Omaha daily bee., 1910-02-06
.CORBETT'S ADVICE TO JEFF
Much Hard Work Needed to Perfect
Endurance.
EXPERT GIVES HIS OPINION
Says Actual Fighting r. of More Bene-
nt Than BOxinE-Doilermaker
Declines 60 Have old Hand
Iers, Ryan and Delaney

DelL tue OlitT Jay btNduo0 hNAhiAb -
sure in pugilism. and l don't know whether
Jim can recover the old speed and STAN
ina. Furthermore I've made a careful study
of the negro. anu l am convinced that
he will be hard to beat in a long fight.
But IL Jeffries ID as fit as when he beat
me at Frisco l am willing to say that
h&ll stop johnson inside Of a dozen rounds.
Ii is all a question of condition with the
boilermaker. He knows how to Tight and
is the earnest man I've ever seen in a
ring. In his prime he was very fast on his
feet for his size and weight and could not
only outgeneral a first class %pugilist but
when it came down to hard fighting he
was there with the punches that were ire
sistible.
Jeff, however, has been out Of the fight
ing game for nearly five years. He has
taken life easy in that he has denied him
self very few luxuries and has thought
very little or nothing of pugilism, lie has a
wonderful constitution. though, and he
told me in London recently that he was
sure he could come back. In fact he said
he did not make up his mind to fight john
son until he had satisfied himself that he
could get into his best condition.
"In getting ready for the mill jeff will
nave to do much hard work. In the first
place he must perfect his wind. He is
matched to go forty-five rounds, and II
Johnson plays the defensive game Jim
will have to be very strong in wind and
limb to stay a long route. BY taking long
road runs and plenty of exercise in the
mountains l think Jeff will get his bel
lows in excellent working order. But he
must be sure OF his lungs before he does
any other kind of work.
IT have agreed to spend the last five
weeks at his camp to help him speed up.
L intend to box with him ten or fifteen
rounds every day at top speed so that he
can increase his activity in getting around
the ring. There are many tricks and
methods which Jim can freshen up on
and 1 think / can help him.. But in addf-
tIon to boxing bouts with me l think ne
should have two or three rugged heavy
weights who can fight him in dead earnest.
II / had had anything to do with his man
agement would have made Jeff take part
in several real fights in order to subject
him to a severe test. Boxing doesn't count
for much, you know. when a man Is
training for a hard mill. He needs actual
experience in the giving and taking OF
heavy blows in order to test his stamina
and harden his physique.
Endurance is going to cut a big figure
in this battle and 1 am very anxious to
have Jeff perfect himself in this respect.
He is a bear for work and Is so determined
to beat the negro that l am sure he Will
leave no stone unturned in his prepare
ton. 1 know he will not shirk a single
task set before him, for he realizes that
Johnson is not a joke and will put up a
terrific battle"
Corbett attributes Jeffries' cleverness to
the early lessons he received from Tommy
Ryan when the boilermaker was preparing
for his first conflict with Bob Bftzsim-
mons. Ryan was engaged by w. A. Brady
to go down to Jeffs training quarters at
Allerhurst. N. j.. and show him some OF
the more scientific features of the game or
hit, stop and get away. Ryan. a wonder
full boxer and fighter himself. jumped at
the chance. When he took hold of JEFF
fries he found the boilermaker was just a
big numbering giant who could lake a
lacing and had a killing wallop If he
could land 1t.
Jeffries had reduced himself to 22O pounds
by the time Ryan appeared at the training
camp. but he was promptly informed that
he would have to take off some more
flesh. How? Well, Ryan told him that
fast boxing in a barn would help some,
so they went to work with a will. Ryan
had a peculiar method of instructing the
big fellow in the art Of scientific fighting.
He never explained a thing orally, but as
soon as the gloves were drawn on he pro-
ceeded to go around jeff like a copper
around a barrel.
RYAN Tented. sidestepped. shifted, jabbed,
uppercut and swung until Jeffries was be-
wildered. The big fellows eyes were
bunged up Immediately and his nose and
mouth were soon bleeding. But he never
said a word in protest. Instead he took
all that Ryan delivered, at the same time
studying the clever middleweight's tactics
with much care. He soon found himself
instinctively blocking some of the swift
punches and lodging others. He also as
sumed the crouching position which he
later used in all of his fights, and after a
while, as his footwork became speedy, he
began to unlock the same kind Of blows
that Ryan was using.
Ryan's long. quick left that was inces-
sanity plunged into Jeff's face was a
revelation. The boilermaker smiled grimly
as he received a storm Of blows from this
glove. 1t actually pleased the gigantic
fighter. who did his best to copy it. AS he
ETOuNtlEu iON hNh NNN MS Ohh
left Jeff soon found that his longer reach
enabled him TO meet Ryan with some eff
feet, but II was not until he finally knocked
Tommy down with a ponderous jab on the
point Of the chin that Jeff realized he was
slowly, but surely, mastering the middle
weights best blow.
Then came a study OF Ryan's right,
which was used either In the short ribs or
on the head. When the boilermaker scored
a knockdown with a right hand counter
one day Ryan got up laughing.
There's nothing more 1 can teach you
now" said Tommy. you've got 1t all.
Now. II you'll fight Fitzsimmons that way
you'l surely beat him"
Right up to the day OF the mill Ryan
kept on boxing with Jeffries, however, and
when the h~eavyweights got into the ring
Tommy was in Jeffs corner.
Meet him with the left stiff in the face
as he comes in!' was Ryan's final order.
Save your right unless you see a chance
to cross him ON the jaw or drive it into
his stomach"
Jeffries obeyed Ryan to the letter. Fitz-
simmons came boring In with heavy swings
and ran full tilt into the boilermaker's left
that was as rigid as an iron bar. In the
second round F1tz collided head on with
this wonderful left hand and was knocked