The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1909-12-25
VIEWED
BY NOTED TRAINER
Donovan of Harvard, Gives Fans
Some Dope on Boiler
Maker.
NEVER FIGHTS UNLESS
HE Is IN FINE SHAPE
With Present Improvement Tie
Will Round Into Former
Shape.

William i. Denavan, trainer OF Har-
ward athletes, who saw James J, jeff
ries s work in Boston, gives the fol
! lowing as his impression of the posi-
bilities Of the former champion:
"Jim Jen'ries's physical condition,
in which the American sporting public
| is So deeply interested Just now. IN
view of his prospective fight with Jack
Johnson for the world s heavyweight
championship, evidently proved salts.
| factory TO the big crowd that attended
the entertainment at the Armory A. A.
IL was Jeff, more than anything else,
| that they turned out 40 see, although
the other features proved mighty enter
| tanning.
''Tn the first place. Jcffries has what
fighter ought 10 have to start with;
that is, the speed and the punch, AS
| far as weight goes. it is Just about
right, I should say. for man that Is
| due for n long siege of training. IL
| is much better TO have man weigh
| twenty pounds over his normal weight,
starting, than FIVE pounds nndrrwelght,
| as that gives something 10 work on.
If Jeff bad been fighting right along,
he would probably weigh in the neigh
| borbood of 225 pounds in ring condi-
tion. He would be about Ten pounds
| heavier now, according to all the rules
of physical growth; but, because OF his
long lay-off and the lndolent life he
| lives, ne has taken on more than this.
Good Weight,
" He looked to me to weigh something
| like 240 pounds. and consequently is
in much better shape than when be ap
| peared in his theatrical work last spring,
The extra fat he carried then over his
abdominal muscles has disappeared to A
marked extent and with the time he has
| at his disposal between now and the
! probable date Of his fight will be able 10
| remove this TO its last vestge. That
| his stomach muscles are in more than
| fair shape. inst now was shown when he
propped his feet on tho lower ring Of a
and then. bending backward. Jetfries
raised and lowered himself with alter
nate twists and turns, twenty, seven
| times. This was test that would have
! tried any frst-class athlete In the best
of shape. Yet jeff went through 1t
without apparently being bothered.
"Then, too, his exhibition of rope
skipping, one of the hardest of exer
cises, followed by his shadow boxing,
showed the remarkable speed of foot
and hand possessed by the big boiler
maker. Because this speedy action is
over n short period if leaves open the
question whether or not leffries can gol
= Y >
been law unto himself. and was the
despair of Billy Delaney, one of the
| greatest trainers and makers of cham
| pion pugilists in the history of the game.
JEFF always knew himself better than
anybody else and this was proven time
after time when he was preparing for
his matches.
Always i'll Condition.
He never went into the ring unless
he was in the best Of shape. He Judged
himself harshly, but results invariably
bore ont his theory that by following
his own plan he could get right He is
doing the same. think, in this case.
| He is working easily, steadily and along
lines which will leave him with his
full vitality when he gets ready to set
tie down for tho hard grind preceding
the tapering off to the point where he
can safely say. m all right.
''Jeff' breathing was a matter OF
some comment. True, his wind is not
! anything like being at its best, but few
| men who arc not in TIE best of shape
could do the work he did and not puff.
JEFF always had difficulty with his nose.
which was badly smashed in one of
his earlier fights. This has rendered
breathing difficult. TO a certain extent,
but M operation which he has in con.
temptation is expected to remove his
| tronble.
"Thc fact that he has fought sue
, cesstuily IN the past, with fast men,
with his nose III this same condition
means that, even If the operation is not
fully successful, 1t will not interfere
with his final condition and his develop.
mcut Of his lung capacity in the least
This will come from his road work and
the heavy grind of the gymnasium and
the many bouts with his sparrine part
ners. while doing the actual and rugged
training that will prccede the contest
with johnson.
Endurance must be Jeflries S key
note. The route is long one. and
whether the fight is short or long, JEFF
RIGS must be prepared to- travel at top
speed Tor an indefinite period,
Texture of Muscles.
"a factor in this Will be the texture
of his muscles, Even now he Is
possessed Of remarkably smooth mov-
ing muscular system. There is not
that bunchy or knotty appearance so
common in big men who take part in
rugged athletics, Everything looks
! symmetrical. and there is balance
that gives him the smooth action of a
man of considerably less weight and
bulk. This was instanccd when he IN
dulged in the footwork in the shadow
boxing and the rapid shifting in his
bout with Mccormack.
"Thcrc was marked absence Of ap-
parent effort i'll his movements. which
were rapid. and, considering the size
Of the man. rather graceful. Then. too,
there WAS An economy Of exertion. This
fact would mean much where stamina
rs To be SO great an essential Over
a long route every waste effort is lust
SO much ammunition lost And ludg-
ing by what .Ieffries showed, taken in
connection with his ring methods as
shown in his past fights, he will not
be rho man to- toss away an ounce OF
needed strength.
$50 far as his boxing skill is con.
cerned, he appeared to have, in base
ball parlapce. everything He did