The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1906-12-30
LACK GOOD DEFENSE.
Why Many Clever Fighters
Careers Are Cut Short.
McGOvERN IS AN EXAMPLE
Terrible Terry. n Victim of over
training. Had "A Punch that Dis
counted His Rivals Science-COn-
unued Punishment Finally Told ON
scrappy BrOOlIIynite-Other Cases.

Terry McGovern in an insane ward IS a
lesson to fighters who have studied only
the offensive side of their calling. The
former champion Of the world is still
youngster Five years ago he ranked as
the greatest little man the game had
ever known. To-day he is down and out.
II is not the pace that kills which
pulled down Terry. says the Philadelphia
North American. His bad habits did not
begin until his decline had started Per
haps they helped TO hasten the end They
did not begin H.
McGoven is d victim Of entertaining
and lack of proper defense. He came
into the ring a full-hedged champion.
lie underwent no apprenticeship. He had
a punch that none could Withstand. 9th
ers might be better boxers, but the ter
rible punch Of Terry for time discount
ed all skill, and it was not untn he met
Young Corbett. a youth who did not
fear him. who could box and had a wal
Top, that Terry was dropped from his ped
estaL
Fought without Defense.
Meantime. during four busy years, Ter
~ had been fighting without a defense.
lie had never learned how 10 cover up
his body and protect the vital parts. He
won 50 easily that ne did not think he
needed to master the defensive skill that
enabled a man to survive a long career
and come out unframed
Take a blow 20 give one was Terry's
motto He acted on it literally. With
lowered head. careless Of what punches
might be rammed into his heart and
stomach. he rushed in % annihilate his
men. lie usually succeeded, but In every
one Of these fights he was hit often and
hard.
This continued punishment had a cumu-
latiVe effect Terry became q nervous
wreck. Moreover, he was always in train
ing and gave outraged nature no chance
to Teiuvenate itself His finish is only
what must have been expected under the
circumstances.
An examination of the records viii show
that IL is only the men who understood
the art Of avoiding punishment who have
kept 10 the fore for a long time Joe
Cans was "a champion before Terry. and
be is stll one. lie knows how 90 box
Tommy Ryan and Jack o Brieu Illustrate
the same idea. Af.er they quit the box
ing game they VIII still be splendid speci-
mems Of manhood, IN fine physical and
mental trim.
Careers Are short.
The slap-b8ng boxer who reckous moth
ing Of taking a punch is a hero with the
public while it lasts, but DE pays the
price. There are many others who prove
this In addition TO the case Of poor Terry.
A few years ago the public delighted 20
cheer Kid Carter, one Of the bravest men
who ever pulled on a glove. He had a
terrific punch, and those who saw him
give away weight To Gus Rubin will
never forget his matchless courage in
those unequal bouts.
He took terrible beatings from Peter
Maher. whom be knocked out, Marvin
Hart. and Jack O'Brien. yet he never
hinched. Finally. all of a sudden. he coll
lapsed. ana went back so pitiabIy that
men who al one tine would have run
from him for their lives, were able 70
knock him out Had Carter first learn
al how % ward off punishment he might
have been "a star to-day
Tom sharkey was as brave as any Of
them. be could slug, but not box. The
awful lacing Jim Jeffries visited on the
sailor put him out of the fighting game.
He came back once and took rank with
the smaller men, but he was no longer
the Slarkey of old.
Case of Kid Broad.
Kid Broad was similar case. and so
was little Eddie Hanlon. a Iion-hearted
youngster, who was fighting champions
while In his teens. Eddie was a bulldog
"a forcer OF the battling, but he lacked
the art Of keeping away from the blows
He has never gone nearly as far as he
should
Buddy Ryan had wallop. but no
guard and his light soon went out Yet
Jimmy Gardner, "a weIter who can box
ought 10 be good for ten years.
George Gardeners clumsy style and rug
gedness went for a while. then the effect
OF the pound.ngs began to tell. until
eventually he lost his courage and became
perhaps the worst lemon IN the ring
IN football the coaches always teach q
team how 20 defend its goal before i'm
parting the art of making tOuchd0wns. It
should be 50 in boxing.
The man with the punch who forgets
the laws Of self-defense can have bur
short-lved success in the ring, and that