The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-02-14
BOXERS SUFFER MOST
DURING THE TRAINING
Drying Out" Process Most Try
ing for Pugilist Just Before
Contest.
ABSTAIN FROM LIQUIDS
In Order to Get to Weight He
Must Not Drink Water
During His Training.

NEW YORK. Feb. Bone Of the hard
ships of a pugilists life. and there are
many. is the drying OUT process. To the
uninitiated this term may have no particu-
lar significance, but TO the scrapper it is
worse than a sccurge or the heaviest and
most effective blow ever delivered in prize
fighting. Drying OUT is making the re-
quired. weight for a fight. In order TO do
this successfully almost total abstinence
from liquids is essential. Any person who
has ever trained for battle can readily
realize what this means. especially those
who have cultivated the habit of drinking
with their meals.
Hardly a boxer OF prominence. aside
from those IN the simon-pure heavyweight
class. has escaped this 1t is part OF the
business and inevitable. unless a fighter is
lucky enough to arrange a match at catch
weights which permits him to scale at any
weight he cares TO.
The dying OUT process is usually put
In operation during the final two days
training for a contest. II the pugilist has
TO get TO. say 10 pounds. and he is above
that limit, he has to be very careful not TO
grow heavier. Liquids Of any kind increase
weight. and the trainer, il he understands
his business. win be prudent to see that his
charge does not take on any more flesh.
especially II 1t happens that large forfeit
has been posted for proper weight.
There are several instances where pugi-
lists have baked at the programme laid
down by their trainers. There have been
stories told where fighters in the later
stages of their preparation have smuggled
bottles of ale and water to bed. while the
rest OF the camp slept. and drank 10 their
hearts content But such a procedure was
mere folly, as il aided all the more to the
torments IN keeping within the prescribed
limit
Thirst is painful thing at any time, and
while in training IL is aggravated because
all the moisture In the system is absorbed
by exercising. In order TO alleviate this
somewhat, trainers often give food to
their charges that will keep the body
moistened and at the same time prevent
the increase of weight. Yet this does not
always help, and some fighters are almost
harrassed TO madness from sheer thirst.
of strenuosity In making weight has been
Benny Yanger, the ''TiptOn Sasher."
Yanger,- who used to be a featherweight,
had TO keep on training year in and year
competitors. To do this one must be pos
sessed Of Spartan courage and grit When
Padden, of Brooklyn, at Detroit last year
he had TO get TO a certain weight. He had
often fought at the scale. but he was grow
Ing older and heavier all the time.
His mentor could not account for the in
crease of avordupois. and zone day ques-
You drink a lot with your meals, don't
you, Benny" inquired the trainer. Yanger
admitted that such was the case, and then
his trainer replied; Wen, Benny. II you
McPadden you've got TO cut out all kinds
OF liquids. Understands
Yanger laughed, but his handler con-
WINGED him that he meant IT, and that UNI
less Yanger complied he would quit him
on the spot Yanger said that he could not
do without drink while training and that
II would be torture for him 10 abstain alto
gether. But he told that he must
and finally acquieSced.
For a whole week prior 10 the encounter
Yanger did not touch any liquid He made
the weight all right. but the long siege of
thirst Slapped his vitality and brought about
his decline as a tighter. in spite of the fact
that he weighs more to-day than ever be-
fore in his career.
rangers experience during his week of
abstinence Is still food for much COM
ment in the West He could not sleep for
more thantan hour at a time. Each night
he tossed feverishly on his pillow. drink
being rigidly refused, although half a dozen
Mines each night his trainer would put the
nHclx of a bottle TO his lips and allow him
rinse his mouth without swallowing a
drop.
Kid Mccoy says that his decline as a
pugilist is due TO the drying out'' process.
and that it should be eliminated from train
ing altogether. He contends that better
success can be obtained by allowing the
boxer TO take on men of a heavier weight
and fight at his best.
Building up is just as bad as reducing.
continued Mccoy. "At least il has been
I'm my case Whenever / take charge of q
man and train him for contest / let him
keep at his natural weight. In order to
put on weight you have to do lot of things
that you would not think of doing other
wise. In the first place. you have TO in
dulge In exercise that will develop one mus
Gle at the expense of another In this way
you the chance Of becoming slow and
slipshod. Sometimes you uncOnsciOusly
become mechanical, and in this way you
cultivate defeat
Now in my last match with Jack Root
j was advised TO take on weight. / was told
that against a pugilist of Roots calibre
j ought to scale at least ten pounds above
my regular limit which is loo pounds.
] did so. and as result / was whipped.
Somehow | was not as strong as L would
have been had / weighed 165 pounds. After
the first couple OF rounds ] lost my speed
and cleverncss, and although / had plenty
of chances To score decisive blow the
power in my punches was not there.
think that IL had remained AT Ito pounds j
would have been able TO whip Root
There is another thing which pugiists
stould avoid before a combat, and that Is
overanXiety. Jack O Brien. of Philadelphia
came pretty near being licked through it
when he met Tommy Ryan at Philadelphia
the other night. @ Bricn did n LOT of frettine
= before the fight. and naturally was subject
10 high nervous tension during the com
bat. After he Knocked Ryan down in the
fifth round he was very anxious 10 finish
him. HIe made an awkward attempt tC
land a knockout blow with righthapd
swing. and in doing 50 left himself TN
guarded. and received a wicked smash
on the jaw. which came near resulting
In his undoing. Had not OBrien beer
nervous and overanXiOuS he might have
whipped Ryan by just stalling him off with
n couple OF iabs This would have helped
10 keep Ryan dazed ana IN position
whereby OBrien could put home the blow
that raight have done the trick