The New York herald., 1921-05-23
Post War Carpenter a
Much Improved Fighter
So Decalres French Critic, Who Likens Georgess Box
ing to Fencing With Fists'-Why European
Champion Has Advanced as Hitter.
ny FERNAND BARDIANI.

cruits. He remained there until Ger
many took the full count.
From the Joinville school Carpenter
has come out fteto man, man who
stands fair chance of becoming
worlds champion. Why? First. because
or a much improved body. Strong chest,
strong shoulders, strong arms Is what ne
has derived from daily hours of physical
culture. He now tips the scales at llO
pounds. Superior strength has given his
blows the damaging power they lacked.
Secondly, because he has perfected spe-
cial body-revolvins punch which Is
sure settler of things when rightly ap-
piled. snto 1t he puts all the might OF
his over muscular legs-now most efrec-
tive springs instead of dead weight.
Thirdly and most important because he
has become another boxer. Before the
war he was following the standardized
lines OF the prize fighting science. This
for him was merely playing into the
hands OF stronger and harder-hitting Tel
lows. Now he is boxing according 10
new. strictly personal lines.
His present way of fighting Is rather
difficult to explain. because 1t varies &C
cording to the fistic style OF each man
he meets Its main object is to make ms
opponents boxing ineffective. TO sum ~
up, it is to classical boxing what fencing
with the duelling swords Is to fencins
with classical foils. French fencers with
duelling swords (the best exponents OF
this sport came from the Joinviile
schooD stand by two rules, first, NOT 70
he hit. second. to hit once oniy-for the
first hit must end the duel That is
what Carpenter tries to do. lie mas
dropped the regular give and take lHlnB
series OF blows at long or short raiise.
BY cleverly playing on the distance, as
the French fencers call 1t, he prevents
the batteries of his opponent from oeins
put into action with effect. 80 ne mahes
use of rule 1. not to be h'f.
Master of Fcinting.
To hiring about the possibility of ap-
plying rule 2, hit once only, he Teints'
And very subtle feints his are. he
feints. repeatedly, untiringly he rents
not only until an opening is given 10
him but until the very opening ne
wants. the slight wrong motion ne IL
nrepared for. is made. Then the pouy-
revolving blow comes. 1t starts quich
as lightning and when 1t lands Wha'
the public sees is the Frenchman stand
ing with his back almost against the
chest of his opponent Ihe next secoiiu
the other man lies down. If he misses
timely stepping aside-his uhequaiieu
faculty of quick recovering OF balance.
the result of long practice In french
boxing. enables him to stop short ms
rotary motion and launch instantly q
second body revolving punch TO Do oe-
liyered by the other hand.
1t may take Carpenter less than a
full round to hit once" as was the
case against Beckett, not brainy
fighter. and against Wells, no fighter
at all. 1t may take him four ROUNDS, as
when Battling Levinsky met him and
yielded to him." to quote again Math-
ison. ''after three rounds of astonishing
work on the part of both men," But
| don't believe that Levinsky, known al
clever defensive boxer, acted like Q
| novice and the Frenchman was mol
| much better" 1t only looked that. a
| fencer with duelling sword never
shows any brilliancy. His hit which ap.
parently comes all of n sudden anc
without any reason whatever. has q
sure aim and is the result OF graduated
elaborate advance work, backed by ex
act calculations.
Fencing with fists has become Car
pentier's way OF fighting. If ne wa'
stll treadlng on the old path he woulc
not have the ghost of chance against
a man who looks like James j. JEFF
| fries at his best-with more brains anc
infinitely more speed. His method gives
| him a real chance. Whether II viii
| eventually enable him to score sue
cess against the American champion II
another story. 1t will be told on July 2