The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-10-11
'QUITTING" AMONG PUGILISTS
Many Supposed towards Have Later Shown
That They Were Game.

To accuse any man Of being "quitter'
is to stir up strife, no matter how much a
coward at heart a person may really be-
A pugilist Is all the more sensitive on this
point even though bis record has shown
that he is possessed Of yellow streak. '
He will do all he can to show that you are
wrong in your diagnosis and will sometimes
succeed in convincing you, too.
Take Tommy Ryan for instance. How
often in years gone by have fight followers
declared that Ryan was a coward. Now,
however, 1t Is conceded that no pluckier
scrapper than Ryan ever wore boxing
gloves. Ryan has weak qualities as well
as strong ones. So have all human beings.
In many matches the Fates have been
against Ryan On numerous occasions
he was forced to cancel matches because of
illness. Ryan's battles especially in the
last six years, are convincing enough as
to his gameness. His battle with Tommy
West at Louisville few years ago, when 1t
was slash, slash all the way through, more
than proved this fact. West is, or was,
fighter Of sterling qualities. He would
never give up until nature rebeled. And
In facing a rival he was there to give and
take all in sight. He reached Ryan often
and powerfully, too.
Yet Ryan stood his ground as nobly as
| the Roman warriors OF old. And in his
| battle with Kid Mccoy, who knocked him
out, RYAN took enough punishment to quell
several ordinary men. Take his battle
| with Kid Carter at Buffalo, only recently,
Experts thought that as soon as Garter
roughed matters Tommy would cry halt.
| carrying victory with decisive punch
| in the sixth round.
There are other pugilists outside OF
Ryan and Maher who have been accused
Of being -quitters" when they did not
| deserve the name. Young Corbett has
been referred to as coward. He is far
| from that, however. In the early stages
| Of his career he was boy who was of that
.I-dont- care-what becomes Of me- kind,
and unless he was winning a fight right
| of the reel he did not care whether he won
or lost Since he became prominent,
however, he has outgrown this failing and
he wants to win every fight he engages
McCiovern the last time they met after he
received an awful blow on the stomach
in the eighth round that he was game to
the core. If he was timid all he could
have done was to have laid down" None
Of the sports would have been any the
wiser had he let himself be counted out
1t has often been said Of Jim Corbett
that the slightest punch would make him
think of quitting in battle, 10 matter
how much he may have had at stake. When
he fought Bob Fitzsimmons at Carson
City in 1897 his defeat came after blow
in the wind, or solar plexus, as some learned
sporting writer termed that part of his
anatomy Pictures OF that mill were taken
and were reproduced in this city. Corbett
was knocked out--he could not get his
wind. And in all OF his after fights Corbott
has displayed wonderful gameness. 70
stand ten slashing rounds against a man OF
Jim Jeffries's build and fighting powers
ia no mean achievement. jim Corbett did
this and took beating that he will not
forget in years.
Many thought that George Dixon would
quit after he met rival who could get
to him and punch him hard. Dixon found
such an opponent in Terry Mctiovern
For eight rounds McGovern pounded the
wonderful negro and the latter gave in
only when his seconds threw up the sponge.
Joe Cans was accused of quitting when ho
fought Frank Erne the first time at the
Broadway A. c. He did stop But he
said he could not see and that he knew
he would be at the mercy of his man if he
continued. When he met Erne again he
knocked the Buffalo boy out
Pugilists can stand so much and no more.
1t is their business to deliver and take
punishment. They realize this, or they
would not go into the business. Some Of
them are highstrung and nervous, and little
things prey on their mind. Some of them
by nature love peace, vet when they 90 into
the ring they forget all this, and fight with
all the courage at their command. Of
course the ring shelters towards, but they
are not among the topnotchers as cham
pions. Billy Madden says that TIE surest
way to develop "quitter" is to have him
make great splurge in gymnasium
AS soon as he gets into the arena in
real fight" said the veteran manager "hjs
true nature will assert itself He will either
give up at the slightest pretext or stick it
out until he is sent to temporary oblivion"
John l.. Sullivan only recently said to
THE SUN reporter: Il never accuse man
of being a gutter until I have proof.
would knock a man down in Il jfry IL he
said that about me. There is no use taking
licking for nothing or standing pounding
when you haven't got the chance to recipro,
cate. Fighters whom have met and know
are a gritty set Some. to be sure have
yellow streaks, but they usually get the
name because they are wise matchmaker.
II man chooses TO take on an easy mark,
that is his affair. He Is out for the stuff,
and II he can get It without much trouble,
and in legitimate way. who has the right
L. IL