The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-01-30
Am / Right !?

ALI ! R1RuL
lack MUNROE and Gus Rubin,
j two of tie foremost heavyweight
scrappers of the day, are also pro-.
fcient in wrestling and football. Both
of them agree that boxing is a more
strenuous and exhausting sport than
either Of the other two. Munroe de-
clares that more care is required in
training for a prize fight than in con-
ditioning for a football game. He as
serts also that the chances Of injury
are not so great in football, unless
roughhouse tactics are employed by
the other side. Moreover, the foot
ball player who is hurt has three
minutes to recover, while a boxer
must get up in ten seconds if he is
knocked down., and even between
rounds he has but a minute to re-
cuperate.
Altho Munroe's statement in regard
to the amount OF work required to
get into training for boxing may be
disputed by college athletes, his state
ment that the chance Of injury in the
sport is greater than in football is
significant, in view Of the chronic agi-
tation against the gridiron game. It
is comparatively seldom that boxer
is injured seriously, and usually when
an accident occurs it is due to a weak
heart. lack Of training, or some other
physical disability. So in football,
there are few accidents of conse-
quence, especially among college play
ers, who are required to be in good
physical condition before entering a.
game, and who train carefully thru
out the season. The fact is that
casualties, such as sprained ankles,
broken ribs or collarbones, or even
broken arms and legs, are frequent
in nearly all branches Of sport, and
the danger Of serious or lasting injury
in football is reduced to a, minimum
by the care taken to get the men into
the best condition.
IT. HE unpopularity Of the wrestling
game in the, past few years
would be a matter for wonder were
the cause not SO patent. Wrestling is
not only one of the most fascinating
Of sports to the man who engages in
it, but it is one of the most interest
ing to spectators. To one who is ac-
quainted with the fine points Of the
game, or to the novice, the spectacle
Of two clever men working upon the
mat is attractive.
The numerous fakes that have been
sprung upon the public have killed
the wrestling game, just as fake
fights helped to kill boxing in New
York and Chicago. The public now
attaches as much credit to the sin
cerity Of a boxer as to that of pro-
fessional footracer. go The result is
that it is almost imp possible for a pro-
fessional 4toa aecurei4s enough engage
ments to exc out a living. @ssz
The match "wednesday night at
Dillingham; & WASH, between Tom
Jenkins, the worlds champion, and
Frank Gotch, Of i Humboldt, Iowa,
aroused suspicion in the minds Of
many sporting men. Gotch was pop
sularly conceded to be about 1 to 4
shot, a1tho it was admitted that he has
come to the front very rapidly during
the past few years. It has been sug-
gested that new blood was needed in
the game to increase public interest,
and that for that reason Jenkins al
lowed himself to be thrown, intend
ing to win back the championship at
an early date. 1t is quite possible that
the match was Square" in which case
the two men are suffering the effects
of the reputation of the class.
It is a well known fact among sport
ing men that a fake wrestling match
is the hardest Of all fakes to detect.
Even the most experienced men may
find it impossible to satisfy themselves
whether the combatants are wrestling
on the square. It is, perhaps, for this
reason that fakes in this branch of
sport are so common.
Thor