The Fargo forum and daily republican., 1909-05-07

'Tt has surprised lot of fight fans,
no doubt, to see the clever way these
little English pugilists have jumped in
and trimmed our feather and light
weights off the ree':'' said the old New
York sport as he discussed recent ring
events the other night.
"It hasn't been much OF surprise to
me, however. for I consider that the
American school of boxing in the last
twenty-five years has greatly deterior-
ated instead of being advanced.
"Our old time boxers knew how to
punch straight with both hands, and
didn't go in with wild swings, wide
open, like Terry McGovern in his bing-
bang style.
'It was John l.. Sullivan, never a
really clever boxer, who adopted this
wild swinging and since then nearly
every pugilist on this side of the At
lantic has been doing the same thing,
forgetting the old straight punches
sullivan won because he was won
derfully strong. Smashing in, he broke
his opponet's guard down, walloped
him on the jaw with his right and put
| him out.
"But when Sullivan met Corbett ne
was up against a clever fellow, and
| wasn't able to hit nimble Jim an ef-
fective blow in the twenty one rounds
they fought.
when McGovern met Young Cor
bett the first time at Hartford the lat
ter lust waited for one of Terry's mad
rushes. and. mailing him on the jaw
sent him down and out. Many of Nc
Governs followers thought that 1t was
an accidental blow, SO the boys met
again, and Young Corbett repeated
these tactics with the same result.
| what was Sullivan able to do with
Charley Mitchell when he had him ir
the ring at Chautilly, France, for more
than three hours? Nothing. Mitchell
was too clever for a wild swinger like
| Sullivan and simply avoided the bis
fellow until the latter was so tree
that he was willing to agree 70 draw
DriscoIrs Aim True.
| "You didn't see Jem Driscoll do any
wild swinging when he met Attell
Cross. Mario, Baldwin or any of the
others did you? No, not much. Tbs
Welshman simply jabbed them all sicl
with his clever straight left.
oHe fought exactly like the ole
4 American pugilists saw generation
1 ago-like Joe Coburn, Jim Dunnie
Mike Donovan, Bob Farrell, Billy Mad
den and many others. Dunno, Dono'
van. Farrell and Madden are all alive
/ today.
ASK them about tie scientific box
ers Of old. Jack Dempsey and Jacl
McAuliffe, of more recent date, knew
how to lead straight met, McAuliff'
AT the National Athletic club the othe
evening watching a couple of yount
swingers beating the air with thei
gloved fists.
They're couple Of willing boys
4 chr I said to the former lightweight
champion.
"'Yes, very willing, replied Nc
i lAuliffe. but rotten. It's a pity, oil
i sport that somebody doesn't teach tn
young boxers of today how to spar
why. If either Of those boys came a
lme with wild swings, wide open, In m,
lday, I'd have knocked his block Off.
| ..There they 60, round after round
Fin the same ding dong way. You re
member poor Dempsey, of course9 "A
was an artist. No man ever led TO hin
twice in the same rnanner without
return, and he never fought one roun'
like another
Sometimes he was aggressive, an
then again he would play possun q
the defensive. Dempsey was straigh
puncher and his blows landed wher
he aimed them.
''In 1891 the great little fighter
George Dixon, WIS pitted against Bill
/, Plimmer for four rounds In Madiso
Square Garden. The bout was fo