The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1918-04-09
CORBETT WAS
GAME FIGHTER
AGAINST JEFF
BY LEFT HOOK.


between Jim Corbett and Jim JEFF
fries, in which the latter had a mar
row escape from losing the decision
and with it his title. This battle was
held before the Coney Island Sport
ing Club on May II, 1900. By the
most dazzling exhibition of boxing
skill ever shown by heavyweight
Corbett held the upper hand for
twenty rounds, but weakened and
was knocked out in the twenty-third
when he had but two more to go.
The fight drew crowd Of nearly
10000 persons, but there was very
little betting on the outcome. Ring
followers could not see where Cor
bett had the ghost of a chance. A
year before the Jeffries match Cor
bett had been the easiest kind of
mark for the crude Tom Sharkey
and that was taken to mean that the
one time champion had nothing left
1t was pointed out not only that
Corbett had long since seen his best
DAYS but that he never could hit with
effect The giant Jeffries had but
recently taken everything that the
hard hitting Fitzsimmons could hand
out. and he had withstood Sharkey' s
battering for twenty-five rounds with
out a sign of weakening. How, then,
could the light hitting Corbett hope
to make any impression on the IRON
bound physique of his fellow Califor-
nian?
So sure were the fans that Corbett
had no chance that Jeffries was
made favorite at to /. The price
would have been even longer, but in
those days there always was sus-
picion that bout might not be on
the level, and this caused the heavy
betters to hold off.
Corbett. however, knew Jeffries
and what he could do even better
than the big fellow did himself. He
had given Jeff his first lessons in
fighting when the latter had acted as
his sparring partner at the time Cor
bett was training for his battle with
FItzsimmons, and he knew him like
q book.
Jeffries never was an aggressive
fighter. He always waited until his
opponent had tired himself out be-
fore cutting loose himself. Corbett
figured that the big fellow would
try the waiting game, and he figured
exactly right. While Jeffries was
waiting Corbett brought his wonder
full footwork into play and he circled
about his burly rival stabbing him
with labs and floating away from the
returns.
When the fight began Corbett was
very nervous at first. He came out
1T 10
them from uuivering. AS he faced the
shaggy giant that walked out from
the opposite corner it looked like
very unequal match. Corbett was
tall enough, but he lacked the weight
and strength of his burly opponent.
Jeffries was cool and deliberate. He
was smiling carelessly as he walked
in and swung a heavy left in Corbett' s
general direction. The latter began
to dance and jab while Jeff started
swing after swing, each one falling
short.
Corbett's feinting was a revelation
Jeffries could not figure him out at
all and 1t was only at close quarters
that he could connect. 1t was not I'M
til the fourth round that Jeff landed
solidly. In that round he put a solid
right to the body and Corbett showed
that he was hurt. But Corbett used
his feet to such good advantage thai
Jeff could not land cleanly again dur.
ing the period.
During the sixth and seventh rounds
Corbett regained his self possession
and in the eighth he began to fight
at top speed. In the ninth he backed
Jeffries to the ropes and swung {
right to the jaw with his full weigh
behind the blow. Jeffries staggered
back and Corbett redoubled his eff
forts. He showered left and RICH
swings on the big fellow so fast tina
the blows could not be counted. JEFF
was not hurt to any great extent, bu
he was bewildered by the hail o
blows that were coming from all di
rections.
1t was the same way in the tent
Corbett flogged away, at the sam
time avoiding his opponents attemp
to counter. Jeffs right eye bega
to swell and the blood streamed fror
his mouth. But soon Corbett becam
arm weary and he was forced to lie
up on his attack. Jeffries smiled de
risively and kept walking in, Will
Corbett once more began to circl
around the ring.
From time to time Jeffries lande
crushing body blow, but for tn
most part he was on the receivin
end He could not pin the shifty Coz
bett to one spot long enough to Ian
with any degree of regularity. In tn
meantime Corbett taIbbed and jabbe
scoring numerous points, but doin
little real damage.
It was in the nineteenth round thu
the tide began to set against Corbet
In a mixup the champions big rigf
brushed Corbetts chin and the la
ter went down. However, he jumpe
right up again and kept away for til
balance of the round, although h
went to his corner looking worried
Jeffries landed a few more soil
blows in the twentieth and from thu
time on Corbett devoted all his effor
to keeping out of harms way. He b,
q gan to run so fast for the first tin
tho crowd, which had been cheerlr
him for his marvellous exhibition
skill, began to boot instead. But Co
bett had shot his bolt and he pa
no attention to the calls for him
stand and fight.
For two rounds more he manage
to get by without serious damage ar
it looked as though he would go IL
full twenty-five rounds. In that ca
Referee Charley White would ha'
had a difficult decision to make, f