The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-02-07
WHY AMERICANS YIN.

W ny I'M EKICHNO " IN.
The announcement made several days ago
that George Dixon will return from Eng
land being unable TO get matches. makes
the American follower OF the game wonder
what is the matter with the English pugil-
lists. Dixon has been In England for some
time with standing offer TO box anybody
of his weight for a side bet Of 5000 real
money. and deposited with stakeholder
Dixon managed 10 get on a number OF
fights. most Of which he won. Finally
the English pugilists would not meet him.
An English sporting paper comments as
follows on the way the English fighters
have ignored Dixon's challenger
THAT a little colored boxer who has been
fighting steadily for over eighteen years
can still defy the best OF the English
fighters without being taken up, certainly
does not speak well for our fighting men,"
1t certainly does not. In this country
there is a half score of men who could put
Little Chocolate out OF the running, simply
because they are young. strong and would
go after their opponent and win on their
strength Naturally, the Englishmen want
10 know the reason why their scrappers
are not in a class with the American
fighters. Any American fighter seems TO
be able TO win easily from the best of the
English pugilists. The English papers, in
discussing the reason, say that the Amer
lean and Englshman eat about the same
and drink about the same. and there should
be little difference between fighters on that
account The English Critic. in attempt
ing to explain the difference, gives a num-
Der of very plausible reasons, which fol-
low:
american boxers study cause and effect
more seriously than our men, Their meth
DDS of training are infinitely superior and
more in harmony with the laws of physical
culture. Quite one-half of the men on this
side absolutely do not know how to train.
measured by the standard OF American ex-
cellence. II is interesting to watch the at
tention paid TO comparatively insignificant
details, such as fexing the bones OF the
hand and manipulating anything that will
exercise and give tone to the muscles. So
TO speak, our friends enjoy-that is, II
| training can be regarded as a pleasure-a
more luxurious system of preparation for
a contest.
1.-THE sober. serious earnestness of the
| Englishman Is less constant in the ranks
| Of our cousins, who seem TO grasp the stu
alton I'm a frame of mind that suggests
recreation rather than hard labor. There
are exceptions to every rule. Doubtless
a few of our English boxers have profited
| by the invasion of the enemy, and learned
| a little or deal from close and attentive
! observation. The pernicious habit of i'm
dulging too freely after a course of train
| ing abides less in the foreigner. What
/ there is OF IL takes far less time to dis
! perse and give way to better treatment.
Again, their lighting, in a general sense.
/ is totally dssimilar. The rigidity and
cramped condition. commonly termed
tucked up as though muscle-bound never
prevails in the modus operandi Of the for
eign element. They pose in loose. irreg-
ular kind of attitude, the arms. head and
legs carelessly affected until the subject is
prepared to attack. Then the muscles are
braced up, hands cenched, head firmly
fixed and the blow delivered with all the
weight Of the body thrown forward with
crushing effect. Have you noticed the
prevailing tendency of most English boxers,
when they lead off effectually, stand back
| and even retreat, though DESTROYS of
admiring the effect OF the blow and seek
| ing applause for the cleverness displayed
Another feature Of English boxing is the
crouching attitude i'm imitation of the
| American style. But how different The
American stands comparatively passive,
creeps up stealthily like panther, and
bides his time patiently. The Englishman
dances about like an automatic figure,
twists and wriggles himself into all man
ner of shapes and conditions, and moves
his arms to and fro like a dsjointed SEM
aphore. BY the time he leads off there is
not sufficient force behind his blow to
knock the head off our old and much