The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1904-12-20
fenceless before Candle, Hanlon and

fenceless before Candle, Hanlon and
Herrera, be the same man that Britt
will have to fight. He will meet a
better man than the Nelson that
stopped Young Corbett in ten rounds.
In the three weeks since that great
battle the Dane has developed speed
and cleverness hitherto undreamed Of
in the boy AT infighting and blocking
he has shown marvellous improve
ment and it was admitted that his
work in this line with Corbett was
really first class. 1t was his custom
prior to his argument with the Dem
verite to take terrible gruelling for
II or Is rounds and having permitted
his opponent to fight himself out. to
wade in with crushing right upper
cuts and his funny left overland half
hook and take home the money. The
change displayed in his fight with
Corbett was a revelation and those
who have seen him in training declare
he has developed even greater speed
and science. If he makes good on his
showing in training. Champion Britt
will get out of the ring the pOssessor
of food for much thought, whether
he wins or loses.
Britt's favorite blow before his. af-
fair with Cans was swirling left
stomach punch but with the negro he
showed a right for the heart that was
''pippin." He flashed it again and
comfiture, mixing it with his famous
left in sufficient number to force Cans
to look for a soft spot. What effect
these two blows will have on Nelson
remains to be seen. He took all that
Corbett and Herrera, admittedly two
of the heaviest punchers of their
pounds in the ring, could hand out but
they had no more effect on him than
rain drops on a ducks back. 1t is
argued that the Dane has taken so
many hard beatings that his armor of
muscle is not so invulnerable as it
was six months ago and that a handy
man with a straight, fairly strong
punch can jam his glove through to
floor for the count, but that argu-
ment can hardly hold good in the face
of Nelson's improvement in speed and
other points of the game. Beatings,
when they go to the right spot nat
urally slow up a fighter and by the
same token they sap his strength.
| Therefore. Nelson having gained both
| in speed and strength, cannot have
| lost one iota of his power of assimi-
lating punishment.
The boys have been training faith
! fully and as neither has any bad habits
and both can make the prescribed
| weight without bother, their condition
| is all that could be wished for.
man, but despite this he is the short
ender. Britt had his hands full get
| ting a decision over Martin Candle in
25 rounds. Nelson disposed of Candle
in 10. Nelson turned the same trick
with HanlOn, doing as we'll with
the California featherweight as Cor
bett did, following this up with a de-
| feat of Corbett in ten rounds, as
against Britt's questionable decision
over the Denverite in twenty rounds
! Britt had done all that he has been
asked or expected of him. Nelson, as
showed, exceeded expectations. What
the lads will do this time is a matter
that the bettors have been trying to
| figure out since the match was made.
The dope" and the odds are often
wrong especially when Nelson is one
of the principals.
The award of the battle. aside from
the championship title, is So per cent
of the gross, split 60 and 40. Corbett
| and Nelson split about $66O0 but If IN
! terest in the present fight is any cri-
| terion, the cut-up should easily reach
| the sum of $4,000.
Billy Roche will referee. Spider
| Kelly will be Britt'S chief second,
| while Ted Murphy will esquire Mel
| son.