The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1913-11-24
FORETGN BOXERS DON'T
 HAVE WINNING PUNCH
By T. s.-Andrews

Just sixteen years ago a weII-knovvn
 British writer prophesied a speedy
 end for the highly popular sport of
 glove fighting Those were the days
 of giants. Jeffries, Fitzsimmons, Cor
 bett and Sharkey were battling for premier honors, whilst Terry McGov-
 ern. PedIar Palmer, Tommy White,
 Jimmy Barry and Ben Jordan were struggling to uphold the honor of England and America in the lighter
 Divisions At that time boxers truly practiced the art of self defense and not the admixture of hugging and wrestling so common nowadays. The above mentioned writer based his gloomy prediction upon the huge financial considerations inseparable from Championship contests. feeling quite convinced that tho public would not continue to fork out big admis- sions. It would be interesting to have his opinion upon the state of the box ing game as it is now carried on. The value of purses has increased to re- markable extent during the past six teen years and even the sport itself has undergone many changes No where has the game so much altered as in Europe England is still the leading country on that side of the Atlantic, but her position is being seriously challenged by her nearest neighbor, France. Boxing has taken hOlQ OI LnS pOpQlS1T lcSIS there to d
 wonderful extent and can boast of an even more aristocratic patronage than England. Continued successes by Frenchmen in England has helped the game in the old country by compelling the Britishers to take more care of themselves and 1t is noticeable that when a British boxer is now opposed to a Frenchman, it Is the latter who assumes a cocksure attitude. The French people have learned their bxing mainly from Americans and to British ideas have assimilated Ameri- can faults. These faults consist of a tendency to clinch at every opportun- ity and to whale away when in holds. The latter, of cauFse, Is a distinct breach of the rules governing boxing, but is openly permitted by nearly all the French referees. and naturally. the boys take full advantage of their leni- ency. This indulgence puts French boxers at a disadvantage when they box in England, America or any where else where boxing is conducted according to the strict rules of the game French boys are all innocu- lated early in their boxing career with the idea that the main thing is to punch hard and often. This they can nearly all do, but the direction of their punches Is rarely under proper con- troll English boxers ideas run quite contrary. The vast majority are well grounded upon the nrSt principles O1 Self defense, but few of them know how to deliver a heavy punch. The average Britisher considers he is do- Ing well if he keeps skipping about, dabbIing snowflake blows at his op- ponent. and impressing the crowd and The referee by his c1everness. Against one of his own cOuntrymen this style of boxing is usually successful, but opposed to the vigorous methods em- pIoyed by Americans it is seldom ef- fective. One good hard punch on a vital spot nulli1es all the points gath cred by several rounds of bri1lia mt boxing and it is just beginning to dawTs upon the conservative Britisher that the time has come for a. change. A new school is springing up and be- fore long the old country, which first saw boxing carried on as a profession, may again come into possession of it's lost laure1s- Boxing amongst anna keurs is gaining ground in Europe and