Norwich bulletin., 1909-01-08
BOXER NEEDS QUICK WIT
Corbett Says It's Handy to Have to Go
With the Punch.
Does a fighter need brains?

Does a fighter need brains?
well, you can say for Inc that a
fighter needs them more than ball
player doesj and you can imagine
what 4 fine thing brainless shortstoE
would be in close game of ball, cant
your piped Z Corbett one night as
he leaned back In his big Thomas flyer
smoking large perfecto.
"A good, clever fellow with brains
beats the slugger nine times out OF
ten. He has to be a judge of distance;
he has to know how to fight this fell
low and that fellow; he has to know
where to place his punches in order
to save his hands, and he has to know
just how he is fighting SO that he can
save his strength.
Sullivan brainy? Well, to a de-
lied on his punch and his stare. Scare
me that night? No. You know boxed
John in Frisco when l was % years
old. 1t was merely q three round 60
and 1 told Billy Delaney at the time
that 1 could beat him, but Bill hushed
me up and made me wait three years
In the meantime l beat Jake Kilrain,
Dominick Mccartney, and fought the
81 round draw with Peter Jackson.
Il knew all about Sullivan's stare,
and had myself keyed up to bull him
out of it. I came in the ring that night
and saw Sullivan across the way,
breaking his neck to get my eye.
bowed. and then, you know. turned
around just as though he was some
poor rummy holding a towel. I started
to bow to a lot Of fellows I didn't see
at all outside the ropes, and Sullivan
lost his nerve.
HE must have thought me the most
confident kid in the world, and was,
but not as confident as he must have
thought. There was only one way in
the world for me to lose to Sullivan,
and that was for me to lose my nerve.
why, | wasn't thea Leaf bit excited
when he fell on his knees in the 21st
round down and out. l walked over
and helped him to his feet and then
asked the chief Of police to please keep
the crowd from jumping into the ring.
1 said: Chief, l don't want these peo-
pie carrying me around on their backs.
want TO go with the people who were
with me before the fight and I did.
I went to a friends house, and on my
word the deed didn't affect me until
had gone to bed.
"T didn't realize that had beaten the
great John L. Sullivan until I was
wrapped around with blankets. Then
realized it. and I didn't sleep a wink.
1 was awake all night, and never clos
ed an eye. Oh il felt great, tell you,
4
getting my hair cut. | was 50 worked
up 1 couldn't make a break.
WAS that my hardest fight? No. Joe
Choyinslxi gave me the toughest one.
''Oh. that's years and years ago. We
were both from Hayes Valley in FRS
co, and the neighborhood championship
was on between US
I'VE agreed to fight in a barn at
San Rafael, across the bay. and with
frio ag -i~I lie
fought until my left hand was busted.
They stopped 1t, and postponed the
thing for week. We then took a
barge with 200 close friends and went
up to Vallejo.
"On the way up Choyinski put rock
in his gloves which were tide together,
and threw them overheard. When the
time to fight came he had no gloves
and used a pair of driving gloves with
three big seams on the back. I used
the regular three ounce punching bag
gloves and knocked him out in 2S
rounds. We were both cut to ribbons
and battfed all over the head and body.
fought most of the time with my right
and you can imagine what a tough
thing It was.
"Koncwdowns? Well. had him down
on the floor and in at the close Of the
third. but didn't drop him again until
the 2Sth, when he went out He was as
tough as any of them, and the early
fights I had with him will never be
forgotten out west. I'll tell you.
why did start fighting? Well I
was a ball player first, you know. I
was on the old Iscazar team out there,
and a demon on the second bog. 1 was
only a kid, and the Olympic club yant-
ed a second baseman. so I got on the
team. although under age, and Joined
the club.