Bisbee daily review., 1912-03-12
Foot Work Is Unknown
 To The Modern Boxers
Clnchng and Ring WreStl ng Have Destroyed the Speed That Was Possessed by the Greatest of Former Fighters

In these days Of rough indghting and cyclonic slugging, which a large percentage of professional boxers em- ploy. swiftness Of foot in both attack and defense is lost sight or, yet it is one of the biggest factors in making real champions, says a writer in the Police Gazette. A boxer who is so light on his feet that he can be con- stantly on the move is not easy to hit. Dartlng with his dazzling speed it is possible to land clean cut blows with such unexpected skill that an oppon- ent has no time to block or counter as his assailant, after landing. skips away. The employment of these tao tics means the scoring of points upon which a referees decision must be based unless there's knockout
 Of the present day boxers two ex. pert footworkers stand out in bold re lief. They are Packey Mcfarland, the Chicago lightweight and Mike Gib- bons. the St. Paul boy, who Is re- garded as the best welterHeieht in the world. Both are phantoms when they begin fighting, for they can fade away from a rivals wallop So
 
 Yet when Mcfarland and Gibbons de eide to land punches they shoot to the mark with lighming-like rapidity Their footwork is not cultivated, they say. but it is a gift They are so agile and quick that they cannot help moving about the padded floor like dancing masters at the head of bal let corps. As a result Mcfarland and Gibbons are believed to be the clever est boxers in the world.
 If you keep your feet moving all the time" said Mcfarland recently 'it stands to reason hat the other fel- low will find il hard to reach you with a solid blow Some fighters canno, hit with effect unless they set them selves firmly on both feet and then swing either hand from the hip. Many of these fellows do lot Of harm il they land, but when they do 1t is wholly because their opponents do not know how to onset the punches.
 T have learned from experience that by making a man miss l can ac- complish much As soon as fighter learns that he cannot land his best blows he naturally becomes discour aged. Then you've got the battle half won and you can clinch the VIC. tory by landing quickly delivered blows yourself But you cannot make a man miss or land rapid jabs Tor points unless you know how to use your feet. Because of this gift l can say that I've never lost tooth, had nv nose broken or been cut about the ears. In fact, I'm not Dit as figured.
 Results of Footwork.
 The fellows you see with nat noses and caulifower ears and scars or their faces, in nine cases out of ten. know nothing of footwork. They are inst plain sluggers who stand up and take all that comes their way for the chance of landing knockout waiiop In their cases physical strength is oiI more value than skill, but they can not be termed clever. Of course. | don't overlook other things that make a successful boxer. One must know how to hit, when to hit and just how far to let the blow travel. A good judge of distance generally wins more bouts than he loses. Then again it's necessary to know how to block with the hands and forearms if you are driven to a corner on the defensive In addition to that a good boxer must keep his wits about him always sol that he will know just when to take advantage Of openings. But footw ork is the real big factor.
 While Mcfarland uses his feet and