The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-06-29
YOUNGER FIGHTERS
USUALLY VICTORS
Success for willard Would
Jolt the Dope in the
Glass.
RYAN FIRST EXAMPLE
At q He Wrested the Title
From Goss-Sullivan Was
Downed at 81.
RYAN FIRST EXAMPLE
Copyright. 1918: on rights reserved.

Among the salient topics in the Will
| lard Dempsey discussion by those who
accept the bout as an up and up affair
Ia that regarding age. It Is repeatedly
/ said that Willard is too old to stand up
against 80 young and aggressive a bat
tier as Dempsey. In a vast majority Of
the battles for the title among the
heavies the younger man was the victor.
It cannot be denied that Willard. at 81.
| is past the age at which men excel in any
branch Of athletics, and particularly In
ring combats. Willard now Ii the same
age as was Bob Fftzsimmons In his last
/ important ring engagement, which was
in 1902, when in his second meet. g
with Jeffries the Cornishman was
stopped In eight rounds. Fltz was
then in his fortieth year. ana while he
was formidable enough as a battler even
then to batter Jefr's face to a pulp before
he was beaten, the bout marked the de-
struction of Fitz's freckled fists. which
were broken on the hard Jaw Of the then
champion.
1t is noteworthy that willard has
| patterned after Fitz in the matter OF
clean living. for the Cornishman would
have been at the end of his pugilistic
rope many years previously had he fol-
lowed the example Of other champions.
| Wizards mode of life has had the
added advantage of being In the open.
while Fitz stuck to the centres Of poru-
| lation. Therefore, II the lesson of pugf-
listic history. which shows that in a
large majority of instances the cham
pions have lost title after passing a3
and that Fitz and Willard are the only
men to win championships after pass
ing the 35 year mark, is to be over
turned by Willard It will be attributed
| To ha unt hat "a ha nj or
has conserved his vitality even mo:e
than did Fitzsimmons.
Youth Served Ryan Wen.
The first instance OF youth beins
served in the heavyweight champion.
ship competition came when Paddy Ryar
took the title from Joe Goss in 1885,
after a long drawn out struggle Of
eighty-seven rounds under London rules
Ryan was 81 years of age at that time
while Goss. a veteran English pugils
who had settled in America and won the
title from Tom Allen on a foul, wa!
90 years of age when he stepped into
the ring at Golfers Station, w. Va.
Although Gosss stamina was depleted
by long years OF hard fighting ant
harder living, his ring generalship en-
abled him to keep Ryan at bay round
after round. Ryan,, known as the Tro
Jan Giant, was in the flush Of youni
manhood. The old chaps vitality wa
exhausted in the eighty seventh round
In the next title battle. John L. Sui
Ivan and Paddy Ryan, the question o.
age was hardly a factor because Ryar
was only 20. and was at the height o
his physical powers, and Sullivan was "a
The men entered the ring in the bes
possible physical condition, but as soor
as Sullivan landed a few thumps L
l fl
sentative practically quit and wa
stopped in the ninth round
This night took place in 1882. Ate
spending six years in boisterous living
combining himself to exhibition bouts ant
stage work, Sullivan took on Charlie,
Mitchell in a bare knuckle bout at Chan
tilly. France, on March 10, 1888.
resulted in a draw after thirty-nin
( rounds. Sullivan was 80 years OF ag
and Mitchell 20. As Mitchell scaled a
only 100 pounds to 2lo by the champion
the draw was practically a victory TO
the Englishman.
, sullivan's Last Successful Stand.
Sullivan's last successful stand agains
his challengers was made in 1889. whe
/ after a seventy-fve round tussle wit
! Jake Kilrain he was declared the winner
Sullivan was 81 and klrain so. TIL
} latter was an oarsman OF considerable
ability, but never had done anythin
noteworthy in the roped square. HI
calibre can be Judged by the fact tina
Jim Corbett, then beginning to attrac
l attention, made Kilrain look like tn
r veriest novice In a six round bout wit
, gloves.
In 1892 Sullivan lost his title TO Cor
bett. who at the age of 26 was the mos
: remarkable athlete and boxer yet see
3 In the heavyweight class. The bout, IN
3 first under Queensberry rules for tn
title. lasted twenty-one rounds. Sulll
= van was "a and was far from the physi
0 cal perfection he possessed ten year
previously when he battered Paid
t Ryan into submission. Corbett followe
I largely in the footsteps OF his predeces
4 sor. so far as neglecting his physica
I welfare was concerned. and while h
disposed OF Mitchell In 1894 In thre
r rounds he soon thereafter began to los
4 form. Corbett was 2s and Mitchell 3
e when they met at Jacksonville.
The downfall OF Corbett came at tn
= comparatively early age Of 81. Fitzsin
. mons, the victor. being IS. There is n
5 question that at IS Fitz had much NOR
vitality and endurance than Corbett 9
4 81. After Corbett had outboSed IN
' Cornishman In the early rounds, havin
s F'itz on one knee taking the count
:, Iie elNtn' the apparently beaten ma
recovered and scored a knockout in m
fourteenth. 1t was the frst time III
title had been won by a challenger 3
that age and II was duo entirely 10 IN
, good care Fitz had taken OF himself.
Young Jen Beat Fits,
I In 1899 Jefrries, a youth OF "a rot
knockout verdict over Fitz, aged az. in IN
eleventh round at Coney Island. Jetrr,s
was practically novice at the finn,
? while Fitz was the most formula n
I ringster In the game. Two years la+a
a when Jeffries had had the advantage :
experience and when his physical rus
gedness had increased, Fitz hit N
: ooilermaker when and where he pleasa,
5 cut his face terribly and anna rantI
. had the battle we'll in hand when n
= knuckles broke under the strain of heay
punching Fitzsimmons had reached h
fortieth year at this time and was =
amazing athlete, everything considera
The question OF age did not enter I'M
the battle between Jeff and Sharkev ,
Coney Island in 1899, JEFF being % ar
n the sailor 26. The bout went the IN
: twenty-five rounds and George Siler CAV
i the decision TO Jer. although n lar,
proportion OF those at the ringside we,
: or the opinion that Sbarkey had won q
J. points. W."
n Jack johnson was S2 and Jeffries
o In 1910 when the boilermaker emerge
from mis- retirement and gave battle
me negro Jefries was only a sholl