The Washington herald., 1910-07-03
BY MIKE MURPHY.
Copyright By the North American Company and The
Washington Hsrsld)

Washington Hsrsld)
Reno, July 81 fear that the
tragedy of New Orleans when
John L. Sullivan, idol of the Amer
lean sporting public, and prohibi-
tive favorite in the betting, lost TO
James J. Corbett, may be repeated
at Reno.
For four days I have been study
ing the men and trying to make up
my mind in order to present
summary. All around me is op-
bmism and confidence that Jeff
ries will win.
Those who have been working
with him, the writers who are here,
and the public, that profoundly
hopes for a triumph CT the white
man, are shouting what a tremen-
dous man he is, that no one can beat
him, that he has developed his nat
ural endurance till he can go any
distance without firing. and that
he has the kind Of indomitable
courage that will not be denied.
PUBLIC FOOLED on SULLIVAN.
I hope it Is true. But they said the
same things of John L. Sullivan at New
Orleans. The Boston boy found il takes
more than courage to beat younger
man who is In better condition.
When a man is tired, all the courage
in the world will not save him. If he can
net protect himself This was the les
son of New Orleans. and Sullivan was
not called upon to meet any such re-
maTkablc combination of the fighter and
boxer as Jeffries must take on Monday.
Why 10 l say this: l viii admit that
Jeffries looks superb. I concede that he
has done marvels in getting himself as
good as ne is, but I deny that his con-
ditiOn is anything like that OF the JEFF
fries Of old. or that he Is to-day in as
good shape to fight as the big negro.
Jeffries has done most everything but
box and run extended distances et good
speed. Johnson has done little else, and
in the week that has been spent in Reno
he has constantly advanced in condition.
Jeffres, think, has been fooling him
self. He has not done work enough on
any single day to count for an honest
days training, judged by the standards
of a trainer. who would let his man neg
lect nothing to be absolutely at his best
for vital contest.
Accustomed to Easy Life.
He is undsniably lazy, the outcome Of
the hard year and a half he has put in
TO undo the ravages of half a dozen
years that he lived an easy life. He
does not force himself in the least; fish
ing is more important than condition
Every man who should know better
eravenly agrees with him that every
thing he does is for the best It would
be joke If il were not so serious He
viii surely find 1t out one sad day In
Reno that he has not trained right. even
though he be good enough to win the
fight.
He has lost that one necessary thing
which a man should have TO be at his
best. the combination unison between the
eye. the brain, and the muscular power.
This means that every movement can
be made so simple and easily that it is
no effort at ALL
In the two times I have really seen
him box here he stopped about every
hard blow his partners aimed at him
with his face or his body He was like
q fellow riding backward in an express
train-he never seemed to know what he
was coming to till he got By it. They
could hit him anywhere they liked. He
had no guard. and when he tried 10
come in and hit il was always with a
fiery. quick motion that left him open
Tor smash any old place
VIII Make Jeff Look Foolish.
johnson is such good marksnlan with
his left that / fear he viii make Jenries
look foolish when the boilermaker tries
to rush. And. remember. it is on his
rushing tactics that the white mans best
hopes OF victory rest.
johnson is the best defensive fighter 1
have ever seen. He is quick and cool in
the open. When JEFF rushes he win be
met with that straight left again and
again
On the inhghting. where the Judgment
of distance would not count for so much,
he is again handicapped by the fact that
the negro is really Incompatible in this
kind of work. II is his forte
Jack can give any Of them points on
this style Of fighting. He is most at home
in it. and keeps his head amazingly.
When close up against his man. those
awful arms Of his work like a fash, with
Jolt behind them that hurts. They say
that he cannot hit hard enough TO stop
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