The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-03-04
IobnI,.asM1epH McJau,ey CrbeH

Note: This is the fifteenth chapter of a
 series of articles which MT. Corbett, is
 writing on "John l.. as I Knew Him." It
 incidents in the life of the great war
 rior. The next installment will appear
 tomorrow)
 England went wild over John L. Su,- livan's pugilistic skill He showed them something in the way of fistic perform ances that never before had been wit messed in the long history of the game in that country. Sullivan was the real ere
 ator of the knockout punch. Before his day, fighters depended upon wrestling and roughing tactics to win for them. The spectacle of sullivan sending men
 mighty fist against the jaw made him an awe-inspiring fighter.
 British newspapers lauded John L. day
 after day. His every appearance on the street gathered huge crowds that trailed him.. He appeared day after day be- fore packed houses. He became an idol in England as he was in the United States. And then it was that Charlie
 Mitchell and his followers rose up and insisted that John l.. wasn't "such-a- much that Charlie could whip the mighty Sullivan in a distance fight So Mitchell with big financal back ing, hurled challenge at John l.. Tor
 fight to a finish under London prize rules for any prize purse" John l.. at first thought the defy was merely for publicity purposes. But he soon changed
 his mind, Mitchell was serious. And John l.. eagerly accepted. figuring it
 would be a cinch victory for him.
 This fight will be picnis for me,
 declared John l..
 Sulivan's idea was shared by many.
 Mitchell smaller and much lighter
 man than Sullivan, had been beaten al-
 most into insensiblity in a thiee-round
 bout in New York some years before
 And that contest was with gloves, under
 Marquis of Queensbury rules. Mitchell's
 challenges called for bare knuckle bat tie under London prize rules-iust the style of fighting that suited the cham pion.
 But those that reckoned that way without taking Sullivan's condition or
 Mitchells improvement into considera- tion
 John l.. at that time, weighed around 22c His normal fighting weight in those days was at least 20 pounds lesss He was somewhat flabby and his wind was
 bad For several years he had done no strenuous training. He had been liv- ing free and easy life, and alcohol
 was making it's indelible impress upon his once Herculean' frame So Sullivan's closest friends on the other side who had been watching Mitchel's career, insisted that the champion go into training. You'll have to be good to whip Char lie now they told him.
 John L., confident of his ability to bea any living man, retorted:
 What's the use of wasting time doing that? 1 whipped that little fellow in three rounds in New York, and I guess lit won't take me as long this time" And so while Mitchell trained hard and cchscientiously for the most memora bc fight of his great career, John l.. con; tinued to lead gay life. He drank when was often He lived irregular hours and absolutely ignored the friends who ad- vised vigorous training.
 A few days before the fight was to be staged word reached John l.. that there wasn't a chance for you to win. !"
 And why not?" growled John l..
 Some of the toughest gangsters in London have bet on Mitchell.'' Sullivan was told. They'll all be at the ringsidt ready to stick you tip or to shoot you if it looks, as if you're surely got Mitchsl. down and out" But this news didn't frighten the Amer ican.
 Let em shoot. don't think they could
 @.t