East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1910-07-04
PHENOMENAL RISE IN FIGHTING WORLD Of
JAMES J. JEFFR|ES, WHITE CHAMPION

friends.
During this time Bob Fitzsim-
mons was retaining the championship |
against all comers. A match was made
between Jeff and Bob at Coney Is
land, 1899. 1t was looked upon as a
joke, as the man who had gathered |
Jim Corbett's scalp in decisive style |
was thought to be able to play with |
the big green hand, Jeffries. Fltz- |
simmons did play with him-for nine |
there was any part of |
Jeff's head he did not hit at will, no
body at the ringside could locate the |
place. But in the 10th Fitz tired and |
in the 18th, after going down twice,
he was unable to get up third time,
and jim Jeffries was champion of the
world.
Five months later Jeffries met Tom
Sharkey again in a 25-round fight at
Coney Island Jeff got a decision over
the sailor, but he declares that Shark
ey is the gamest man who ever enter
ed the ring.
Corbett. by this time, was eager to
get a match with his former sparring
partner. The fight was arranged, and
for 30 rounds Jeffries took a terrific
amount of punishment. He utterly
failed to reach Corbett with his
gloves, although Corbett battered him
around so freely that the big fellow
looked foolish. Jeff's seconds told
him that he was an ex-champion be-
yond doubt unless he did something,
and Jeff went out to do in the next
round. He tore after Corbett, mind
ing the storm of blows that met him
no more than he would mind so many
rain drops His left reached Corbett's
midsection, in the 23rd round and a
moment later his right ended the fight
with a short-arm jolt to the jaw.
Jeffs next fight of any Importance
was with his old opponent Rubin.
After five rounds Rubin quit. jeff
had learned too much for Rubin be-
| tween their meetings.
Probably the greatest amount of
punishment Jeff ever took-and he
took lot of it, first and last-was in
his second fight with Fitzsimmons.
The fight took place in 1902, and Fitz
threw all his cleverness and strength
into the first three rounds. Jeff's
face was badly cut by his blows and
while Fitz was fresh, the champion
looked like a novice beside him. But
he could not seem to worry Jeff to
any extent. In the eighth Jeffs right
caught the old champion in the stom-
ach, his left went to the jaw, and
FitZsimmons was classed among the
has-beens for good.
The second fight with Jim Corbett
was Jeffs last important fight. In
that fight Jeff showed that he had
at last learned the boxing game. He
| out-fought Corbett, the admitted
master of glove and foot work. at
every point of the game, and in the
| eleventh Corbett went down for the
count. This was Corbetts last ap-
pearance in the ring.
Just prior to his retirement jeff
fought a four-round draw with Jack
Munroe at Butte. 1t was a stay-four-
rounds offer, and Munroe stayed by
clinging to Jeff all the time. Munroe
after tho fight. claimed he had
knocked Jeff down. AS matter OF
fact the big man slipped and fell; bu'
Munroe boasted of his alleged tri'
umph until Jeff's anger was aroused
and another fight arranged. Ihey me-
in San Francisco, and Munroe wenl
down and out in the second round.
In his preparation for his fgh
with Johnson, Jeffries has done the
hardest training work he was evel
known to undergo. His methods have
been peculiarly his own as rule. He
gh
mountain climbing and the like, anc
his trainers had little to say abou
what he did.
In preparing for Johnson, however
the retired champion has left no par
of his training go uncared Tor. he
| would not agree to the match unit
| assured by try-out work and the opih
ions Of physicians that he was phy
| sically able to get into good condl
ion. once assured Of that, he tooF
m his quarters in the Santa Cruz
mountains, sixty miles south of Sa
Francisco, and drilled as he never
drilled before. In his camp jim cor
bett volunteer aid, reigned supreme
left believed Jim was a wise ma
on matters connected with care o
the body, and he Needed the torme'
champions words. Joe Choynsk
was there also, and Bob Armstrong
All three Of them were victims
Jeff's handiwork in times past Du
they worked hard to prepare him 10
his last great battle Among Choynskl
unrecorded battles is the defeat via
Knockout of Jack Johnson. 1t wa
during a three-round fight at Calves
ton in 1892. Farmer Burns was an
other of the training squad. He Is
wrestler of considerable repute, an
not a day of training passed but Jef
fries engaged him in struggling
hauling, netting match.-Portlan'
Telegram.