Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-02-19
SPARR|NG PARTNERS
Must Take Numerous Hard
Punchings to Earn Salaries.
VERY STRENUOUS LIFE
Some Helpers Have Developed Into
First-Class Boxers, Notably JEFF
fries, Who Aided Corbett.

IL you've got a good sparrng partner
one You can use for a punching bag
you're in luck said Prof. Jimmy De-
Forest. the veteran handler Of boxers
recently. But it's a hard matter to
flnd a man who will stand I'D under a.
hot fire without f1nching."
All the star pugilists as far back as one
can remember have employed sparrins
partners. and some of the latter have
developed into first-class pueilists them
selves after much wear and tear. When
Corpett was training for the battle With
fhzsimmons at Carson City Billy De-
ianey Drought the numbering Jeffries into
camp jeff didn't know much about
scientific boxing, but he was a big. rug
geo fellow who could take a wallopinc
ana was an adept at roush-and-tumble
wrestling AS he gradually picked IN
pointers about the manly art Of self-de
Iense JeHries became a formidable helper
IN Corbetts quarters. SO much SO that
Corpett soon requested him to go easy
with his punches. When Corbett went
down to defeat before Fits solar plexus
dow JeHr1es lcomed up as a champion
ship possibility and under the tutela ge
of Delaney and Tommy Ryan he soon
Wres.ed the heavyweight honors from
Lie AieChieu lDTfllSDnldli.
FftZSimmons had several .ouch suarrjnc
partners. including big Yank Kenny and
Con Rlordan. Kenny was a physical
marvel. but lie lacked heart, and after
receiving innumerable beatings in private
he resigned his position. Riordan muck
Ter and more willing TO take punishment
was finally laid low by fatal punch
on the jaw, and F'itzsimmons was acuuit
ted or the charge of manslaushter Cor
bett after whipping John l.. Sullivan had
y x,-n.S
DAILY and Con McNey DAILY was n mid
dleWeight and did not have the STRENGTH
to withstand Corbetts vigorous bonlbard
ment, but McVey stuck it cut and took
ms ms medicine with equanimity. 1t was
Knockout at the hands of Tom Sharkey
at the old LenoX Athletic Club in this
city when he suddenly jumped into the
ring IN the tenth round. To offset the
opinion that McVeys interference was
premeditated he permitted Corbett to
hand out singing bang on the jaw
just before Chief Devery cleared the ring
Boxed Before King.
John l.. Sullvan's partner for many
years was Jack Ashton, with whom he
boxed an exhibition in London for the
entertainment of the late King Edward
then the Prince of Wales. Sullivan paid
Ashton well for his services, but the lat
ter earned all lie got by taking John $
terrific smashes without a murmur of
complaint
Jack Johnson when he was preparing
for his fight with Jeffries al Reno last
summer had Al Kaufman. Kid Cotton
and other big fellows in his camp. He
didn't subject kaufman to much severe
usage. for that wasn't stipulated in the
contract. but he hammered Cotton about
in a merc,less way and appeared to en-
joy 1t.
The late Stanley ketchel was so hard
on his trainers and sparring partners
that many of them quit Finally ono
strong fellow who will never shine as q
star agreed to take daily punching for
SO much money. provided he could wear
armor. ketchel readily agreed to this.
with the result that the human punching
bag wore headpiece to save his ears
and a pneumatic stomach pad TO with
stand the tremendous blows that ketchel
drove in.
While Smith for some time employed
Jim Smith, a Bronx heavyweight. to
stand up under fire. Smith learned so
much about lighting while playing this
role that he soon branched out as a real
pugilist and went along finely until the
one-sided match with Ketchel was made
Then Smith, after gallant resistance,
was knocked out in five rounds. Later
he wanted to try conclusions with Lewis,
but at the last moment something mys-
FERROUS prevented a meeting
Helped Tom Sharkey.
Tom sharkey had an able helper in
the colored heavyweight Bob Armstrong
The latter suddenly jumped into fame
when he stayed ten rounds with Jeffries
and then beat Paddy Slavin. But he
found that he could earn a steady sal
airy in the employ of Sharkey, who was
then rapidly climbing the ladder Arm.
strong was a six-footer and weighed 200
pounds. yet he was no match for the
hard hitting sailor. Day after day Arm
strong boxed all the way from six to
fifteen rounds with Sharkey and was
roughly handled. He lost several teeth
and at times couldn't see out of one
eye. But he didn't give up the ship bv
any means. and was applauded for his
gameness. Armstrong after leaving
Sharkey sought similar positions with
leading pugilists, and finally hooked up
with Johnson, who was preparing for
his bout with ketchel on the coast Bus
he had some disagreement with john
son and they severed relations Later
Armstrong became a trial horse for JEFF
fries. and was In the latter's corner ct
Reno.