Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1908-02-22
JANIS. J. CORbfI1
TALKS On FIGHTERS
Interesting Review OF
Pugs OF Present
And Past


, talked cntertainingly not long ago. dis.
cussing the great boxers of the past
and present, says the Cincinnati En-.
quirer. Dozens of questions were sub
mitted to him and he had clever
answer for all. The most interesting
statement made by Corbett was in re.
gard to Jim Jefries, the retired heavy.
weight who left the ring undefeated.
. Say. boys" said Corbett, opening
up his line of talk on big JEFF. do you
know what made Jim Jeffries the
greatest fighter that ever lived?" No
one had ever got wise to this import.
ont question, and, of course, no an
swer was volunteered.
"Well, I'll tell YOU" said Jim, set
+ Ting down in his chair. while his lis.
teners waited with bated breath to
learn the great secret. "Jeffrles, in
the first place, was the biggest man
that ever wore the title. but his one
advantage was that left hand with
which he has won so many battles.
You hsee, JEFF was naturally a left.
handed man. He did everything with
his south paw that we do with our
right hand. This gave him such
hunch on all other heavy-weights that
they never could defeat him"
What appeared to be the most diff
ficult part Of Jeff's anatomy to get
to?" some one asked THAT question
is easily answered" replied Corbett
I"Jeffries was Just like stone wall
You could hit him anywhere and still
not hurt him. He was so big and
awkwardly clever that It was impos
sible to make any Roadway in wear.
| ing him down to a point where you
might have n chance to put over the
knockout blow | always considered
JEFF the Terrible Turk of the prize
ring. He was so much bigger than
y all the others who fought him that his
opponents were so much outclassed In
size that they lost heart. Outside of
'Jeffrles, Bob Fitzsimmons was the
best heavyweight | ever met. Peter
Jackson was also a grand boxer, and
I think this pair stood alone in the
class OF heayy-weights of natural size.
"Fitz was a wonderful fighter for his
weight and inches. He was a two.
handed boxer. with all the finer points
of the game at his finger ends, and
that famous shift of his had us all
guessing. Two of the most scientific
Il know of are Tommy Ryan and Joe
Cans. They are master mechanics on
a job, and what they don't know about
lighting isn't worth learning | always
did say Terry McGovern was the best
Ifeather-weight ever saw. He was a
lreal fighting machine and whipped his
'men while his opponents were think.
ing of what to do. McGovern fought
so many good men and whipped them
so handily that the public to this day
does not fully realize what this boy
did when he was champion. Terry's
best fighting weight was 100 pounds.
At 1913 pounds Young Corbett was the
best in the business.
Il do not think we will ever see Kid
Lavigne's equal as lightweight. He
was a fighter pure and simple and
none of the present.day lightwelghts
has reached anywhere near the stand.
ard set by the Saginaw Kid. Joe Wal.
IcOtt, like Peter Jackson, Is undoubt-
ledly one of the most wonderful col
Iored fighters that ever put on a glove.
II fought jackson and would fight him
Iagain II | was champion and Peter
Twas still on earth. | never could agree
with the fighters who claim the right
to draw. the color line. Black and
white fighters are on an equal when
they go In the ring. Boxers who pre-
tend to be afraid of getting in bad
with society for fighting a man of an
lother color are not, made of the right
Istuff. What has fighter to lose soc.
Tally? They are all put in the same
class by the public, and the man who
Iproves himself the best of the lot Is
lcalled champion, and 1t makes no diff,
ference what the color of his oppon.
ents may be, just as long as the sports
Hook with favor on the match. In 9th.
Ter words, 1t is better to whip one
negro boxer of championship caliber
than a dozen white men whom the
public does not look upon as worthy
of attention.
II think Tommy Burns has made a
mistake In taking on lot Of dubs
land then demanding that the people
lof the United States receive him as a
champion. Here is a splendid example
Of fighter trying to make himself a
ring idol without the support of the
right element in the sporting world.
THE scrapper who will be hailed as
champion of the world will be the fell
low who puts up his money and fights
Ievery man that dares dispute his
iclaim to the title. The public makes
the champions. One might argue day
and night to the contrary, but have
never known of an instance where the
claims of fighter oyer'shadowed the
opinion Of the public. Tommy Burns
may think he Is the real thing and
can make out an easy way to the top
of the pugilistic ladder of fame but
when he gets a couple of rude shocks
then he will realize that he has fooled
no one but himself and the people
will flock to the side of some other
ring hero while Burns will have to