Evening journal., 1914-10-07
Hands BIC FACTOR
IN BOXING Career
Fractures and Strains Keep
Many Clever BattlerS
From the Top
RITCHIE GIFTED
WITH FINE PAIR

In sizing up a candidate for ring
honors it is usual to lay much stress
upon the depth Of his chest, the
spread of his shoulders and the char
acter of the muscles on his arms and
legs. But there is one all-important
point that is invariably overlooked.
That is the size and construction Of
his hands.
Brittle hands seem TO have been
the main cause Of Ad Wolgast's trou-
bles. Wolgast's weapons have been
reduced to a pulp state from his long.
hard battles. He always was a des-
perate slugger who took all sorts
of chances Of iniuring his knuckles
by landing his mad swings on his
opponents skull or elbows. His hands
have been broken so often they will
no longer stand the strain OF a 20
round battle
Charley White is another who is
handicapped by weak hands. White is
more carful boxer than Wolgast,
but his hands are delicately con-
structed. For this reason. White may
never prove a great success in long
battles, and the fact may cost him
the championship.
Willie Ritchie is gifted with a pair
Of fists that would not look out of
place on a heavyweight Ritchic owes
much of his success primarily to this
circumstance IL is one Of the rea-
sons he shows to better advantage in
long fights. AS a general thing a
boxers hands begin to weaken after
TO rounds have been fought IL is
then that the man with the strongest
fists gains an advantage. and many
hard-fought battle has been lost or
won in the closing rounds when one
of the contestants was rendered help
less by his hands collapsing.
Battling Nelson would still be doing
vioient work in the ring if his hands
were still sound. To the last Nelson IS
wonderful endurance has remained in
tact Only last month Nelson took on
a youngster out West and Outlasted
him in a slugging match. in which
the veteran wore down his younger
foe, just as he beat Cans, Britt, Young
Corbett and others years ago. But
Nelson's hands are no longer ft for
service, and he is nothing more than
a punching bag for men he could still
defeat were he able TO make his blows
count.
1t was his battered maulers, in all
probability, that prevented Bob Fitz-
simmons from winning back the
championship from Jim Jeffries in
their second fight. Jenfries was out
classed in that battle and could not
have stood up under the freckled
a &c 1uH EnN
had not been beaten to a pulp IL
was only after Fitz was unable to
strike another blow that Jeffries came
on and won. In fact, it was said at
the time that Fitzsimmons was not
really knocked out, but took a punch
in the body and quit rather than pro-
long the battle when he no longer had
chance to win.
Champion Johnny Kilbane would
have a big knockout record had he
not injured his right hand few years
ago in his battle with Johnny Alba
nese at the Tuxedo Club. In a care
less moment johnny caught Albanese
with a swift right swing TO the chin.
The thumb bore the brunt of the blow.
and a slight fracture was the result.
Kilbane would have beat Joe Rivers
in their first meeting only for this
weak thumb. He nursed it, and when
he met Rivers the second time the
hand was in good shape and the Mex
lean went to sleep in the sixteenth
round Kilbane has been careful Of
his hands ever since. and it is under
stood they were in fit condition for a
hard mill until he dislocated his
thumb few days ago in a fall from
a horse in California.
Frank Erne, lightweight champion
in the 90s, would have retained the
title much longer but for broken
hands. He was wonderfully clever
boxer and a snappy hitter. Up to the
time he broke his hands in a hard
battle with George Dixon he used 10
kuOck out his opponents with much
frequency, but after that he was
Obliged to box carefully, and only
occasionally did he try for a kayo
He had Lavinge almost out in the
fifth round of their memorable battle
for the title at Buffalo, but Franks
hands went back on him and the Sag
inaw Kid was enabled to stay the
limit, although he took a murderous
lacing.
Philadelphia Jack OBrien, jim Cor
bett, Terry McGovern and Freddie
Welsh scarcely ever complained OF
an injured hand. They held their
fists in correct position when deliv-
ering a blow, and instead of forcing
one kuckle to stand the entire strain
they landed with all the knuckles.
Packey Mcfarland never hurt a
hand, and Jack Britton is another;
so is Jack Dillon. If a fighter lacks
the ponderous mitt, all he has to do
is to use the sort he is endowed with
carefully.