El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1918-12-07

THE boxing public may like to see
L cleverness in the squared circle,
but It is a certainty that there is one
thing liked more-aetion. A clever
boxer is apt to be popular. One who
bores in and never stops fighting will
be more popular. The one that has a
combination Of the two commands the
greatest popularity.
Terry McGovern. Kid Lavigne. John
L Sullivan were first OF all battlers
who furnished plenty Of action. Nick
Gundy, Seventh cavalry, is OF this
Philadelphia Jack OBrlen and
Gentleman Jim" Corbett were in
their prime probably the cleverest and
showiest boxers the world has ever
seen, not even excepting the great
Jem Mace, who better knew how to
conserve energy than either O'BHien
or Corbett and was therefore not so
flashy in action. As Tar as the writer
knows there is no boxer at Bliss who
is OF this type.
There is a third class Of boxers
whose aim in training has been to
! the end Of effectiveness. While they
recognize that popularity is the
greatest Of matchmakers, that a boxer
may commercialiZe his style and make
It bring more money By pleasing the
public. yet they prefer to climb by
putting opponents away. letting ap-
plause take care OF itself and adher-
ing to what does the work.
In this class are Joe Cans, Kid Nc
Coy and Bob Fitzsimmons- Tommy
Felso, Of Bliss, belongs TO this style
OF boxer. Neither Cans nor Mccoy
were in and out with the lightning
quicl1ness Of O'Brien, yet both were
more effective, knocked out more op-
ponents- Bob Fitzsimmons looked
like a dub in action with Corbett, yet
he was more effective due to less eX-
penditure OF energy in lighter blows
and greater certainty OF landing
heavy blows ruby Robert" was also
2 greater artist in feeling out weak
ness and laying a campaign to take
sudden and terrific advantages OF
them. Tommy Felso excels in this
particular thing.
A boxer who follows strictly
the ways OF effectiveness in the
ring Is not 30 apt TO be n ring idol
as the one who goes in and bat
tiers with continuous pounding
until he downs his man, or rs the
boxer who il in and out, jabblng,
dancing out Of the way nnd dis
playing clevernesa that wins ad-
niirEtiOu.
Yet the effective boxer OF more
simple style has an advantage that
quite offsets the added money value
resulting from more Snowy style.
Many times while Fitzsimmons was
studying the style OF an opponent and
the proper way to knock him cold at
the right opportunity. his ring aover-
sary made the better showing OF the
two. Often when Robert put in the IA
nous hook that ended so many of his
battles, il was considered a cnance
DIOw because OF the showing his op-
ponent had made. The idea that Fitz
cnance blows caused other boxers
who saw him in action to have a de-
slre 70 meet MIN. When they did they
were beaten
In the career Of boxers Of this
type mystery rs to how they
actually win out all the time fin
. ally becomes n factor in mixing
them great drawing cards. In this
respect hid MeCOy and Myster-
f0us Billy smith Outdistanced any
other rinEsfera.
At Fort Bliss Tommy Felso has
never been an exceeding popular
boxer. This is because Tommy has
kept picking off his opponents with
JuC little snow, at times even by
blows that the fans didn't get and
couIont believe Consequently there
mas been more or less OF the opinion
among frequenters Of Bliss bouts,
that Tommy just barely got by and
that the next time he might not do IL.
l. requent recurrence OF the same
thing, however, has caused fans to sit
up and take notice so that Tommy has
become one Of tie most popular boys
at the fort
Fans Appreciate Action.
When II comes to taking the crowd |