Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1909-12-28
JEFFRlES TO MAKE
COTCH A FIGHTER?
KNOCKOUT SAYS PU0ILl9TjC
FANS KNOW IT WOULD BE
IMPOSSIBLE.
WRESTLERS FAIL AS BOXERS
Training for the Mat Game Strength"
ems Muscles Not Much Used In Box
lna-Corbett Plans to Give Jeffr,es
Some Real Battles.
Bv KNOCKOUT.

BY KNOCKOUT.
Does Jim Jeffries fear defeat at the
hands OF Jack johnson? Such a ques"
ton seems ridiculous, but there Is
reason for It. Several days ago the
following item was published on the
sporting pages Of many of the large
newspapers:
James ]. Jeffries has found two prote-
Res in Frank Gotch, worlds champion
catch wrestler. and DR.. q
r. Roller, the wrestling physician He
now is tutoring the two men In pus1usrn'
preparing them to carry the white mans
burden in case he meets defeat at tho
hands of Jack johnson when they meet
July 4 next. Both wrestlers have shown
themselves to be apt pupils, having mas
tered many of the fundamental principles
Of the game.
It doesn't seem possible that Jen-
ries at this stage of the game should
fear Johnson will win the big battle
on July 4, but it looks strange for him
to be instructing Gotch and Roller for
the express purpose of having either
of them take up the white mans bur-
den. When johnson defeated Tommy
Burns about one year ago In PARKWAY
Australia a great cry went up from
the pugilistic fans all over the coun-
try for Jeffrtes to come out OF retire
ment and win back the championship
for the white race. It wouldn't do
for a negro to be champion, they said.
and after looking over the crop OF
heavyweights they were confident
that Jeffries was the only man who
could turn the trick.
Now the match Is made and the
white man has agreed to meet the Dig
black for the largest sum ever OF
fered two pugilists. Both Jeh and
Jack have had a whirl at the theat-
rical business and have been coining
money. They are tied up with con-
tracts that will bring them more coin.
It doesn't look Just right for Jeh-
ries to be playing safe at this stage
of the game. There ia more than
bare possibility that Jeffries isn't in
structing Gotch and Roller how to
fight. Jeffries knows as we'll as any
man In the world that because q man
is good wrestler and = strong man
that he does not possess the qualities
necessary for successful fighter. In
training for wrestling Gotch has
strengthened muscles that are not OF
great benefit to fighter except IN
clinches. 1t is a fact that wrestlers
are. muscle bound in the shoulders,
where q fighter requires free action.
Gotch can box and so can Roller, but
to think that either could ever get
their muscles, of which both have
plenty, to working in the proper con-
dition to meet a man like Johnson
seems odd. It probably isn't true that
Jeffries is doing anything Of the kind.
Frank Gotch, as wrestler, is light
ming fast for big man. But wrestlers
are slow compared with boxers: Of the
johnson caliber. Think, II you can,
Of q champion who reached the top in
pugilism without standing many q
hard knock. Goth and Roller have had
plenty Of hard knocks as swrestlers,
but that wouldn't count when It came
to q pugflistic contest. Gotch has
been quoted as saying that he wanted
nothing to do with the glove game.
Just because he is big and strong is
no reason for believing that he could
whip johnson. he might In q rough.
and-tumble battle, but according to
Queensberry rules. never.
Only. few days ago Jim Corbett
said he intended to give Jehries two
or three "real fights" In training him
for the battle. Gotch never had q real
light with the gloves in his life. II
C0rbett sees the necessity o4 putting