovern's fights, including those
Of recent date, and In an article s, In a, New New
Govern as a fighter and what his chances
are with Young Corbett. White was asked
to answer the following questions:
s'Is McGoyern the Terrible Terry or old?
Has he deteriorated or has he improved
since he lost the championship to Young
Corbett? What IS his present form? What
In answering the questions Mr. White
uses McGovern's recent battle with Billy
Maynard as standard OF comparison.
MGOvERN'S COURAGE.
Terry was, when he won the feather
weight championship, the greatest little
oueensberry glove fighter of his day." says
White. He won the good will Of the public
by his unfiinching courage, his honesty and
his wonderful quickness and skill. He Is
boxer who. when he enters the arena, gives
the lighting public all the satisfaction that
they pay their money to see. He Is a thun-
derstOrm, Krupp cannon and Calling
gun all at the same time From the mo
ment the gong ciangs he is bent on only
one thing, that is the utter destruction OF
the forces arrayed against him. He Is not
content with mere decision against the
opponent. but with that bulldog aggressive
ness and drop of that Spartan blood OF
the old Irish fighting clans McGovern is a
living picture OF war. While in the ring
he Is a true gladiator. At no time does
or chance to hurt him"
White quotes McGovern as saying that
his stage life did not injure his fighting
ability. White says that IL was in the fight
with Dave Sullivan at Louisville that he
discovered that McGovern had one or two
faults. which. IL not corrected. would at
some tirle lead again to disaster.
His contempt for his opponents punch
Ing powers leads McGovern into the belief
that he can go IN with his face unprotect-
ed and lake a blow upon the vital points
That Is McGovern's chief fault. When
facing an opponent he has a peculiar
shape, his shoulders are ever ready with
that punch no little man Of his size had
ever been able to deliver before his and
Terry thinks that he shall do nothing
else but destroy. He must be made to
understand that in lighting men of to-day
this defect In his tactics and are always
seeking that opening. No man yet in the
fighting game can afford to expose his
Jaw and face TO an opponent as McGovern
does. and the sooner he is told to stop
that exposure. and smother up the better
on he will be-"
MGovERNs FAULTS.
White then gave description of the Nc
Govern Maynard fight and concludes as
follows:
In other words. these are McGovern's
three defects: First. he stops punches with
his head and face. knowing that he can eat
them up; second. he swings wildly and has
lost his accuracy of aim through anxiety
and a bit OF falling eyesight, which he can
and will remedy; third. his increased and
new ideas OF training himself along the
old lines, with little side issue of indul-
gence OF that which. in ordinary times.
would be legitimate Injuries. have inn
paired Terry's wind and leg work
With careful attention TO these defects
the American sporting public may rest as
As ever. He has many fights scheduled.
I must particularly point to the fact that
he must abstain from the foolish idea that
he can run into every mans punch. In
meeting men of the Ben Jordan BENNY
1anger type he will surely profit by good
advice and go back TO one of his old win
ming Embellishments UP while going i'm
Comment. time and time again. has
been made upon McGoverns style affect
ing the Queensberry rules. / want TO saw
right here that he is one of the fairest
Queensberry rules fighters in this respect
while lighting at short range he never
holds. This Is the proper thing He makes
his opponent hold him in an effort to stop
the shower OF blows
SHOULD McGovern correct the faults in
dicated here the next championship battle
should be great one. and the public should
be IN doubt ND 10 the time the men enter
the rinE- In my Judgment it will be an
even break
The Indianapolis Athletic Club has sue
ceeded In matching Hugo Kelly, the best
15o-pound fighter In the country, against
Harry Walsh. the Canadian 15O-pound
champion, for a ten-round contest for de-
cision for its next boxing carnival. The
date or the carnival has not been arranged
but IL Will be held some time next week
The club Will endeavor TO make the entire
programme even more attractive and in
teresting than the last series of bouts
given at the Cyclorama last Wednesday
night Kelly has met and defeated all of
the best men in his class and his contest
with Walsh should prove the best bout
that has ever been given I'm IndianapoIis
The date of the bout will be announced to-
morrow or Tuesday.
Many followers of the pugilistic game be-
lieve that Bob Fitzsimmons would have
one OF the easiest battles OF his life II he
ever steps I'm the ring with PHILADELPHIA
Jack O'Brien. OBrien won the middle
weight championship In England bur n
Is believed that he will have hard work win
ming the title In this country There are
at least four men who would give o. Brien
the hardest battle he ever had IL he ever
meets them. First among the four is
Fftzsimmons. and IL Is believed that Fftz
would win easily. O.Brien Is a clever boxer
but he Is not the fighter that Fitz is Then
Mccoy, who would give O'Brien a hard
battle O'Brien has never met a top-notch-
er OF first water since he returned TO this
country. One OF the best men ne met i'm the
last year II Ch0yEski. whom he fought In
Chicago last fall. and while O'Brien won
the decision he was not able TO floor choyn-
ski What would he do with Fitzsimmons :?