The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-03-27
BIRTHS TICTORY.

The colors of a champion were lowered
last week when Young Corbett lost TO
Jimmy Britt, the pride of California, in
one of the greatest fistic battles that has
ever taken place in the United States.
There could have been no championship
at stake in this contest the men agreed
to do battle at 13O pounds, above the
featherweight limit and the lightweight
title was not at stake, neither man held
that honor Young Corbett is still the
featherweight champion, but had there
been a special class Britt would be en-
titled 10 the championship of that division.
This is not the first battle on record in
which a champion was defeated. Young
Corbett was nearly TO l favorite, and
Eastern critics especially could see little
chance for Britt to win against such a
wonderful little fighter as the Denver lad
But Britt won and while the victory was not
a decisive one. such as is obtained with a
knockout, yet it demonstrated that the
pride OF California is now entitled to all
the glory that should be given a man for
deleatlng champion. 1t has been stated
| that Corbett went out of his class to meet
Britt, but that is not altogether the case
| and should not lessen the credit due Britt
| Britt weighed 129 pounds when he got on
the scales Corbett was about one and a
half pounds under the limit, the reports
state. In his recent battles Corbett has
met good men at 10 and $50 pounds and in
reality Britt came down to Corbett's weight
instead of the champion going out of his
| class to take on the man who is now
heralded as the lighting wonder. The re-
port of the contest by rounds showed that
| Corbett had the better of the hrst fifteen
rounds. but he had such hard task that
he did not resort to his joshing tactics as
| he has done in other battles with Nc
Govern, Hanlon, Sullivan and others. Britt
| kept him too busy to permit of anything
| ludicrous to flood Corbetts brain. Even
| when Corbett had the advantage it was
| found that Britt was able to take care of
himself and the California lad, by playing
| for the stomach and wind weakened Cor
bett and was able to make a game finish
| in the last four rounds. The battle demon
| strated that both men must have been in
| the best OF physical condition. Fighting
| from gong to gong throughout twenty
| rounds OF the most gruelling contest, the
| little fighters showed the ability to take
| punishment and also demonstrated strong
| recuperative powers. Both were badly
punished, but the fight was free from
| knockdowns, in which one of the men could
| take advantage of a few seconds to rest.
| Britt was sent to the floor once during
| the early part of the contest, but was up
| in an instant. Corbett has been known
| to have a knockout In either hand but he
| could not land ii or else Britt was able 10
stand the gait. 1t had been stated that
| Britt had no punching ability, but this was
| shown to be false report through the
punishment he gave the champion, the lat
| ter's ability to stand terrific wallops being
| the only thing that saved him from trip
| to dreamland by the knockout route. There
| should be no excuse to offer for Young
| Corbett's defeat other than the best man
won. 1t was no fiuke victory for the Cali
fornian, such as might have been claimed
had he won in the first two three rounds
by knockout. 1t was simply case of the
best man winning, and he should be given
the credit for the victory. The men put up
such wonderful fight that 1t would not
be surprising if they were matched for a
second battle some time in the future. Cor
bett can still obtain plenty of matches,
while Britt will have all the opportunities he
desires from such men as Buddy Ryan,
Charley Neary and other 130-pound boxers.