The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1913-10-03
Sullivan Put the Mace Method
of Fighting Into Discard
in 1882
TEN YEARS LATER JIM
CORBETT CREATED STYLE
Then FitzsimmOns Took Cor
belts Title and Passed 1t
On to Jeffries

entire change In the popular styles
OF boxing. Fifty-three years ago, III
1860, Tom -Sayers. Of England, and
Heenan. OF America, fought for the
worlds heavyweight championship In
England. 1t was a battle between q
very clever English boxer of the old
school and a younger, stronger, bet
ter conditioned American with less
science.
When Sayers was being beaten the
crowd rushed into the ring and pulled
down the ropes SO that the referee
was compelled to call the bout draw.
Two worlds championship belts were
made and one was presented to the
English champion. who announced MS
retirement from the ring. Heenan
should have had the other. but he
never got 1t, for the donor had neg
lected to pay for II, and the sherin
seized the belt at the instance OF the
maker.
That fight emphasized the import
ance Of size and strength. and for a
number OF years men OF great height
and weight were considered the only
proper candidates for heavyweight
honors.
Jem Mace came along about ten
wears later, and In 1862 beat Tom
King for the championship. Mace was
small heavyweight. He was mar
velously fast and clever He stood
up straight and boxed scientifically
He was the founder of a school OF
boxing that turned out many famous
men-Peter Jackson, Bob Fitzsim-
mons. Jim Hail. Paddy Slavin anu
scores of other very clever big men
being his pupils.
In 1872 Mace fought Joe Coburn, q
big. husky American, for the cham
pionship. The result was draw I'M
der circumstances somewhat like
tnose of the Heenan-Sayers battle.
The influence OF Mace was felt for at
least ten years more, and Jem him.
self boxed in the ring until he was
nearly 10 years OF age.
The Mace style of fighting was jarr-
ed out of favor In 1882. when John Ia.
Sullivan defeated Paddy Ryan In a
bout for the championship OF Amer
lea. Everything now was Sullivan
esque. John l.. travelled about knock
ing out all corners In four-round fights.
His great strength and feroctty made
him the terror Of the heavyweights.
He was a rushing, mauling fighter
with a terrific right-hand punch that
fiattened all opponents as long as
John l.. retained his vigor. Sullivan
was the model for all boxers. He
was champion when the London prize
ring rules, with bare fist combats.
went out of favor and the milder
glove fights under Marquis OF Queens
berry rules, came In. II was thought
that his style of fighting was the only
proper style.
Curiously enough, the Sullivan per-
Tod came to an end in ten years, for
In 1892 Sullivan met Jim Corbett.
Corbett was Mace boxer. He
stood straight and was skillful and
speedy boxer. He was not as agrees
sive as Mace. He made practice to
use his skill to avoid all punishment.
In New Orleans he jaobed and jump
ed away and ran around the ring UNI
til Sullivan was completely winded
and half blinded. Not solid blow
had landed on Corbett when In the
twenty-first round, he stood and rain
ed blows upon the tottering champion
until Sullivan slowly sank to the
ground In defeat.
Now the whole boxing world went
mad over Corbett's style OF fighting
II had seemed impossible that a mere
boxer could defeat the smuggling Sulli
van All boxers tried to be Corbetts
Clever, notwithstanding boxing, care
full defense and deliberate work on
the ofYense was the correct thing.
Five years later, In 1897. Bob Fitz
simmons knocked Corbett out at Car
son City. This didn't entirely change
the popular style OF boxing, for F1tz
simmons, former pupil OF Jem Mace
also stood straight and boxed clever
". But Fitzsimmons specialized IN
delivering the knockout punch very
quickly when he had the chance
other boxers tried to master his In
imitable shift" aud employed the
Fitzsimmons hood and solar plexus
punch. The period OF changing style
this time came in seven years, instead
OF ten, for In 1899 Jim Jeffries knock
ed out Fitzsimmons.
Jeffries was a wonderfully strOns
mantle quickest and strongest BIZ
man the ring has seen In many years
When matched against Fitzsimmon'
Jeffries was coached to use crouch
ing position that would protect hi