The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1909-08-15
FIGHTERS QUALITIES
Rugged Physique and Keen
Eyes Necessary.
SPEED ALSO A BIG FACTOR
Old Sporting Man Hands Out n Few
Words for EnIigbtenment of Those
Who Would Keep POsted-Fighters
OF To-day Display n Great Deal
More Speed in FOOtwOrk.

The physical and mental qualifications
that go 10 make up a crackerjack pugilist
differ from those Of any other class OF
athletes in the world" said the old sport
ing man the other evening. There are
many 5trong points about fellow who
becomes a champion fighter that are not
generally noticed by the tickle fight fans
Of to-day.
In the first place. the successful pugil-
ist must have the rugged physique
broad shoulders. with big punching mus
cles in the upper part of the back a
good. thick neck that can stand q strain;
heavy. well-set jaws that denote bulldog
tenacity, a small. rather Fat nose. not
easily broken; small. sharp eyes. with the
lighting CLINT In them.
The arms. OF course. should be long
and muscular. yet not bound up like those
Of litter of heavy weights. while the
waist and legs should be small in COM
parison with the dimensions OF the upper
part Of the body.
Great speed is absolutely necessary IN
the makeup Of the classy fighter I've
never known a great one with heavy,
Donderous limbs. Look them over-John
L. Sullivan, Jack Dempsey. Jack McAul-
life, Kid Mccoy. Jim Corbett. Bob Fitz-
simmons. Tommy Ryan. George Dixon.
Joe Cans. Frank p. Slavin, Young Critic.
and host OF other famous pugilists with
comparatively small lower limbs. rs
that way with sprinters-men, horses.
and dogs.
THE fighters OF to-day do much more
speedy footwork than those OF the old
school Take Stanley Ketchen for illus
tratlon. With what wonderful rapidly he
gets around an opponent IN a twenty
four-foot ring, His speedy legs certainly
play n most important part in all OF his
fights.
Hes lightning itself in the arena and
by means Of his rapid footwork he keeps
on top OF his antagonist every moment.
No man has yet been able 20 outsprint
him In ring contest That is one OF
his strongest points. Jack O'Brien IS
very speedy fellow on HIS pins. but Ketch
caught him every time he tried 20 get
away.
Sullivan Became Clumsy.
John L. Sullivan was very fast on his
feet when he first came out. but when
he got fat and heavy he also became slow
and clumsy, lie was a big ice cart when
he met the swiftly moving jim Corbeu
IN New Orleans seventeen years ago.
"Corbett. ii win be recalled. had so
much speed that he was on top Of Sui
Ivan AZ all stages OF the one-slded mill
In that fight Sullivan was not actually
pat 20 sleep. He was simply exhausted
and went down IN sections like worn
out horse.
Did you ever know that a great ma
jority Of hstic champions OF the past
have had small eyes set well back IN
the head2 Yankee sullivan. Joe Coburn.
Jim Dunn. Jem Mace. Joe Goss. Billy
Edwards. Jack Dempsey. Jack McAullne.
Boo Fitzsimmons Terry McGovern. Young
Corbett, Jim Hail. Jimmy Britt, Battling
Nelson. Joe Walcott Joe Cans. Abe At
tell. Young Critic. KID LavigEe. Tommy
Ryan, Bin Papke, Jim Jonries. Jem Dris-
COLL Billy Plimmer. and many others
have been noted for their small. cunning
eyes. But their optics have an beer
clear. bright. and piercing just the same.
"A pugilst OF the highest class mast
have a good. true eye-one that can cor
rectly judge distance. so that blow can
reach the mark aimed at That was one
OF Dempseys best qualities He could hit
an adversary on the spot selected with
out being an inch out OF the way.
Jack Johnson. by the way. does not
have many Of the strong points OF a
champion ia his makeup. His eyes are
too large and unprotected. An old Lon
don-rule fighter would simply blind him
with bare I,nuckles in a hard battle Com
pare the colored champions optics with
those Of Billy Edwards. which were small.
deep-set- and protected by overhanging
brow bones,
JOhnson's legs are too heavy for speed.
He viii discover this fact when he gets
into the ring with Ketchell. who will force
him TO move quickly or take an unmerci-
full walloping. Besides. Johnson's feet are
fat, and that reminds me that / never
saw a flat-footed fighter with any amount
OF action.
"Of course. Johnson may cop Ketchen
with an uppercut when the latter is COM