The Salt Lake herald-Republican. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1909-1918, 1910-02-22
CAN CROUCH AND
STILL Be CLEVER
Ryan Differs From ChoynSki
on Jeff'S Style of
Fighting.
(BY E. w. sMITH.l

Chicago, Feb, 2l.-That there is a gem
orally wrong impression regarding the
crouch position as used by James J. JEFF
fries when he was fighting, is made plain
by recent statements of Tommy Ryan,
former middleweight championship I'M
defeated, by the way-and the man who
handled Jeffries in his more important
engagements in the ring.
Ryan read the statement made by Joe
ChOynski and was moved to discuss the
crouch still further without having any
desire to get into controversy or argu-
ment OF any sort with Choynski, who is
a friend Of his.
Tommy, however, does not agree with
Choynski in the broad statement he
makes that no boxer that crouches can
ever hope to be clever. But he says that
is merely matter Of opinion in which
he differs from John BARLEY at all
TO make my statement, man with a
crouch can be clever l can cite you sew
eral clever fellows who used the position
and used 1t well and to their own great
advantage" Ryan told me the other night
IN discussing the coming big battle out
upon the Pacific coast: There was Nc
Coy, for instance, the only man that ever
Knocked me out. He was my pupil, too.
He used the crouch, used it that night
in Syracuse when he whipped me- l used
1t, and my mOdesty is not too strong for
me to say that 1 had considerable of a
reputation for cleYerness. There were
numerous others, too, that used II, but
that has nothing to do with the present
discussion.
Gotten Up for FItz.
THE crouch as l used ii was used only
once by Jim Jeffries, and that was the
night that he fought Bob Fitzsimm ons
for the first time. 1 taught it to jeff
because l knew Fitz was the style Of
fighter who would go right at him and
fight him up close. Fitz had to do this
because Of the extreme size of JeffTies.
If he stood off he would have very lit
tie chance Of landing any of his punches
on him. That is why we praCtiCed the
crouch and rehearsed it by the hour
TT may not be pretty to look at, but
this case alone will suffice to show that
1t was effective. l consider that it won
jeff the championship of the world.
Here's a little point that the public
does not know about. l used the crouch
in numerous fights, but usually for a diff
ferent purpose in each case. When I
fought a man l never looked him in the
eye. I always had my sight focused on
his left knee.
mo boxer in the world can make a
move of any sort without making his pur-
pose known by the action of his left
knee. That was what puzzled a lot of
them. They couldn't understand how it
was that 1 know just what they were
going to do and usually beat them to ii.
Not for sharkey.
You saw Jeffrtes fight sharkey and
you remember well-the moving pictures
show it, toO-that Jeff did not use the
crouch against him. He didn't have to,
il being better in that case to stand up
straight and slug away with his man.
Nor in the COrbett fight did jeff use the
crouch to any extent. Corbett never got
very close to Jeff and this rendered the
crouch Of little importance.
Now If a little fellow like I was, for
I never knew what it was to weigh over
145 pounds during the time l was good,
could use the crouch effectively, the posi-
ton must be of some use fl the ring
1 weigh only 1856 stripped now.
But I hope this does not start any con-
troversy. l am simply giving my version
Of the crouch and an outline OF the re-
suits / have seen it bring in important
contests"