Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-02-06
INSIDE dope" ON
HOW FIGHTERS TRAIN
Nervous Strain Pulls Down
Weight Almost as Much as
Violent Exercise.
By James J. Corbett.

Copyright 1910. by the Tribune Company
Unauthorized reproductions Of this article VIII
be prosecuted.)
I have frequently been asked what effect
the nervous strain in training for great
tistic contest and also while in the ring
has upon the physical system.
Nearly everything. of course, depends
upon the temperament OF the fighter.
Experience is a big factor In favor OF a
contestant, both in and out OF the ring'
while the natural zest one can put into
his training, together with ambition, Is
good point. The nervous system has much
to do with the stomach. and to enter the
ring fit in every particular point means
that one is fit to fight for his life.
Some fighters will lose much more
weight than others, and among the lighter
classes. particularly with the bantams
and feathers. where ringside weight Is de-
manded. the effect of rigid training to get
within the Init Is more marked. In the
latter classes only the fighters themselves
can appreciate the value of the strength
gained through being permitted to get a
good square meal in the difference of time
between being obliged to weigh in at 8
o'clock or 0 o'clock the evening OF the
fight. The point is illustrative. however,
of the care all must give to training.
In the long and fast fight OF Sixf"-one
rounds with Peter jackson in 1891 I lost
more than eight pounds. Precipitation
took away lot of this weight. but 1T was
one of my first hard fights and was nat
urally bit nervous, for Jackson, then as
now, 1 regard as one OF the best heavy
weights the world has ever seen. This
fight by the way. furnishes contrast to
that with Jeffries in San Francisco, In
which for ten rounds my seconds never
lifted a fan or a towel and 1 left the ring
with my body nearly as dry as when !
entered It,
Confidence in ones own ability and In
ones seconds has much to do with sue
cess. I do not mean overconhdence In
ones self or absolute dependence upon
ones seconds to win battle Many bat
ties have been lost by poor handling or
worse advice in the ring and others won
by good care of ones seconds. notably
the Barry-Leon contest at Lemont. ILL.,.
in 1894. in which Harry Gilmore played
star part, as many OF my readers Will re-
member The principal In the ring must
be the boss of the job. but he must feel
absolutely certain that the seconds can
be relied upon to do the right thing at
the right moment.
4 \
When you see a fighter furtively glanc-
Ing about from his corner of the ring IKE
a cat in distress, ever apprehensive that
a horseshoe is being surreptitiously In
serted in the glove OF his opponent, or
that the fellow over there in the corner
has something on him." and otherwise
acting like a rat cornered by bull ter
rier, that fellow is generally a bad bet
ting proposition. He will lose weight
every moment before he starts milling.
and the intense nervous strain upon him
is so sure to tell against him In the con-
test that his more experienced opponent
purposely delays the battle to increase
the others discomfort.
In the coming contest between Jef1ries
and Johnson the colored man will GER
tainly have to be cold proposition to
go up against Jeffries with any feeling OF
confidence. Jeffries has the supreme con-
fidence in himself that an undefeated
champion should have. but his natural
nodesty and retiring disposition hold this