The Daytona daily news. [volume] (Daytona, Fla.) 1903-1926, 1915-03-27
Jim JEFF R|ES STILL
CHAMPION LASAVATE
PUCUL|ST OF WORLD

A search through old and musty
records reveals the rather amazing
fact that Jim Jeffries is the la savate
boxing champion of the world, title
which he won something like Is years
ago in Paris.
The la savate method of boxing,
which was the only style of boxing
| that France knew up to few years
ago, permits the use of both hands
and feet during the contest, and the
man with the most nimble feet and
the heaviest kick usually was the vic
tor in those bouts.
But Jeffries, in winning the cham
pionship, did not use his feet. He just
used one of his paws-and he used 1t
just once.
A short time after Jeff won the
heavyweight championship of the
world from Fitzsimmons, he made
a tour of Europe. He met some of
the best men in England and made
mince-meat of them. Then he went
to Paris under the management of
John S. Barnes.
Jeff appeared at the Folly Marency
theater, sparing with his brother, but
the act did not go very well. The
Parisians weren't interested in fight
ing under the Marquis Of Queensbury
rules. They didn't understand it.
But they did understand the la savate
system. And that gave the manager
of the theater an idea.
The manager approached Barnes
with proposition for Jeffries to meet
a fellow named La Blah, who then
was the la savate champion of the
world, Jeff to fight his own way and
the Frenchman to be permitted to use
both hands and feet
The la savate system was explained
Jeff accepted.
When the huge American stepped
into the ring and saw his foe-a
pigmy Frenchman--he laughed aloud
And, for a time, he refused to engage
in the fight.
81 don't want to kill anyone" he
said.
"Ah, fear not, Monsieur Jeffries."
said La Blah's manager. Zee La
| 1,h hut
So Jeff agreed to fight, and stepped
into the center of the ring to face his
midget foe as the gong sounded.
Jeff crouched and the Frenchman
stood still with arms crossed on his
chest about two feet away from jeff
The cocky attitude of the Frenchman
caused Jeff to laugh again, but the
laugh was short-lived. Even as jeff
broke into a guffaw, the Frenchman
leaped into the air, and kicked Jeff
in the jaw so hard that the sound of
the impact was heard a hundred feet
away. The Frenchman dropped
lightly onto his feet and again as
sumed his folded arms attitude while
the surprised and stunned Jeffries
rubbed his walloped jaw and won
dered what hit him.
The Frenchman, instead of follow
ing up his first attack Immediately,
and gaining big advantage over jeff
while the American was partially
stunned, danced around long enough
to give Jeff a chance to recover from
the blow of the Frenchman's hoof.
Jeffries then rushed toward the
Frenchman like maddened bull. The
! Frenchman whirled around and
evaded the rush. He began crcling
the ring like a marathon runner. with
Jeffries after him. Suddenly the
| Frenchman turned and jumped into
! the air. Just as quickly, Jeffries stop.
ped, set himself and then let loose
with terrific right. The blow was
perfectly timed and caught the
Frenchman on the point of his jaw as
| he was two feet off the ground. The
| fight was over
The referee stepped to the ropes
over the PROSTATE form of the beaten
| Frenchman, and, in French, an.
| nounced to the audience:
Hail to Monsieur Jeffries, the
greatest fighter in the world. Not
only is he the champion of the world
under. the London prize ring rules.
but he also is the la savate champion
of the world because of his victory
over Monsieur La Blah. our fallen
idol"
| Jack Johnson won one sort of cham.
pionship from Jeffries. but he didn't
win the other. And jeff, to this dav,
remains the la savate champion nf
the world
Thrift, Thrift, Horatio."