Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-01-23
INTERESTING FIGHT
LETTER BY CORBETT
"GentIeman linn Says John
son Has Not Been Sailing,
and Jeff Will Get Him.
By James J. Corbett.


Unauthorized reproduction Of this article will
be prosecuted.l
John l.. Sullivan in the third chapter OF
a new work now appearing in the Chi
Caro Tribune, Which covers the history OF
his very eventfuI life. says: In those
days the newspapers did not have much
10 say about prize fighting. If fighter
got as much as two inches Of reading
about himself before a fight came off
Re was lucky. Now, If a fighter does rot
set a whole page. with pictures of his
dog his automobile and his sparrnS
partners, he feels he has been sighted.
Sullivan, in his story, was referring to
the time of his fight with Joe Goss, and.
BY :he way. the old champion says: AS
loss was taken to his dressing room after
his fight he turned to the referee and
said That fellows blows feel like the
kick of a mule :
Those two statements by the only John
l.. at this time are interesting. The first
shows that the sporting page of the up
to-date newspaper of today is meeting
the public demand fer information on
live news topics and hence Is the best
read page of the day. The second state
ment may not appropriately be used
following our next great contest for the
heavyweight championship TO which
ing page. 10 command the greatest at
tention should. above all. be an educator,
and the topics to secure respect should
he handled by experts who also should
be careful in their statements.
Like thousands of others, I am reading
every line | can find bearing upon the
Ieffries-Johnson fight, and it pays ell
readers to be students. From my view
point il is necessary, however, at times
10 cast aside modesty in order to give
eynreSSi0n nprS0nal
topics in which my ability as a boxer or
personal participation in previous con-
tests may have to do. In this ! try 10
ne fair and honest, avoiding what might
rection of mistakes and willing 10 stand
DIRECTED myself when in error.
:: Z <
One reason why l try to correct mis-
takes Of others is the desire that my
readers shall not have any false impress
sions concerning Jeffries. the man whom
1 am to assist in training So far as
know and so far as my influence in his
raining camp may be concerned Clere Is
no secrecy to be maintained In his con-
hition or preparation. am positive that
after his very candid statements in these
matters the public will not believe he
would stand for anything different.
In recent article concerning the COM
ing fight one sporting writer of con-
siderable prominence has said with APP
parent sincerity in answer to a query that
Jeffries outboxed Corbett in their fight in
San Francisco, and the answer without
necessary explanation would tend natu-
rally to convey the --.se impression that
Jeffries was the cleverer boxer. This IS
entirely wrong. Even Jenrles himself
iays no claim to exceptional ability as a
boxer. Indeed, he does not even think
that he is the equal of Johnson in the
scientific points of boxing.
Now, I'll tell you what gave this sport
Ing writer an idea that Jeffries outboXed
me in that San Francisco fight. In the
second round of that contest Jeffries
caught me with a hard left-hand swing
III the short ribs that Knocked ali the
strength out of me. and consequently
robbed me OF my speed. \ boxer with
out speed couldn't make any showing
against Jeffres or any other man slower
than the champion When ] came up in
the third round still suffering from the
effects of this tremendous wallop | had
nothing else to do but to stand UP and
swap punches with this 230-pound giant.
I knew / was defeated then, and
also felt that the spectators would Won
der why | was standing still and swap
ping punches with Jeff instead of boxing
like I did throughout the twenty-three
POUNDS in our first battle. l could not
stop the fight here, however. and tell
these sporting writers, who We're wiring
the fight story from the ringstde all over
the world, that the reason | was stand
ing still and smuggling with Jeffries was
because he had busted one of my ribs
and knocked all the strength out of me
in that fatal second round.
Now. the only thing l could do then
under the circumstances was to try and
make Jeffres think that / was unhurt,
and I did make Jeffries think SO, and
from the view of the sporting writer
whose comment is in question ! seemed
TO have made him think so too. This
iS vi IL
JeffrieS outboxed me, when In reality,
had he known how weak l was, he might
have licked me In the third round
Now. l am simply using this explana-
lion to show my readers that Jeffries
is not a clever boxer, and don't want
such an idea to enter Jour heads. He
IS the greatest tighter that ever lived,
and If he can get into condition for this
dght he will demonstrate this fact.
OF course. l claim that in this coming
contest Johnson will outlook JefTries, but
the latter Is almost certain to get wal
Top in that will lessen Johnsons speed.
ard then 1t will be question if the
coiored man can swap punches with the
bigger and stronger man any more eff
fectively than myself. / don't think so,
and it looks to me as If johnson, Ike
Joe Goss, as quoted by John l., might
say: THAT fellows blows feel like the
Kick OF a mule
Outboxing means fast footworl, the
getting out Of the way of sleep producers
go by The term is very often misused
BY sporting writer's. The idea of trying
to make Jeffries. 230-pound man, the
edual of a 1SO-pound silver a boxer Is
absurd.
Let US take the principal champions
snd try to find out what each had on
the other to gain the coveted honor, for
IL is absolutely certain that to be a
champion a man must have some quality
not possessed by others, or at least not
as well developed. If Fitzsimmons hadn't
oeen possessed OF has wonderful hard wal
tops with both hands he might never
nave reached the topmost rung OF the
hst.c ladder. Many times defeat stared
him in the face, and vet he won with a
knockout punch. 1t was the wallop that
made him champion. II Jeffries had
weighed $50 or 1870 pounds instead of $50
maybe, too, he never would have been
an undefeated champion. His great
weight, combined with sameness, the
wallop and endurance, were the elements
Of success In his career
And with the other men, including
Sullivan and Jackson, whom I fought
they all weighed more or could hit harde,
Than myself and il was simply my knowl.
edge of boxing and exceptional speed
think, that put me in their class.
There's another statement. too that Is
misleading, and this is in the reference
to Johnson's stailing In his fight evi-
IDENTIFY meaning that he has not shown
ais best form to the public in his previous
contests. This Stalling thing is joke and
II is a thing ! have fought against al
through my career as a boxer. Used in
connection with the Johnson-ketchen and