The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-03-20
ODD STORIES OF PRIZE RING
TOLD BY TWO GOOD FIGHTERS
Johnny Regain and PHILADELPHIA lack B,zen Relate Adventure
z01M Gl0Ue-O Byzen StNaIed B0Mng

counter with ali his weight behind it. He
went down and was out. The referee
counted six, but just then somebody yelled
police and everybody made their get
away, and l was deprived of one of my
Knockout victories. L did not care for
that at that moment, however. A big pO-
l was covered with mud as the result of
falling in the slop made. by the water my
seconds threw on me when going TO my
corner, and knew / would be a hard GUS
toner to handle. Well, anyway, / waited
until he just reached for me, and then
worked the side step on him and was under
the ropes before he recovered himself. L
was not out of 1t yet, however, as another
policeman was coming directly toward me
and the first one was not many feet behind.
l planned on running straight at the one
in front of me and bowling him over but
just as L reached him he thought l was
going to dodge and stepped to one side, and
then slipped in the mud and fell. / was
only youngSter and thought If they caught
me fighting they might hang me, L ran
like deer down the main street, clad only
in my fighting tights and shoes and the
gloves. / was covered with mud and blood
and must certainly have presented an anus
ing sight as ! sprinted down the crowded
street that Sunday afternoon with two big
policemen in hot pursuit about a block be-
hind me. l shot through one house and
threw the occupants into a mt. l was tired
as result of the fight and finally turned
into friends house and did not stop until
L crawled under a bed. Remember, L was
a fighter who a few minutes before had
commanded the admra ton of several hun
dred people and had just knocked my OPP
ponent out The two policemen saw me
enter the house and after few minutes
search found me. Nothing terrible resulted
and L was released on bond as soon
reached the station house
The next morning | appeared in court.
The judge asked me what | was fighting for
and creating disturbance by running down
a street without any clothes on. | told him
that my opponent and myself had some diff
ferences and thought we would settle them
In scientific manner and rot by an ungen-
tlemanly street fight. The judge. who was
good fellow, looked stern for minute. and
L expected heavy fine. Finally he asked
for few details of the fight, and after he
heard now l had put my opponent. down
said: You must be pretty good with your
hands. You made one mistake. however
The next time you have any differences to
settle with friend go before some legiti
bout. You are discharged ."
philadelphia Jack O'Brien makes
friends wherever he goes. He has shown
that he is a business man and is prac-
ticing lawyer when the fighting business
gets dull He has made study of pugilism
just al he would for law.
When | started in the fighting game
decided TO make a success of ii. ] would
have to give ii the same study and go about
it as Systematically as | would to fit myself
for any other business" said OBrien. Il
figured out my weak points and set about
remedying them. Then when | had what [
thought to be an important fight on l al
ways studied out the best way to defeat
my man before L went into the ring L
regulated my training for the kind of a
fight / wanted to put up. In training for
my fight with Shrek l knew strength or
punching power would not win for me, but
speed would. Consequently all nv work
aimed to produce quickncss / did a
great lot of shadow boxing and when /
punched the bag made il fly. In the GYM
nasium the boys / boxed with all came at
me fast they could 1t was what I
wanted. as 1t would quicken my eye and
my guard, and they knew l would not hurt
them. Even in my road work L took sprints
every short distance
81 got started right and have never
stopped or met any serious reverse since.
One of the first men i met was a boy named
IsadOr Strauss. The first time we met | be-
lieve he gave me one of the hardest fights
of my career. We drew in six rounds but
he broke his hand OH me, and we both took
a terrible beating. My good condition is
all that saved me from defeat. | met him
twice afterward and got the decision over
him both times in six-round bouts, but he
certainly gave me a tussle the first time
we met / don't think Bob FitZsimmons.
Jim Corbett OF any OF the old guard will
fight any more, so | don't think | will be
called upon to meet them in the ring, al
though / have no doubt but / would win.
Wait until | meet Tommy Ryan on the
coast. however. | expect 10 sign articles
with him for a twenty-round bout at Frisco
before long. and then watch out l will be
in that perfect condition | was speaking
about. Foxy Tommy will need all his tricks
to keep from gong uOWn ana out then, and
1 have doubt in the world but that /
will beat him..
O'Brien is a clever, scientific fighter with
brains Tommy Ryan is the same kind OF
a man. and as O. rien says. watch out
for great fight when the pair meet in a
twenty-round bout. The six-round bout
between the two was no criterion of either
mans ability. but it was long enough e
make it plain what kind of a battle the
men will put up when they meet in TWEEN
ty-rOund contest. There is a great deal OF
luck in the prize ring. but o Brien's case
shows that there is money for the man
who has the physique necessary for a
fighter. and who has any liking for the
game and who is willing 10 apply himself
and make a study OF it as o Brien has
O'Brien has a considerable fortune. owns
property in Philadelphia and has Travelled
on the continent THE fighting game is
not bad business if you make a success
of it, but a very bad business If you fail
said OBrien. and he right. a third
or fourth-rate pugilist does not make q
living fighting half the time. and before
long generally goes TO the bad entirely
The odds, too are tremendously against Z
man becoming a champion in his class, bu
'if he's a success he's a big success, anc
if failure, bad one" said Jack.