Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-04-17
INTERESTING FIGHT
LETTER FROM CORBEH
Ex-Champion Joins Jeffries'
Camp Next Month-Wih
Help in Sparring Work.
By James J. Corbett.

/ indicate CndC JonTl0S ana JOHuSOh bcA o
both begun real work in preparation for
their battle for the championship heavy
weight honors July 4. 1 don't thins
! they have started any too soon or that
in their system of preparation there Is
any chance that either will go stale be-
fore the date for the big battle And
that 1t indeed will be a big battle l
haven't any doubt. Not in my recollec-
ton have two men OF equal ability ever
begun work under better physical con-
dition. and they should both come to the
| ringside fit in every way.
| I've special personal interest, by the
way, in Jeff's condition aside from the
big contest July 4. You see, he thinks
he can beat me in 1OO-yard sprint and
also at hand ball. He also thinks he can
lick me In the ring. Well, maybe he
can make it a three-t time victory with
| the gloves, but I'll be hanged If he can
beat me in sprint or on the hand ball
| court. Indeed. l have thought SO well
or my chances against him in the latter
two forms of sport that 1 have bet him
5000 on the outcome of the two con-
tests If L win l expect to blow the reg
ular reporters to the big fight off to a
dinner after the contest Of July 4. and
If JEFF should beat Johnson the big fell
low probably will add to the wine list
for the spread.
Jeffries' training work at the Reward
enen camp up in the Santa Cruz noun
tains, about eighty miles from San Fran
CISCO shows that he isn't overlooking any
bets. His easy road spins show that he
has plenty of wind, and his sprints in
sonal reports l get of Jeff's work he is
going at it right. Indeed. one might
imagine that my old friend. Tom Eek,
had taken the big fellow in hand with
the idea of embarrassing me in the
sprint race.
l expect to find Jeffries in fine shape
when 1 reach the camp the latter part
of next month. and then the work of
preparation for the big fight will go mer-
riy on. My own work, even while keep
ing up my theatrical engagements in the
east, has been the hardest taken in years
as / devote all my spare time to physical
perfection. Harry Frazer and Frank
Gotch will join me in Chicago on my
at the training camp on my arrival
shall be ready to take Jeffries in hand
and work along with him up TO the day
of the fight.
Jeffries Different.
The statements that have been heard
relative to any mistake made by Jeffries
in his not having arranged fight or two
before the contest with Johnson as sort
of help in his preparation do not lead me
to such conclusion. To be sure. there
is some help to be gained in such trial
contests before big fight. but with JEFF
fries everything seems different from
any other man. l don't think he has lost
anything in self-confidence. ring general
ship or any Of the attributes of a great
fighter which go into the makeup Of
those of championship caliber. Those who
have been in his training camp when he
has prepared for his previous contests
know that Jeffries doesn't play with his
trainers. Maybe some Of my readers
have heard OF what happened to Fftz-
simmons when he tried to cop one over
on the big fellow in sparring bout. With
several big heavyweights on whom to try
his punching ability and all of them real
accomplish there isn't any doubt that JEFF
will get all the fighting he wants before
he goes in to lick the "big smoke" July t.
July 4.
some earnest work. 1 judge. from pri-
vate reports that have reached me from
his camp. kid Cotton. who has been
protege of Joe Choynski, I have heard
from before az likely sort of chap
and he is likely to be quite help to
Johnson. They tell me that the big COL
ored man is working for speed and en-
durance. thinking doubtless that If he
can Withstand the roughs assaults from a
man of Jeffries' tremendous strength he
speed. but l can say to Johnson that he
is going to meet the fastest big man the
boxing world has ever seen.
The recent statement Of Sam Fitzpa,-
rick would seem to confirm some others
In my last letter which were in the ma
ture of a contradiction of Johnson's as
sertions that he possessed equal strength
and hitting power to Jeffries, because. as
Johnson said. he had made this COM
parison by his fights with Tommy Burns
Ketchell and some others. l couldn't see
the comparison And now comes Fitz-
patrick, the former manager of Johnson,
who says that in their fight Australia
johnson hit Burns fifty times flush on
and the police finally had to stop the
fight" Under such conditions how in the
world does Johnson expect to best Jeffries
in twenty rounds, as he has fixed the
limit?
The result of Jeff's effort to show that
absence from the ring for several years
had not been a serious handicap In de-
Tending a championship s already having
prominence in the limelight. One of my
reportorial friends got tangled up the
other night with Tom Sharkey. with tho
result that tho sailor declared with all
seriousness that he soon is to make a
preliminary test of his ability to come
back in a course of physical training.
with a view If conditions warrant, of
his challenging the winner at the Emery
vile ringHde July 4. Tom adds that he
is sure he can lick Johnson.
Middleweights Busy.
MY prediction that the return of Billy
Papke from France would be sure to stir
up trouble in the middleweight class
seems about to be verified. Papke is to
have a twenty-round fight with Frank
Klaus in San Francisco May IA. with the