The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-01-24
EVERY FIGHTER HAS
HIS FAVORITE BLOW
Jeffries Says a Stiff Left TO Jaw
Helped Him Earn the Cham
pionship.
CARRY FORCE TO MARK
1t Is Also Very Important to Know
Where to Land a Blow OH an
Opponent.
CARRY FORCE TO MARK

NEW YORK, Jan. 23-"Every fighter
has his favorite blow" says James J. JEFF
fries, that is. he has blows h likes TO
use in preference to all Others. because he
believes they win bring about the desired
effect more quickly. There are many blows
to choose from and when you discover your
most effective delivery the idea Is TO manip-
uate 1t with the best possible results. Ii
didn't take me long to pick out few good
blows and guess my battles show whether
or not my judgment was correct.
Il never lost any time trying to invent
new blows. That is all folly. 1 realized
at once that the old ones were good enough
for me-the same ones that old John L. Sui
livan used. They got the money for him
ana there is no reason why they should not
bring victory to me. There are just
many blows that will do damage to an OPP
ponent and success depends upon the use
of them. You have got TO know how to
land them so that they will carry the force
to the mark. 1t is almost important to
know where to land on an opponent as it
is to know what blow to use. These fancy
blows may be all right for fellow who
wants to be spectacular, but when it comes
to scoring knockout they have little or no
effect
Zone of my three best blows, which l
use when the occasion warrants, is
the left swing to the jaw. 1t is a
great blow for me and 1 can attribute
companying picture with Jim Corbett. 1t
is great blow for me and 1 can attribute
my greatest success in the ring to this one
blow. might say that it did more to gain
me the championship than any other blow
Although 1 had used it more or less effect
lively in other battles, it was not until l
met Fitzsimmons at Coney Island for the
championship that | discovered what de-
struction 1t could work. l used several
blows in that fight, but 1t the left
which started Fitzsimmons on the down
grade-took all the life out Of him and gave
me the championship.
1T is not possible to land the blow that
you want every time. You have got to
wait your chance. and that Is what L did
me with a rush In an effort TO land a
swing. out before he was able TO score |
let go my left. bringing my body. around
with sudden jerk. IT caught him flush
ON the jaw, and the jolt took him clean off
his feet seating him the floor. That
blow marked the beginning Of the end of
Fftzsimmons as champion. His grasp on
the championship had been weakened. He
came back, of course, as any game man
Will after a wallop but his head2 was
never clear. and 1t was simply a question
of time when L should put him down for
the final count. Fitzsimmons always had
great deal of respect for that left after
last battle at San Francisco. He was more
cautious, but nevertheless l sent II to the
mark every now and then. 1t didn't knock
him out. but 1t did damage that told in
the long run.
The reason a fighter has more than one
favorite blow is because one blow is not
likely TO succeed with all men alike. A
fighter who might be an easy mark for
a dQfGnSR
for the left, and consequently the right
would be the blow to use. For instance.
mark for left, and 1t was that same blow
that put Corbett out In our battle at Consy
Island In the twenty-third round.
Up to the time landed the Knockout
Corbett took many body punches without
any apparent injury. He stood the game
well, but 1 knew that If / could get that
left to the mark 1t would do the trick. 1t
ever, and when l got Corbett on the ropes
trying to get away / landed on the jaw.
He was pretty well tired out from the
rounds, but that left would have put him
out had it caught him with the same eff
feet in the early rounds. The only difference
between the blow L landed on FitZSimmonS
and on Corbett was that Fitz was coming
into me with rush, while Corbett was
running away and apparently covered up.
There are several ways / can land that
good left. 1t is almost natural for all
fighters to cover up their jaw when they
are boxing. The right is used for a guard,
while the left is used for a lead. This
makes 1t difficult to reach the jaw with
the left. There is only one thing to do
under the circumstances. / simply get
busy and force my opponent into a lead.
/ make a bluff feint with the right. Think
ing that the blow is going to land on his
head he gets busy blocking. and in that
manner throws up his guard and leaves
the Jaw exposed. Instead of letting the
right go, / draw ii back quickly and shoot
the left to the mark. L have worked it to
perfection and no matter how wise the
boxer may be there is none too wise to
be fooled once in while