The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-03-20
FIGHTERS SHOULD TRAIN
FAITHFULLY OR RETIRE
No One Can Blame the Boxers for
Desiring a Revision OF the
Weights.
CASE OF PRIVATION
Latter-Day Professionals Are Not
Eager to Take OFF Much
Weight.

PHILADELPHIA, March 19.-Just be-
cause few successful professional cham
pion boxers clamor for a new scale OF
weights. several scribes in the West are
endeavoring to have a popular rearrange-
ment of the classes. No one can blame the
boxers. because they are gradually out
growing the class which they claim to be
champions of. and are not so sure whether
they can hold their own if they graduate.
AS for the scribes, no one should for a
moment take them seriously Not one of
them ever used a set Of gloves, for the
purpose they were intended, and it is safe
to say they never trained for any contest
requiring courage and endurance.
If professional boxers, who are a whim-
sical lot, were left to themselves. there
would be class for each weight from los
to 200 pounds. But custom, tradition and
common sense is bound to step in, with
the result that there will be an adherence
to the old weights. which are and always
will be popular the world over. A ban
tam-weight will always be a bantam-weight
and not boiled down feather weight, and
so on UP the scale. There is a gradual
shrinkage of strenuous work by the pro-
reSSlondl boxer in his training, and he now
wants TO compete at e weight which is
comfortable and which is not attained by
self-denial, hard work and living close to
nature Depriving ones self of the luXurieS
of life. living nature intends man should
lfVe, means in many instances self-inf1icted
punishment but the results are well worth
/ the sacrifice.
Scores of instances could be related
where amateur and professional athletes
VINO started out to reduce themselves TO
a certain weight did not taste a morsel of
1000 nor drink one glass Of water for TWEEN
'ty-four hours preceding the time to weigh
in. One Incident will serve the purpose.
The occasion was September. 1891. The con-
test was between Jack McAuliffe who was
regarded the worlds champion light
weight, and Austin Gibbons The scene of
the contest was Hoboken, N ]. The
match was the result of argument in
New York hotel the month before The
Paterson IN. j. contingent, who believed
Gibbons was world beater, wagered freely
that McAuliffe could not beat their protege
az l30 pounds, weigh-in at the ringside.
McAuliffe, who was present, told his friends
10 take all the wagers, and that he would
be at the ringside. weighing 1S5 pounds, if
he had TO be carried there on sheet.
This was exactly four weeks before the
contest, and McAuliffe weighed Isl
pounds. The great lightweight could not
be banded. The match was quickly made,
with purse of $500 for the winner and
$500 to the loser, and a forfeiture of $500
each If the weight was not made. Glib
bins had no trouble; it was his natural
weight. AS for McAuliffe, beginning with
the next day, it was four weeks of con-
tinuous suffering and privation. He was
as persistent as he was plucky. Day
after day his chief adviser, Jerry Ma
honey, pleaded with him to abandon the
contest. But he was obdurate. MY
friends have wagered money, and they shall
win,". was his constant reply.
At the hour to be weighed the gr9Rt
lightweight had TO be carried to the club
house, and he tipped the beam at exactly
135 pounds. This was 8 p. m. Gibbons i'm
medately went to the ring, while a score
of willing hands had cubes of toast dipped
into beef tea ready to feed to McAuliffe.
His body was massaged with a liniment
which was largely composed of olive oil,
while he was being fed. and all the while
the Paterson lightweight was sitting i'm
patiently in the ring, every minute getting
more nervous. At 9:35 the Gibbons contin-
gent began to get WISE" and appealed to
the referee, Jere Dunn, and McAuliffe was
given five minutes to be in the ring. 1t
was nearly 10 O'Clock before the bout
started. The hours rest and miniature
banquet had worked marvels with the
champion. The story of the contest is
now a matter of history. McAuliffe was
given the partially digested food between
each round, and the police interfered in the
| sixth round to prevent Gibbons being
knocked out. What McAuliffe did. in his
| training, the self-denial resorted to and
| the Sacrifices made to attain the one object
should be a good lesson TO the professionals
of to-day who clamor for a reimbursement
| of the classes. If you are too big for a
lightweight come out pluckily and acknowl-
edge il. Try your fate among the weller
| weights, and don't masquerade.