The Washington herald., 1921-01-16
BY ROBERT EDGREN.

James j. SOrDett set ne" 1aSn-
ion in American boxing when he
beat Sullivan at New orleans. For
years Sullivan had been considered
absolutely invincible, in or out
of condition.
Corbett was a swift. clever boxer.
He was extremely hard to hit-a
fleeting shadow in the ring, yet
with plenty of courage. An inch
over six feet. weighing 1873 pounds,
sinewy, built for speed rather than
for strength, he never was a very
hard hitter.
He won fights by wearing his ri
walls down. by making them miss
until they were arm weary and dis
couraged and by delivering a be-
wildering succession of jarring and
annoying blows at long range.
Corbett was a student of boxing.
keen fellow who set out to make
science overcome strength. When he
began fighting he was a bank clerk
in San Francisco and boxing in:
structor at the Olympic Club. At
first he fought as II he were "giv-
lHS d DOAluS ltSSOu -lue OTle IN
by the way, of that phrase.
Corbett boxed a dozen or so un-
important bouts before he found a
real rival-Joe Capitalization he
finally beat decisively on a barge
in San Francisco Bay, in twenty
eight rounds.
Going to New Orleans, he out
pointed Jake Kilrain in six rounds,
famous by fighting a sixty-One
round draw with the great Peter
jackson. Peter had a sprained ankle
and couldn't move about much. Cor
bett danced around and around him
endlessIy, but would take no more
than a long-range chance, until half
of the weary spectators went home
and the rest slept in their chairs,
the referee finally stopping the bout
A month later Sullivan arrived in
San Francisco on an exhibition tour.
Corbett boxed four rounds with him
and finding himself able to avoid
the great Sullivan's swinging blows
with ease, laid plans for a match.
Corbett went East and won three
preston, and was matched to fight
LOT lut dN -NN" VI
leans, September 7, 1892.
Corbett Planned Ahead.
Corbetts plan for that fight had
been made a year before. When
the fight started he danced around
Sullivan, light as a feather. Sui
livan rushed. Corbett fioated away,
barely out of reach, hardly striking
blow. Infuriated, Sullivan lunged
and swung, and every miss weak
cned him, for missing continually
is a heavier>strain on a fighter than
taking punishment. Frequently Sui
livan stopped, dropped his hands
and dared Corbett to come and
fight like a man"
The crowd began to jeer. Cold
smiling, perfectly sure Of himself
and at ease, Corbett called to the
spectators that they'd see fighting
enough in good time, and went on
with his work in his own way
He danced about, floated away
barely out Of reach when Sullivan
tried desperately to catch him and
knock him down, and now and then
he jabbed Sullivan sharply. SullI-
van, old. in no condition, with a ron
of fat hanging over his belt, wheez-
ing, reeling on unsteady legs, still
charged but was 50 weary now he
could hardly raise his arms.
So Corbett increased , his efforts
little by little and began shooting
over jarring rights. Sullivan was
badly battered, his eyes puffed, his
lunges were off line and he could
hardly keep his feet under him. The
crowd that had been jeering Corbett
was at first silent in amazement
that this unbelievable thing was
happening before its eyes, and then,
With a crowds Inconsistency, began
roaring applause for the cub that
was tearing the toothless old lion
down. In the ttwenty-first round
anyone with half an eye could see
Sullivan was done. His arms hung
slack at his sides and his legs re-
fused to carry him forward. In all
his life. they say, Sullivan had not
stepped back.
Corbett knew his time=had come.
Throwing aside the defense he no
longer needed. he ran in and rained
blows on the tottering old champion
until Sullivan slowly sank to the
moor. And once down there was no
struggling up again.
The fight was over. The great