The San Francisco call., 1905-08-31
atNelSon Looks Gaunt
and Jaded From His
Hard Training.

There is an adage among horsemen in
Australia that many a race is left on
the sand If ever a fighter seems on the
verge of leaving a race on the sand it is
Battling Nelson. The Hegewich cham
pion looks gaunt and jaded at the present
time from the effects of the extreme heat
at his Marin County training quarters
and of the unusually severe work he is
doing. AT this time, when he should be
storing up the vitality which is his chief
stock in trade as a fighter he is burning
ii UP with unnecessarily hard training.
To Withstand the work he did yesterday
at his Colma training quarters he should
weigh from 13S to 40 pounds. Instead of
having this added weight on which to
work he is down under 135 pounds, and
shows IL. His shoulders no longer give
that impression of immense driving pow
er, the shoulder blades being prominent
where the muscles used to show. If he
keeps on at his present rate of work he
will be able TO fight in the bantam class
before another week passes. His present
system of training if followed out until
the day of the fight will surely tell on
him if he has to go long route. Instead
Of building up his natural vitality he will
have exhausted what he lad in store
after his mountain trip. At the present
time he seems to be training on the lines
that would be adopted in sending a horse
in training for a four-mile race at that
distance each day at the top of his speed.
Flesh and blood can stand no such pres
sure, and when a breakdown comes ma
ture requires long time to repair the
damage.
Nelson has not improved in boxing,
either in the hitting department or in de-
fensive work. He had Bob Lundie and
Abe Label as partners yesterday, and
each could hit him whenever and wher-
ever he pleased. Eundie, the amateur,
had had a severe fight the night before,
but in wrestling with Nelson and in box
ing he showed greater strength and more
skill Nelson's trainers said yesterday
they intended to give him, let-up and al
low his weight TO reach the l3S-pound
mark 1t would have been an advantage
to him to have done this yesterday, in
stead of urging him on to unusual efforts
in his jaded condition.
How his manager, seeing him at work
from day TO day, could allow him to get
into such condition was a surprise to
some of the followers of boxing who saw
him work out. 1t required no technical
knowledge to see that the schedule of
training laid out for him did not fit his
case at all.
Every effort should be made to nurse
Nelson's vitality, and no time should be
spent in an effort to make him fancy
boxer. The lightest possible exercise that
would Keep MIN IN nedilu anu ldHu Aini
in the ring at the required weight is what
he needs. Many a promising fighter has
had his career spoiled by inefficient hand
ling. and Nelson may find himself in that
class He is being worked as though he
had twenty pounds of superfluous flesh
on him, whereas he is practically at
weight and the fight is still ten days off.
Unless there is q radical change in his
handling his hackers will not get run
y, when he meets the fresh
and vigorous Britt Nelson neither
smokes nor drinks and is practically in
condition the year round. The gentlest
exercise that will keep him in health and
his muscles in condition is what he needs
10 bring out his best efforts.