The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-02-15
YOUNG CORBETT TALKS
OF HIS LUCK IN RING
Champion Tells of Escaping Bad
Scars and Praises Terry
McGOvern.
HE WAS BEST OPPONENT
Hardest Blow He Ever Stopped
Was Delivered by McGovern
in First Battle.
HE WAS BEST

SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 14-Young Cor
bett carries fewer scars, perhaps, than
about any fighter you can think of. Even
some of the so-called fast. clever boxers
present an occasional "cauliflower" ear, or
a broken nose. or an enlarged finger joint.
Young Corbett has none of these marks of
battles. His face is as smooth as a seminary
girls. and there is not "a pimple on his
hands. Just look at him; he is the last
man in the world one would pick out for a
worlds champion who had fought his way
up the ladder by giving and taking singing
wallops.
II don't know whether 1 have been lucky
or not, but my hands are as sound as when
1 started fighting" the little champion re-
marked. when you consider that 1 hit
from almost any position and am not par
ticular whether 1 land on a fellows body
or his bony head, 1 guess 1 must have been
a little lucky to come through the way L
have. OF course, L wear bandages on my
hands, but they are no thicker or heavier
than the average fighter wears. The splen-
did condition of my hands may be due to
the fact that L don't do a great deal of
swinging. Usually 1 hit straight out, and
when a fighter does this there is less dan
ger of gripping yourself; but there are
some straight punchers whose hands are
bad. Take Fitzsimmons, for example. He
is not what you could call a swinging
fighter. yet see what trouble he has with his
weapons"
Whom do you consider the best man
you ever fought?' the little champion was
asked.
Silence ensued. Corbett was in deep
thought. Finally he said: II believe that
McGovern was the best man 1 ever fought.
If given an opportunity ne would drop you
with either hand. He had a terrific punch.
When | fought him | had to keep my mind
on my work every second: L remember
after my last fight with him here l col
lapsed after II was over, and II was not
from the work 1 did, either. The mental
strain 1 underwent was what did me up.
1t is terrible In a fight.
II know the people who sit beside the
ring don't appreciate the pressure a fighter
works under. The punishment a fellow
takes is only a secondary matter. When |
fought Hanlon 1 had to use my NOODLE TO
plan a way Of licking him. l had to make
a study Of his scheme of defense and offense
and fight accordingly. When L went in the
ring had no idea how / would beat him,
for | did not know how he would box After
lighting him a few rounds L came to the
conclusion that a right uppercut was the
blow that would beat Hanlon, and 1t did. IL
was my right that cut his nose open and
started him to bleeding. Hanlon was a
dead game boy, but he did not have Nc
Governs punch, so when L was fighting
Eddie L was not under the strain L was
when 1 met Terry. l didn't worry so much
about being knocked out"
Can you remember the hardest blow you
ever stopped?" was the next question fired
at Corbett.
Il think 1 do was the champions re-
Spouse, and this time he replied without
first knitting his brows in thought. II don't
think that will ever forget the blow Nc.
Govern planted on me in the first round
back in Connecticut. In coming out of g
clinch, he soaked me with his right over
the temple. 1t was a peach. For a minute
1 staggered and reeled. McGovern's friends
noticed my condition instantly and what a
now they set up They thought they saw
their money coming home quickly. Nc.
Govern was famous for being a quick finish
er when he got his man going, and / knew
this Just for a second L felt myself go.
ing, and you can imagine what those feel
ings were. But | kept my head and steadleC
myself until my brain cleared. and then
went back at him. McGovern fought me L
my liking by bringing the battle to me, anC
l knocked him out in the second round"