The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1904-10-23
TIMELY BOXING TALK.
The Contest Between Joe Cans and Jimmy
Britt and the Chances Of Each.

Within the next ten days followers Of the
prizering will know whether Joe Cans is
| the invincible fighter he is supposed to be.
| The adrolt negro. who s one Of the best
colored puglists the game has known since
the days Of George Dixon, is to meet Jimmy
Britt OF California at San Francisco on Oct.
81. They are to met for twenty rounds at
1873 pounds ringside. This will be the first
time in a long while that a championship
mill. especially In the light weight class. has
been fought under conditions which the rules
Of the sport call for. Most contests In which
so-called titles have been involved were de-
cided under terms suited to the physical
requirements OF the rival boxers. Usually
there Is a long period. sometimes as much as
from Ave to eight hours. between Weighing
in time and the starting OF bout. In this
way one man is sure to have an advantage in
point Of pounds over his antagonist. Where
one pugilist may take on weight rapidly
after he has tipped the beam at the scale
prescribed In the articles of agreement the
other may not increase an ounce In weight.
or course this disparity In weight has its effect
and often turns the tide OF the battle.
When Cans met Joe Walcott in California
recently the public was treated to the novelty
OF men weighing in in the ring in the presence
OF the public. While this was a champion
ship affair. figuratively speaking. II really
WAS more OF handicap match. for the simple
reason that had Cans been beaten he woul d
still be the lightweight premier. He was
giving away plenty OF avoirdupols and at
best could not have weighed more than 1873
pounds. Had Cans succeeded In conquer
ing Walcott 1t Is even betting that he would
not have been accepted as the welterweight
champion. He would be compelled to step
Into one division and allow the other to go by
default. AS an instance. take Frank Ernes
bout with Terry McGovern at Madison Square
Garden. McGovern whipped the Buffalo boy
handily that night. and according TO the ethics
OF the ring he was entitled TO be proclaimed
the lightweight champion. an honor which
belonged to Erne at that time. But the
match, taken in a technical sense, was another
handicap tilt. because Erne agreed to make
O certain weg and kept his word. MoGovern
did not deprive Erne OF bis Championship
laurels, and Frank went ahead and met Joe
Cans. who knocked him out and annexed
the lightweight title.
In comparing the abilities Of Britt and
Cans the former looms up as the victor.
Taking, first, youth. which is In many cases
great factor In pugiism, Britt has years the
better OF II. Next In his favor he has in
domitable courage. a trait not so manifest
in the negro Gans has been snowa 70 Ss 9nt
f srosdyx.y y0S athletic CUP that esosanteS
p pssasd no to he 20 crowd PRESENT
could not have lost unless he dropped dead
In the ring. But t;aps dig lose and showed yMs
s Sfee ss Sn excuse that Erne had bndsd
Elm with a punch over the eye
cam. se SO sadasnS 81 that oaRs
scrap was commented upon: Whether Gans
quit simply to lose Or S whether ne stopped Topped
to the club mana cement and Cans. and Ms
manager Cans has been engaged In many
fh.s 1se thS1 as Is
and a rusher. He can take severe beating
S Say mth pSnSh that either lays hs man
on mi !. no, s ssa Ia. q u apy ns9
00 One tRins that Blt}s friends fear /. tina.
B. %.y nG hook be se @hsR 0p
Britt II Soxerns 1p leaves the right Sa'
head. but By. be may ncI BE iagid enough ioi
Cans. Britt has, on the other hand. good
body Sne s0E u. an at has time xR s Is
expects f. san sak se less pu
feTns M tRsqs an beat h% Shesso
he Msf RSSSE so did Sam hansf0rd
.to anas ri Himself HoF Bas ' seSaue;s
~ rivals "a, Pt Il. "a y He sehsd NJ. s ser.
may trouble Britt with these left hooks. But
In looking oyer his record duriaE ne pat two Two
70 sleep in a hurry ia Willie Fitzgerald Of
Brookiyn.. Preyious 70 thls. Gans,s opPSSnehnts
tbis Indicates that he Is not the hitter he used
TO be Is a matter Of conjecture, because he
never employs the same tactics twice in a
battle But II Ia probable that Cans 10 not so
strong az OF yore. and that his long cam
paign in the ring and eonstsnt training nit have
nnirera should not be led astray as to the
Weight question. Cans. viii certainly. get to
the required scale and be A. enough TO give
conouers. The chief point TO dwell upon Ia
endurance. and to- experts brtt seems to