The Sunday telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1914-1927, 1916-04-23
Title Won and Held on Brute
Force Alone is the Claim
Made This Late Day.

Made ms Late Day.
II there ever was child Of fort
une, James J. Jeffries. former heavy
weight champion of the world, : was
that youngster.
Dug up in California when the
stars of the fistic world were on the
wane, he waded through the class
and was pronounced the marvel of
the modern ring. 1t Is to be re-
GREETED for the best interest Of the
sport that he was not at his best
when he met Jack johnson, or was
not active in the ring today in order
to measure his strength against Jess
Willard.
Any man who studies the ring
game closely must admit that It was
the former bollermaker's abnormal
strength and his ability to assimilate
punishment that carried him through
to victory. fI'T
Wanted to Quit With Fitz.
Jeff let Fitzsimmons and Corbett
punch themselves out before he was
returned winner. The Cornish
mans hands were all broken up each
time he met Jeffries. and II Billy
Delaney were living he would tell
you the first time he faced Fitzsim-
mons at Coney Island, June Q, 1899,
1t was as much as he could do to
keep Jeffries in the ring for the frst
eight rounds. Every blow Fife
landed hurt, and Jeff did not like the
game. Nt
With broken knuckles Fitz was not
able to stand the pace and was finally
beaten down. The brute strength OF
Jeffries triumphed over Fitzsimmons
and Corbett, the two men who stood
in his way for the heavyweight
crown. . ,f..,. 5s,' 2f.7t4
Lucky to Beat sharkey.
Jeffries's real class was best shown
when he failed to stop little Tom
Sharkey in twenty-five rounds. He
was lucky to get the verdict at the
finish. Had Sharkey not suffered a
broken rib early in the fray a differ
ent result would likely have been re-
corded. Sharkey was feet 8 l-2,
inches tall and weighed $50 pounds,
Jefries stood feet / 1-2 inches and
scaled 220 pounds. With an advan-
tage Of five inches in height and for
ty pounds in weight Jeffries was
practically all in at the finish, while
the sailorman was still full of
fight. .t,.- -
As for the Johnson-Jeffries flasco,
1t has long ago been dismissed as an
unpleasant bit Of American ring his
tory.
Other Champions Like Jeffries.
frfa
diately, following, all, the middle,
light, feather, and bantam weight
classes were well taken care OF by
Stanley Ketchel. Battling Nelson,
Young Corbett and Johnny Coulon.
Two OF these were fighters Of the
most pronounced type, who depended
solely on their brute strength and
ability to take punishment to land
victory.
Ketchel and Nelson were striking
examples Of these types. Corbett
and Coulon studied the scientific side
and while they were champions they
easily proved the mastery of skill and
science over Drawn and brute
strength.
Young Corbett a Sensation.
Corbett proved a veritable sensa-
tion in his active ring days. He came
out Of the west almost unheralded,
although he had received ten round
decision over George Dixon in Denver
He was matched against Terry Nc
Govern, the greatest little fighting
machine Of all time. They met at
Hartford. Conn, on Nov. %, 1901,
and the Terrible Terry was dropped
for the full count in the second
round.
Terry was given return match
and Corbett repeated the feat in
eleven rounds. Corbett only held
the title three years. He could not
resist the lure of.Broadway, and like
all other professional boxers who fol-
low in the wake Of the hero worship
per- he soon fell by the wayside.
He took on weight rapidly, and today
William H. Rothwell. in private life,
although only feet 1-2 inches tall,
weighs nearer 100 pounds than he
does $50. the weight at which he
found McGovern.
Coulon Credit to Ring. -
Little Johnny Coulon was a great
credit to the ring. He was a young
ster Of good habits, and doubtless IL
his father had lived Johnny would
have retired as the indicated ban
tamweight Of America. Up to the
time Of his fathers death he had
never fought battle unless daddy
was in his corner, and 1t was largely
through the latter's expert advice
that Johnny was able to come out
triumphant.
When pater died Johnny had de.
cided to retire. In fact. he did, but
he was bounded to fight again and
defend his title. He was lured from
retirement. He was given $1,000 to
affix his name to articles Of agree
ment to meet Kid Williams, and, like
Jeffries, 1t signalized his passing as
o champion. a.,1 M. 10 1ssfn,
Nelson Just Slugger. 10..
AS for Battling Nelson, he is a
slugger pure and simple, and, like
all sluggers, will take half a dozen
punches In order to land one. He, Is
no spendthrift, and has made many
profitable Investments. He Just re-
wells in notoriety. so the passing Of
the Durable Dane cannot be consid-
cred as severe blow to the Ameri-
can ring. ,
Shot down by an assassln's bullet
at the age Of 23 was the unfortunate
ending Of Stanley Ketchel, a Polish
American, who promised to revolu-