The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1919-03-18
BY RoHERT EpGREN.


bo able to reach the giants ch1r--and
therefore Jack has no chance to become
champion.
Which reminds me of one afternoon,
many wears ago, when I went into rom
O.RourlcS Dclcvan TO see Joe Naic"tt,
then famous as the Giant Killer ana
the "Harbadu,s Demon Joe had
knocked out Joe Choy;lsH and 1c"
oihcr large gentlemen with certain
amount Of puEl!stic cl;ISs. and was an
moving Champion Jim Jrt1ricS Win
challenges | s;lw Joe and sized him uF.
He WIS anything but formidable in ap-
pcaranct He was just an inch over tiVe
fcct In height and the most prnmincnt
thing about him was IL wide smile anu
two rows Of cleaning white teeth. You
hardly noticed. when he was IN street
clothcs that he had Il si%lcen-inch nlccps
and a SiNtccn-inch neck
~p, YOU think you could fight JEFF
fres?" | said to the dusky midget. Aho
how would ever reach him with
punch
walcott chuckled-
"Eov" he said. what I can't reach
.em lust bring 'cm down to my Retgnt.
ycsstr. All jest hits 'ern in the belly
(Joe used plain words) and THAT brings
.er down so / can hit 'em on tho jaw.
Jack Dempsey may be able to follow
wucntt's system. Lots Of other Tight
ers have done It The body punch has
! settled many a championship argument
r.,unsey uses It himself, and uses II
ms skilfully as any heavyweight ever
SEEN in the ring. l have vivid picture
| In my mind Of the night l saw MN put
long Fred Fulton out Of the title chase
He whipped q lightning left into trcu
| intersection, bending him over, ana I'M
| ishod him with a left and right on 'ne
| law. Probably the whole operation niu-
! NJ take moro than two seconds. But
| there was nothing accidental about the
punch. Five minutes after the hght
/ Dempsey was telling me about IT IN ms
dressing room. They SAID couiuh
! reach his jaw because he was TOO tan
| for me-" said Dempsey. laughing. so
| [ brought him down TO my helghe.
| Curious thing-Walcotts words over
| again
Dempsey Like JOHN L,
| There's something about Dempsey
! tina; reminds one Of the great Johh L.
! Sullivan whose exploits are now 't"-
! ditions Of the ring. Dempsey Is inc
most remarkable knockcr-out or heSe
| times. lust as Sullivan was thirty or
4
! q round or two. just as Sullivan dio'
I haven't the slightest doubt that Dr'np-
| sew could 20 on a grand tour. as SulIl-
van did, meeting the same kind or hght-
ers Sullivan met, and knock them al
out as easily as Sullivan dln. no nus
Sullivans early lighting traits, sheer
! confidence, speed and terrilG pu'''i
IIc Is three inches taller than Sullivan
was, and his weight IS l9H pouhos-
! which was Sullivan's at his best
! Like Dempsey. Sullivan liked TO nm.
in his fights in hurry 1ls hat
curious variation of the body bio"
that was developed through queer
nsycholosical twist Sulivan's name
carried such terror to many OF his "p-
! nnncn,s that they were inclined to pend
oyor and Try TO use a crouchlnS cover
70 kcep his heavy blows from landing
| When this happened John l.. used ms
| back lung punch" He reached over
end brought his forearm. wrist and Inc
side Of his first down across thc'r
! shouldcrblades- This was usually
Knockout blow. and often a knockout
lin Corbctt wasn't noted for any
particular blow. He was a fast noS"r
and when he won tight it was usually
through fast rather than haavy h'ltihk.
lie used many body blows in the sui y
! van fight at Now Orleans. and ih"s
h,Iprd TO bring Sullivan down. for "ll
John I. was fat and all in from dISSip'E-
| ton. ,,.
Tho most famous user OF body
| blows vas Fitzsimm"ns. lie whlppc"
Corbett at Carson with solar plcH"S
punch" when swift-footcd Jim h;!d been
able to dodge about and keep MS il"
out Of range for fourteen ROUNDS.
Fftzsimmons brought Gus Rubin
| Aoi,, with lDGy n,
and whipped Sharkcy and many others
In the same way. Tho bigger They are
Tho harder they fall" was FitZSiminonS
bcast. IF old Bob was coaching D"Inn-
soy now he'd laugh at tho ldca 'ha'
| Wizards height will keep tho cham
pinn safe.
! Stanley Kctchcl was great body
| h.,htnr, and never worried about any
handicap in height. + saw Stanley
/. stnp Jack O'Bricn'S swift dancing about
! mo ring with q terrific lett hook III
! ,hn stomach--n punch that sounded llkc
! throwing a brick against q bass drum.
| AT,cr that Knocking OBri"n out was Il
nero detail. And before It landed
/! O.Eriru WIS up on his t"cs. towering
over ketchcl and making tn" best roS-
sill. uso OF advantage in height
and reach.
Probably Jcfrrtcs was the hardest
! body punched in his time. MOI uS'hS
his height. he fought in Il crouchinE 20
, s;tion from which WIS easy t" drlN"
4 in a body blow. Tic broke three 81
Sharkcr's ribs. beat FftzsimmonS with
IN body blow In thrir second fight ana
! hi, Corbett so hard that Corb"tt conn
+! rlainnd Of his bent ribs for years after
| ward.
Kid Mccoy, Tommy Ryan. Sam Lang
| ford. Toc Cans and all of tn" great "Io
! time champions studied and used h"nF
+, blows 70 win their fights. Jimmy bri''
VAS n great body fighter. and SO was
, 1:attlirg Nelson. Frank Errr told m"
, tho he didn't mind Hrtt's sharp l"it
! hooks in tho body for two or thT""
! r,n,I. until hc suddenly found his eye
.:i;;hl blurred and his Judgment "f dis
,incc affected Rr!tt ku"rk"d lam cut
! ,, round or two later. Eauiin- Nelson
.Innrrd"d upon his "l"ft scissors hook
20 war down 1nru heavier Hud bigger
than himself. and s"i'!"nl had !" reach
Tor AN opponcnt's cha to win fight.
with all this proceed mt for Infringing
! willard down." I",H"Scy doesn't n""d
10 drSrair oi h"in" able !" hit tll''
..ilaniir. Oklahoma champion.
johnson Couldn't Hurt JOSS.
The only question Ia H." settled. :"
| far rs Willnrd's endurance Hnh l'"nl-
sry's punch arr. c"lIc''i;t'd. = WiIlar@'%
! rnrdiIinn. II the pass willard mas
| l,rru prarti".Ny i:niIEn" !" bod
pui.chcI IL well a.; /" i'ur'''l''s "n th"