The Ogden standard. [volume] (Ogden City, Utah) 1902-1910, 1910-01-28
SPORTS
WHEN JEFF WAS
MADE CHAMP ION

lIeHUE OSBHltgt lVN
Paul Armstrong, the man VINO
wrote the Heir OF the Hooran' and
other successful plays, used 10 write
hight dope under the name of Right
Cross. Paul comes across with bully
story Of how Tommy Ryan literally
pounded Jim Jcffrics inJo the cham
pionship, and as Jef and Tommy are
Lot good friends any more. this stun
OF Armstrong's makes fine reading.
Billy Delaney has been gwen lot OF
credit Tor making champion out. Of
Jchrles. but according to Armstrong.
Tommy Ryan is the man VINO really
deserves 1t. Mr.. Armetrongs story
follows:
(By Paul Armstrong;
The other day | met Tommy Ryan
and he asked me. WHAT did l ever
do 10 Jim Jefiries that ne should al
ways have mis- hammer out Tor me-
/ replied: Never anything against
3Im but "A lot for him" We then dis
cussed the hard work Ryan did with
Jim az the training camp down at AS
bury PARK.
Ryan. who had been accused of cv-
erything on the crooked fighters car
en3ar, but nevertheless was the great
est tighter pound for pound. that
America ever produced he was
champion oil two classes. the best bet
iiGg proposition in the RING. and as
interesting a man In acton as ever
lived. The first exponent oil lighting
cleVcrneSs, he could feint you into
blindness. jolt YOU into idlocy or knock
you dcal with 8 wallop He had a
cool head. blindng speed and every
known punch He fought more than
twenty years everything from six
round exhibitions 10 bare knucRle fin'
ishcs in private. And he was once
beaten decisiyely. He offered 10 fight
Htxsimmols for the middleweight
championship, and had Fitz kept his
word and made the midIleweight Ryan
would have been there. And he fought
with a crouch all his lile-remember
that
And as 10 JeflrieS
IN the Right Cross days there came
under my observation much-touted
coast wonder. who had been sparrinG
partner of Corbett's at Carson City.
De aney had picked him up because
he was big ard strong and was at
tempting 20 make something OF him.
He came 10 New York and was 10
l.ght two men in the same ring
steve ODonnell ana Bob Armstrong,
Both were yellow heavywe.g1ts, one
an Australian. the other a negro
Jcffries drew Armstrong FIRST There
was the usual delay. but finally the
Lell changed. and we saw the big won
der in action
He proved 10 be big. numbering
sucker He had a lot OF useless foot
work and q feint or two he had picked
up on Corbett. but he stood on his
heels. started his hooks from behin1
him and didn't know what his right
hand was for
Armstrong stayed his ten rounds.
and ON the excuse that JeG had hurt
his haad he refused TO so on with
O'Donncll
Then Jeffries faded from view.
Some months later Bill Brady came
to me one night at a siX-day bicycle
race and called me aside 20 ask my
opinion of JeffrieS, saying that Delaney
s,ill believed in him and wanted 10
bring him back east II developed n
the talk that Brady thought OF mana
gine Jeffr!es, and he was evidently
feeling me out as To what the atti-
Wdc OF Right Cross would he toward
a man he intended to play up FOR
champion,
was perfectly candid and told
Brady / believed II Jefr knew how TO
box he would be a great heavyweight.
And in this talk ] mentioned that if
Jeft had some one like Ryan TO teach
him he might be a champion,
The talk ended by Brady saying he
hadn't vet decided what he would do.
and the matter rested a week or so
Then one night Brady announced TO
me that he had Jeff and was dealing
with RYAN to train With him. The
combination looked promising. and
Right Cross took JeGries and his fu-
ture seriously
This was in the winter, at a time
when Fitz was trying 10 make Sharkey
fight, with O'Rourke staliing out OF
eoch corner. They finally met: the
meeting broke up In row, and Mar
Tin Julian. Fits manager was lament
ing the fact that Fitz could find no
opponents, Brady had gone west, but
! | took II upon myself to tell Julian
that JefTries would fight F1tz. Both
Julian and Fitzsimmons jumped at It,.
and the next morning | drew the ar
licles for the fight. and Kid Egan
signed for Brady and JerrIes. The
date of the fight was made June =.
and the articles drawn I'm February.
/ Both fighters then went with burlesque
| shows. and | kept the match before
the public by frequent stories.
Finally. when the spring came. JEFF.
! fries went to Allenhurst. y. J., next
door to Asbury Park. TO train
The weak end of the fight was Jef.
! flies. 80 l. for The Morning and Even.
ing Journal, went to Asbury Park to
! live
| was within Il short walk of the
ing quarters. on very friendly terms
with Delaney, Ryan and Jeffries. SO
went there every day.
] was the only man. save Delaney
and Jack Jeffrics, who even saw Jei
fries get his from Ryan.
At that time JefTries seemed to un
derstand that | was a pretty good
friend, and when he went 10 the barn
to box with Ryan he used to ask me
along.
And now as to what Ryan did TO and
for Jeffries.
First. JeTries was without style, q
knowledge Of hitting or blocking. All
he had was the chance OF the bic
game man who can take a beatinl
and keep swinging Ryan knew that
As JEFF fought the night he met Arm
! strong he was built TO order for Fit7