The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1919-08-11
BR|TTON IS FINE
EXPONENT Of
THE BOXING CAME
uARcH or RANKS OF DHFEEENT
p1y1uoNs WILL NOT REVEAL
MORE CONSISTENT PER
FORMER.
tHANFIoN'S REAL Maze IS 49,
LIAM BRESLIN AND - TA1S1a
FIVE YEARS OLD.
PARENTS WANTED HM To STU"
non -r MINISTRY WHEN HE
prAcREp THE PROPER AGE.
NV JAMES J. coRBETr.

lack Britton is one OF the most inter
estinz exponents OF the manly ART "a
self defense who has ever held cnam-
pionship.
From tho ranks OF boxers in all III
visions you may select one man IN "a, !"
division 70 compar" with NM ann -"
turally enough you Will S''eCl ",.,'
nio,. 10 rou make 4 selection 1T ALL nut
IN nv opinion you will not ma NV
picturesque boxer. nor moro '"uS'H''' ~
performer than Britton. rms Eo'S' ~
for Jack Dempsey. Brilliant as lhs nv"
heavyweight champion Is. It mus pc &c.
noembered that he has been tishunE
-. short time. He rose to tho PIN
nacle OF fame by Leaps and bounds
vber.as Rritton's rise to the welter-
weight championship was gained oniy
nv many wears Of hard plugging.
Rritton has been lighting for sixteen
vcars He has engaged in hundreds or
Souts from the time he started Out 10
earn a living in the ring as lsh'-
weight. until he became recognized as
the champion Of the welterweight o'-
vision. 49,
Today he looks much the same In tho
ring as he did some years ago. ~nen ,c'
a lightweight he fought most or inc
FOOD bows Of his division in various
parts Of the country and acquitted MN
self with distinction because CT ms
wonderful cleverness and cooi-heaoeo
Judgment.
Clean Living The secret
Clean living is the big secret OF ia"
BrItton's success He has always real
lied that IL he expected 70 attain tau az,
AZ a boxer he must pass up the orish'
rghts and his standing in tho hsnc
World TODAY answers the question as u
whether or not he has done so.
Britton is thirtY-five years old. his
real name is William Breslin. He mas
wife and a family OF two littie ooES; {
Was horn in Clinton. y. Y. III rtE-tiNe'
odd years ago. but moved 10 Cn'eas'
with his parents when boy.
Rritton's parents wanted him to STUDY
for the ministry when ne reached 'n'
nroncr age. But Fate shaped MS career
differently w ,,.
Like the boys Of most big cities Brit
80, ,rev nm in the streets Of his n"lgn
horhood 10 lived in tho StoCkyard'
district Of Chicago and as h" grew oi"ei
he often found il necessary 20 dctrn'
bis ri1bts among the kids: or NJ:
neiphborhood. Early in life he diScoV
ered that he had natural ahilit" when i
cen,o IN defending himself and he llkee
to battle.
Followed Usual Course.
Later in life he got his start as pro
f,.sionaI boxer after learning som" o
rho fner points az tn" game IN GFnln'
stun. and for a number OF wears u.
followed tho trade" as the uSual NAM
>,xcr follows il. meeting S'co''u a''
third raters whenever the opP"t'u"'' :
offered and now and then trarei'nE u
somc noiGhboriug stat" I" "pp"a' -
bouts.
tT,s c,.,e-nnSs soon won him rerognl
,,or ,s "Soo5 card" among the promo
to-. ~ Tho Middle West and in duo tlm'
~. services were IN demand. He so"i
hccame \ hcadliner and although NJ
never reached the top Of his form "h'''
nrhting as a light weight. h" was ra'''
among tho lightweights of near 'haul
,jonship calibrr for number or S'',
u,rrowinr tho lightweight class n
ontcred competition for the ~'i'eF
weight title. which was open. ana ANU
DO somc time Ted Lewis. VINO cam
nero from England. also outHr"~ Nv
133-pound class and doomed up as BTU
toms natural rival.
rbn History Of their many bouts is 10,
we'll known for r"c"untinG mere IN a.
+ber have met twenty times and IN
title has DcCn Ht'u O'N"'>H
sine 1918.
won Title Back This Year.
Winning tho title back from Lewis
Canton. Ohio. early this year by
Knockout in the ninth round. Brtt"'
atiu holds II today and has demon
s,ratcd tho fact although he Is Lewis
senior nv some ten years he - ais
tho master Of tho Britishrr. Their re
cor, meeting at Jersey City demonS'ra'
"a Rrittnn's superiority AS boxer. 70
no won a popular decision over Lew
IN seven out Of eight rounds. and ina
after Lewis had made frantic ana al
most successful effort to win pack IN
title In tho first round.
E'nw boxers who have he"n In IN
vsne as long as Br!tton have ever bee
ah,s 10 maintain their speed ana STAN
ina as nc has dorc. HIS ring 'rnt'
something unusual II" is ono or IN
most graceful boxers have oyer seer
He Is good judge Of distance. and q"
spitn the fact that nc has scored co"
paraticclv few knockouts. nc carries
good punch in his left hand--'he pun,
that Is so necessary TO the boxer "h
would become a champion.
To my mind Jack Brt't"n is inc mos
extraordinary boxer in the busInes