Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1914-01-09
JACK ROOT SAYS
RINGGAME now
MUCH inferior

boXlng, according TO Jack Ho0t,
ence notable IN the prize ring. has de-
Perforated within the last decade. as
is proved, he says. by the many
"cauliflawer ears and mushroom
noses" with which the fighters Of to-
day are decorated.
Root himself is without blcmish
on his face, and men like Tommy
Ryan, Kid Mccoy, Kid Layigne. Jim
Gorbett. Jimmy Gardner and Bob
Fitzsimmons are without marks. This.
he declares. Is because these men
were artists when Il came TO boxing
and were able to inflict Us much dam
age as the type Of fighters who lower
their heads, rush In and begin slug
ging bllndly without giving the
least attention to where their blows
are landing.
Looks for Return Of cleverness.
The once famous Chicago light
heavyweight does not expect this
condition to continue in boxing. Re
looks for a decided change and be-
lieves the time viii come soon when
the gloYemen viii be ranked as clev-
er as were the champions Of 10 arsl
IA years ago he believes that sci.
ence and speed win again take the
place Of brute strength, and the badge
OF boxing inefficiency caulifloWer
ears and mushroom ncses--will Be
less In evidence than they are at pres.
ent.
Few fighters possessing . high
quality of science are to be found IN
the prize ring today Jack Johnson
IS the only real clever man In the
heavyweight class, while Sam Lang
ford is the best In the light.heanY
weight ranks The miadlewelght d.
vision has only two shlfty boxers and
they are Jimmy Clabby and uldle Nc
Goorty
Mike Gibbons star Of Wslters.
The best man In the weIterwelsht
division Is Mike Gibbons Of 81 Paul
Packey Mcfarland would be q star
in that brigade II he decided to cast
his lot with the men Of his weighE
AS It Is he is in class By himself -
! me iiEhtwsirl.E division h6s ssr.
eral clever boys ii Winnie Rltchis
Jack Britton, charles White. Freddie
Weleh, Leach Cross and Joe Mandoh
but Il Is doubtful Il there Is one who
rankesi with Joe Cans. Johnny Kil.
bane is the star OF the featherWeights
and scientific. while Coulon is the
leader OF the bantaffs The last two
weights have few good men.
Al boxer who knows how to box
need not 20 around with q battered
face after he leaves the ring Go to
most any. boxing show these days and
you will readily understand why the
caulifIower and mushroom crops are
so abundant on the faces Of the parti.
eipants. says Root
The average fighter of today pays
absolutely no attention TO the seien-
fiffc er.I OF boxing. All he knows Is
to get in close touch and whale away.
with two such men opposed to each
other somebody's nose ID bound to-
get smashed
Dixon Caught Punches on Glove.
The veteran told how little George
Dixon used to catch the punches Of
an opponent in his open glove and
divert them into the afr. He remark
ed about how Tommy Ryan avoided
knockout punches by mere twist Of
his head. And he tlwelt on the clev-
erness of kid Mccoy IN sidestepping
a. rushing fellow and stabbing him as
he went by.
!" But those fellows were all great
boxers" he said. s'.They studied the
game from It's sei9lfffb; standpoint.
Any of them colild time blow 70 the
traction of az Isf:h
Dubs Boxer of Today 40 SLOW!
THAT Is what our present boxers
lack-anility to time blows. How
many Of them are at all certain where
their glove will land when they let Il
fly? And how many OF them can
avoid a blow by a slight movement
Of the heal or body s. =.
y Bat it viii all come back. declaT.
ed Root "We1I have another period
OF great fighters. All we need is time
TO develop them. We must first over.
come the idea that slugging is bop
ing. When we do this, and these
boys with talent. are willing to under.
go proper instruction, we viii expeF.
fence a revival of the old order Of
things when science was a more val.
liable asset in the ring than mere
n,