The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1905-11-16
low Fighters 0VERWOOK
billy Madden Explains the De-
cadence of Champions
lOHN L. A BORN PUGlLlST


"The trouble with the majority OF
lur scrappers," said Madden, the
eteran manager, "is that they over
things. They work too hard when
ley have their vitality and youth
nd sap their strength to such an
xtont that by the time they have
cen campaigning with the gloves
)r, say, five years, they are all in,
to speak. Over-lndulgence in ex-
rcise Is worse than partaking of in
)xicating liquors to excess. Too
luch gymnasium work has killed
lore persons than booze, in my opin-
IN.
when a young, strong, husky fell
Nv elects to take up the precarious
usiness of prizefighting for living,
g forgets everything else in his en-
husiasm. He has health on his side
nd he desires to make muscle,
linking that it will accelerate mat
ers in his march to the top of the
adder. He enters the gym, say, early
\ the morning and plods away like
Trojan for hours at a stretch. He
erspires, he grows weary, rests
nd recuperates and goes over the
ntire programme again. He keeps
his up for days and weeks. At the
lme he may not feel the strain that
unconsciously places upon his
ervous system. His hearts action
; quickened and an extra strain is
ut upon this organ, which in the
nd must surely collapse. He watches
is muscles grow Some may have
7idened a few inches and he is ex-
remedy delighted"
1t was Madden who took John L.
,ullivan in hand and helped the Bos-
on boy to achieve fame and fortune
1 the ring. 1t was Madden who re-
ived boxing in America through the
ledium of having Sullivan tour the
ountry meeting all corners in four
ound bouts.
Madden has been a trainer and
manager for twenty-five years and
fas a pugilist himself for ten years.
"a fighter should be champion un-
il he is thirty-seven years Old" con-
luutu NduueH ltueCllNtlN. II Il
ity that such youngsters as Terry
lcGovern and Young Corbett should
q forced to meet their opponents in
he ring to-day as eX-champions.
little McGoyern has not as yet
cached thirty. Corbett is many
ears below this mark.
"a fighter should train but three
ieeks for any mill. He may dwell
4 the country and take things easy
. month before he starts his labors.
Tut he should have plenty of sleep
nd fresh air. Two hours in the gym
asium, one hour in the morning and
ne hour in the afternoon, are sufil-
lent. Let him go on the road and
ldulge in a six to eight mile spin.
% not run the entire distance. Vary
he journey by walking or trotting,
.ccording to the way one feels. Cut
iut boxing entirely. For the ordi-
ary citizen who wants some kind of
yercise one hour daily in the gym
,asium will suffice.
John l.. never made it a practice
o box while in very severe training.
5effries and Jim Corbett did when
ley were in the ring. But it must
ave injured them, for they had to
bandon their title before they were
7.
Sullivan dissipated or else he
hight have been champion to-day.
i'm Mace was champion of the world
/ 40 years. Fitzsimmons was cham
ion at 81, and Joe Goss fought Pad
y Ryan for the title at AZ. Mace
Iever cared to box while in train
sitzsimmons, in my opinion, is the
fnly pugilist before the public who
nows how to train properly. That Is
yhy he has lasted as long as he has.
Ie understands his own physique,
ne same as a good physician should
understand his patient.
'As to the development of pugil-
SITS, there is not much to say. Some
rainers trust to luck in bringing a
'ghter to the front, while others
work. on careful and intelligent lines.
I you have a man that is the goods,
i've him plenty of scope If he is
'ound wanting, look elsewhere for
some one to take his place. / disap-
1rove of the fallacy that a man must
)e over feet to be successful, his
other qualifications being considered
look at Joe Walcott, with his 3 feet
md half an inch and weighing only
i42 pounds in shape. He was able to
1eat heavyweights. Fitzsimmons,
100, Weighing 1853 pounds, had only
weighed 40 pounds, and he had to
rink ten bottles of ale a day to put
IN seven pounds. There is only one
good pugilist in a thousand men in
reduced, and one great champion is
developed once in ten years. Fight
ers should train privately. No pugil-
ist likes to be told in the presence of
4 lot of sports what to do. He wants
to convey the impression that he
knows it all, and consequently the
instructions that trainer would like
to impart are lost.-New York Sun.
The deepest gold mine in the
world is at Bendigo, in Australia.