Evening star., 1911-08-23
WOULD BAR HUGG|NG
lin Corbett Scores Tactics
Some Fighters Employ.
COVERING UP RUINS SPORT
Declares Referee Should Interfere
When Boxers Crouch and
Cover Up.
COVERING UP RUINS SPORT
Special Dispatch to The Star.

Special Dispatch to The Star.
NEW YORK, August 23.-'Tf a boxer
crouches low and covers up his face. at
the same time boring continually into
clinches. the referee should step between
the men and stop the bout" said James
J. Corbett yesterday, as he waited for the
Giants and Cubs to begin their battle at
the Polo Grounds. Corbett is q base ball
fan of the thirty-third degree. He goes to
the local games as much as possible. but
he has not forgotten boxing. which made
a fortune for him just nineteen years
ago next month. when he whipped John
L Sullivan at New Orleans.
"Gloye contests will always interest
me-" continued the former heavyweight
champion, because fighting Is manly
sport and develops our boys into coura-
geous men. A scientific contest between
well trained, physically capable athletes
provides thrilling excitement and nobody
enjoys it moro than yours truly. But
these hugging matches are intolerable. !
steer clear OF them because they bore
me. This habit OF crouching and hiding
behind ones forearms and elbows Is all
wrong. 1t isn't a fair. stand-up way OF
boxing. which the Queensberry rules call
for. Furthermore 1t isn't pleasing to tne
eye. Why. the average fighter doesn't t
seem to have nerve enough to take q
wallop on the jaw, but moves about all
covered up, working his head like tur-
ties. No man can display clear boxing
science that way. He can't expect to de-
makes the other fellow fight the same
way. and the scrap as rule becomes
rough house wrestling match.
Unless clubs and referees put q stop to
these methods scientific boxing will be-
come a dead letter. Quick thinking. rapid
ing at long and short range. blocking,
ducking, sidestepping, shifting and dodg-
ing will be lost sight OF. What VIII glove
fighting amount to then? Nothing more
than brawls which you can see in almost
any tough barroom. That kind Of stun
isn't manly and 1t isn't clever. and no real
lover of boxing cares to pay s. or $40 to
see 1t. know that / wouldn't cross the
street to see Cyclone Thompson and this
Chicago Greek mix it up because they
wouldn't box at all. They'd just butt
each other and hug like bears. which
would make me very tired
'The referees can stop this absurd bust
ness. So can the promoters. How? why,
let referees warn the crouchers and the
huggers that IT, they don't stand up and
fight clean they will be disqualified. II
that doesn't put stop to the evil let the
promoters bar, such fighters entirely. En-
courage scientific. stand-up fighting and
there'n be a high quality Of sport and In
creased interest all around. I think Mel
son was the first to get away with these
unsportsmanlike tactics and Wolgast IL
following his example. That naturally
encourages other young men to do the
same. But it's all wrong and unless the
check rein is used promoters will bt
sorry.
Isn't II q joke, this comeback stun
I had to laugh when I heard that Fitz-
simmons wanted to fight me again. Blu,
Robert was joking. no doubt. And
Sharkey? Wouldn't that fellows talk jal
your AS for Kid Mccoy, he's got better
chance to come back than any of US old.
timers, because he has always taken care
Of himself and is wonderfully strong to-
day. He isn't an old man at thirty-nine
and wouldn't be q bit surprised to sex
him beat some OF these alleged heavy.
weights now before the public"