Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1919-08-06
.BR|TTQN FINE EXPONENT
OF BOXING, CORBETT SAYS
Search Of Ranks Of Different Divisions
Will Not Reveal More Consistent
Pegformcr. He Thinks.
HAS FOUGHT SIXTEEN YEARS
Welterwcight Champions Real Name
Is William Brcslin, and Hi,
Parents Wanted Him to Study for
Ministry When Old Enough.
BY JAMES j. CoRBETT.

NE" YORK; August 5.--JaCk Bit
ton is one OF tho most interesting ex-
ponents OF the manly art of sclf-de-
tense who has ever held a champion
ship.
From the ranks OF boxers in all d.
visions YOU may select one man in
naturally enough you will select cham
pions If %ou make a selection of all.
but in my opinion YOU viii not find
more picturesque boxer; nor more
This goes. even for Jack Dempsey
Brilliant as the new heavyweight cham
pion is. it must be remembered that
he has been fighting only a short time.
He rose TO the pinnacle of fame by
leaps and bounds, whereas Britton's
rise to the weiterweiCht championship
hard plugging.
Britton has been fighting for sixteen
yeans. He has engaged in hundreds
Of bouts, from the time he started out
to earn living in the ring as a light
weight until he became recognized as
the. champion of the welterweight di-
vision.
Today he looks much the same in
the ring as he did some years ago.
when. as lightweight he fought most
Of the good boys of his division in va
rtous parts of the country and
quilted himself with distinction be-
cause of his wonderful clcvcrncss and
cool headed judgment
Glenn Living the Secret.
Clean living is the big secret OF Jack
Britton's success. He has always rca-
lized that if he expected TO attain fame
as boxer he must pass up the bright
lights, and his standing in the hstic
world today answers the question as 10
whether or not he has done So
Britton is thirty-tive years old: His
wife and a family of two little boys.
He was born at Clinton. \. Y. thirty
nVe-odd years ago. but moved to Chi
cago with his parents when q boy.
n IN
study for the ministry when he reached
the proper age. But Fate shaped his
Like the boys o. most big cities
Bsiei bboL Srs% up in the streets Of his
TO defend his rights among the kids
OF his neighborhood. Early in life
ability when II came to defending him
SELF and. he liked TO battle.
Followed Usual CourSe.
Later i'm life he got his start as n
professional boxer after learning some
Of the finer points OF the game in a
S Sou size Eym M sum and for mum.
as the usual ham" boxer follows it,
meeting second and third ratcrs when
ever the opportnni,y offered and now
and then travelling TO some ncighbor-
Ing, State~to appear in bouts:
His cleYerness soon won him recog-
pro me of the Middle @ Wesiss and d
In due time his services were in de-
mand. He soon became a hcadliner.
and although he never reached the
top of his form while lighting as a
lightweight. he was rated among the
ealber $ n 1 OF yeara
outgrowing the. lightweight class he
entered competition for the weltcr-
about the same time Ted Lewis, who
came here from England. also outErew
the l3"-pound lass and doomed up as
Britton's natural rival
The history OF their many bouts is
too we'll, known for recounting here.
in all, they have met twenty times.
and the" title has been held between
the ever since 1915
Won Title nnrk This Year,
Winning the title hack from Lewis
at Canton, Ohio. early this year by
knockout in the ninth round. Britton
still holds il today. and has demon
senior by some ten years he is also
the master OF the EritiShcr. Their
recent meeting at Jersey City demon
strated Britton's superiority as a
hoSer' lot he w9n a popular decision
rounds. and that -ffrcr Lewis had made
a frantic and almost successful effort
to win back the title in the first mound
Few boxers who have been in the
game az long as Britton have ever
been able to maintain their speed and
stamina as he has done. Ills ring
craft is something unusual lie is one
or the most graceful boxers ] have
ever seen. lie is good judge Of dis
scored comparatively few knockout he
carries a good punch in his left hand
the punch that is SO necessary to the
Boxer who would become "A c:hampi,n
TO m! mind, Jack Erit,on is the
most extraordinary boxer in the bust
ness tOda Vt 'OpVrich,