The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1905-03-04
Boxing and Wrestling
Comment and Gossip
What Chance Does Nelson Stand With Britt?
Star SCrappers lnjuring Game in
Philadelphia.

No more sad but instructive lesson Of
the evil effects of fast living on an ath-
Iete was ever offered than when Young
Corbett was beaten on Tuesday night in
Frisco by Battling Nelson.
1t was nothing but a plain case of
system undermined by prolonged dissi-
patton. 1t is well known that boxers
and wrestlers who have to reduce TO
any extent find it more difficult each
time they try, if they have to take off
more than Few pounds This is true
of athletes WHO keep themselves in con-
dition, and is tenfold more true of those.
who dissipate. Dissipation not only
causes q man to take on flesh, but
causes the muscles to become soft, and
when the softening has progressed to
any marked extent it is practically i'm
possible 10 ever get them back 10 their
original hardness.
This was the trouble with Young Cor
bett- He was apparently sound, but his
internal muscular mechanism was SO
soft that 1t was easily disarranged and
thfoWn out Of gear when 1t came to
standing the gaf.
What chance will Nelson have with
Britt? Judging by his showing with
Corbett he should have an excellent one.
While he deeisively defeated his man it
must not be supposed that the Denver
lie was an easy mark by any means.
Even In his condition he was one Of the
few men in the country who could have
stood so long against the Dare and have
fought back at him as effectively.
Britt outpointed and outboxed Nelson
Iii that last encounter. and when they
come together again he will proba bly,
nave TO win on points. IL he wins at
all The Frisco man is an unusually
clever boxer with punch enough tG make
his opponents wary and weaken them
course fUpTfV
to enable him to make good showing
N the last half of the fight, but he has
never shown that he had q knockout
Saiiop. or that if it came TO a case of
hghting man to man in a tweIye-foot
] ring that he could deliver the goods
against q man Of the hardy build of
Nelson at present and Corbett formerly.
II the Dane can get to Britt early in the
night anG land a few whacks that will
| TAKE some of his steam out, even though
| ne nlmsef gets 1t good and hard. he
/ should draw down the big end of the
| purse, but If Britt blocks him for ten
| rounds by clever boxing and footwork il
will be pretty near a safe bet, barring
| chance blows, that the affair will go to
| the limit and that Britt will win again
| on points.
| The effect of putting star scrappers in
| six-round bouts in Philadelphia, where
| no decisions are given, is very often to
| have the star stall around with the in
| ferior man, trying to land q knockout
DO" and add a clean-cut victory to his
| credit instead of going in and fighting
so that the crowd will get u run for its
money. The ones who will eventually
| suffer from the proceedings are the pin
| headed candidates for hod-csrriers' and
/ sand shoyelers jobs who call them
| selves boxers. Ring patrons want a run
| for their money. and if the alleged stars
| do not give it to them they are not only
going to stop taking in the shows but
I, are apt to begin knocking and close
UP the game
The reports OF the scrap between
a9aIn,a an We Wea,eav I,.iisat i tbit
Ryan adopted the fool policy Of playing
only for d knockout He landed some
part of the sixth round that he put up
the fast fight of which he was capa BILE.
and the opinion of the experts was tat
/ Clancy would have received the decfs-