The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1909-12-22
BY JAMES J. CORBETT.
Former Heavyweight Champion oi
 the World


 Former Heavyweight Champion of
 the World
 When James J. Jenries climbs out of a prize ring on the evening oi July f next, in some Western cily-Salt lake City or san Francisco-the world will cheer him as the real champion of the century. Between circle and the second that he left ir, he will hEve disposed Of all the claims of Jack Johnson to the title or worlds champion. The sconers who spent months wondering wheth- CT .Jeff had lost his punch or whether he still had his wind will then wake up and try and dope out why they ever lost their bearings.
 In my day there have been battles in which the contestants have been pretty evenly matched, but when Jim Jeffries faces Jack Johnson In the ring, the spectators will see in Jeff n man " ho was cut out by nature to be a fighter pure and simple. and in his opponent a dusky marvel or Inc science of boNinE-
 In the set of articles that the two men signed one paragraph called Tor '.forty-five rounds or more" That pose of his colored rival long before lsalf of that time has elapsed And when if is all over the Johnson ad- herents will realize that their idol vas up against the marvel of the past decade.
 This sounds like climbing into the sky" but there is one advantage that I have over many millions of men, I fought Jefries twice and when it comes down to talking from expert ence, it certainly looks as if I had the inside track While I am enthusiastic over Jeffries, I don't want to say that Johnson has no merit On the con- trary. Jack is good, clever, fast fighter, and entitled to all the praise he now gets by being the worlds champion But there is one point that you must not overlook In his career Johnson has not defeated any good man of heavyweight calibre. He won his title by beating Tommy Burns in Australia. and added more glory to his claim by knocking out Stanley Ketchel. They were a pair of good men-but good little men What chance do you think either Burns or Ketchel would have with Jeffries even now? It would simply be a case of murder.
 Negro Has Two Punches.
 They all cant about the wonderful cleverness of Johnson. Very few real fze that he has only two good punch es with his right hand. His specially is a short uppercut. which he works to great advantage The other is cross counter which always causes damage His left arm Is of no use to him except for blocking Now, take away those two blows and where dces Johnson stand? Not in the run ring. He may try and improve on his present abilities. but he has been hghting in this way so long that 1t will be Q tough proposition to add to his string of wallops-
 I suppose you think it very funny that announce to the public just what Johnson's capabilities are? Well. it's quite a story When I was in my practised until l had 1t down to per- lection That was the right uppercut that Johnson now has. During one of my training stunts, Joe Cans visit ed my quarters, and the game little fighter marvelled at the manner in which I could get the right hand working. demonstrated the blow to Cans, and he taught Johnson how to use it. Kind of stealing my stun. but it's all fair in fighting.
 That was the blow that really beat John L. Sullivan and gave me the championship Charley Mitchell also remembers the wallop. for it stopped him in three rounds fifteen years ago This is digging up ancient his tory, but it is necessary to show that Johnson has nothing alarming in his little book,
 Now that we have discussed John son pro and con, it is only fair to say a little about the real fighter, Jef.
 
 fortune to face the big man from the alfa fla land twice in the ring. l want to go on record as saying that he is without doubt the greatest fighter that ever slipped on glove, In my career I have battled with Sullivan, Fitz, Sharkey, Mccoy and others These were famous fighters. but in comparison to Jeffries. they were a bunch of children. No matter how hard their wallop was. it was a gust of wind against a tornado figuring with Jeffries' gam.
 Tells of Jeff's Wallop.
 As an idea of Jeffs wallop, I have only to go back to the night of May II nine years ago at Coney Island. IL is only fair in drawing the con- clusion to say that Jeff was anything but an experienced pugilist that night. while had all the scientific points down pretty well. For twenty-two rounds I pummelled his face at will and kept out of his way, but in the next session, when l stepped in. he just shot one over and I was dead to the world.