The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-12-25
Donovan of Harvard Looks Over
"The Big Fellow"
Believes That He Will Win From
johnson in July.
WIND is NOT GOOD.
But That Is a Matter That Can
Be Improved.
His Remarkable Exhibition OF
Rope Skipping.

New York. Dec 25.-Wm. F. Donovan,
trainer of athletics at Harvard univer-
sity, has written the following concern
ing the coming Jeffries-Johnson light:
I'm the first place. Jeffries has what
a fighter ought to have to start Will
that is, the speed and the punch. As
far as weight goes it is just about right.
i should say, for a man that is due for
A long siege of training. 1t is much
better to have a man weigh 20 pounds
over his normal weight starting in than
five pounds under weight. as that gives
something to work on. If Jeff had been
fighting right along he would probably
weigh in the neighborhood of 225 pounds
in ring condition. He would be about
10 pounds heavier now, according to ali
the rules of physical growth, but be-
cause of his long layoff and the indolent
life he lives he has taken on more than
this.
He looked to me to weigh something
like 240 pounds. and consequently is in
much better shape than when he APP
peared in his theatrical work here last
spring. The extra fat he carried then
over his abdominal muscles has dlSap-
peared to marked extent and with the
time he has at his disposal between
now and the probable date of his fight
will be able to remove this to its last
Vestige.
more than fair shape just now was
shown when, last night, he propped his
feet on the lower rung of a chair on
which sat one of his trainers and then
bending backward Jeffries raised and
lowered himself with alternative twists
and turns 81 times. This was test
that would have tried any first class
athlete in the best of shape. Yet Jeff
went through it without apparently be-
ing 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 a short period it leaves open the
question whether or not Jeffries can
go over a long route. Jeffries has al
ways been a law unto himself. and
was the despair of Billy Delaney, one
of the greatest trainers and makers
of champion pugilists in the history
of the game. Jeff always knew him
self better than anybody else and
this was proven time after time when
he was preparing for his matches.
He never went into the ring un-
less lie was in the best of shape. He
judged himself harshly, but results
invariably bore out his theory that
by following his own plan he could
get right He is doing the same, I
think. in this case. < He is working
easily SIeaQIIy ana aIOnS lines Wnlcn
will leave him with his full vitality
when he gets ready to settle down for
the hard grind preceding the taper
ing off to the point where he can
safely say: I'm all right
"True, his wind is not anything like
being at its best. but few men who
are not in the 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 certain extent,
but an operation which he has in con-
temptation is expected to remove this
trouble.
1.-The fact that he has fought sue
cessfully in the past with fast men
with his nose in this same condition
means that, even if the operation is
not fully successful, it will not inter
fefe with his final condition and his
the least. This will come from his
road work and the heavy grind of the
gymnasium and the many bouts with
his sparring partners while doing the
actual and rugged training that will
precede the contest with Johnson.
Endurance must be Jeffries' key
note. The route is long one, and
whether the fight is short or long, JEFF
fries must be prepared to travel at tor
speed for an indefinite period.
"A factor in this will be the texture
of. his muscles. Even now he is pos
sessed Of A remarkably smooth NOV