Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1919-07-20

New York, July ia boxing
expert says that unless pugilistlc
champions give more consideration
to the defense of their laurels in the
future boxing is not going to win
its way back into the good graces
of the people. Three successive
heavyweight titleholders have been
coaxed into the ring by a jingle Of
hard coins, only to make the sor.
riest show of themselves. While the
gullibles continue to pay there is a
growing demand that future cham
pionship fights shall be between mer
fit for battle and not between d
young, virile, highly conditioned ath'
lete for instance, and a brokn down
sport.
The ignoble defeat Of Jess Willard
should be an example to all athlets
that nature must assert itself. Those
engaged in strenuous sports or any
activity that calls forth unusual eff.
fort should be convinced that tc
flirt with idleness means rapid de.
cline of the muscles trained for hare
work. No part of the human makeup
deteriorates so quickly as the mus
cles. And idleness will burn ur
strength more quickly than the hard
est labor.
Trained On Whskey.
For 10 years John L. Sullivan still
remembered as the greatest of al
heavyweights, trained on whisky
and wines and thought he coule
climb into the ring perfectly able
to defend his title against the young
well-prepared Jim Corbett. Sullivan
did not train for his battle with
Corbettt. He plays at his work much
as Willard did. 1t was a shock to thu
great John L. when he was knocked
stiff.
Sullivan tried to Guido nature and
whipped himself. He was always 4
heavy drinker. Bill Bradburn, who
chummed with Sullivan, said few
days ago that he drank with Johr
L. possibly 500 times and never once
did Sullivan order beer. 1t was fire.
water that Sullivan wanted and the
poison that cut short his ring title
rule.
After five years as owner Of 4
prosperous saloon Jim Jeffries wa.
dragged back into the ring to NEE
a powerfully built, perfectly trained
negro, and Jeffries tumbled into OBJ
livion quickly. 1t was said of JET
fries that he was his own best Gus
toner in his Los Angeles cafe. Tha
was not the greatest fault of JET
fries, however. He was like Sulli
van in the belief that he still wa.
able to command his dulled mus.
Giles. He was warned by many per
sons that he should train more per
sistently if he cared at all for vic
tory, but the lure of gold through
the theatrical field was too much
for Jeffries and the public wa!
foiled again.
Negro Lived High.
When Johnson was coaxed bach
from Europe to meet Willard ii
Havana the negro was living a riot
Gus life in Paris. He had burned
up much of his vitality. He watched
the big, clumsy Willard work ant
decided that he need not train tt
knock out Willard. Had it beer
the Johnson who met Jeffries, h,
undoubtedly would have fought wei
after a playful preparation, but tn,
Johnson at Havana was a ia
broken down negro with no strength
left. Johnson did have a clums,
gawk in front of him, but johnson
had no strength to match agains
that possessed by the inexperienced
boxer who won.
1t was Johnson's condition tina
beat him in HAVANA and not an,
prearranged plan for fake fight. An,
authority on human frame woul,
have laughed at the suggestion of
fake after one look at Johnson, VIII
even carried a big roll of stomach