The New York herald., 1921-06-27
Training Is More Important
Than What Champion
Does in Ring.
Nv CHARLES CHADWICK.

Years ago when John L. sullivan was
In the height of his twelve years *
fistic glory a young woman came TO him
with a strange and curious request.
John L., as all old timers remember. was
trekking around the continent In those
DAYS taking on all comers night after
niaht and consistently handing them all
the wallop for count in the space OF
couple Of rounds or so. and sometimes
scoring what looked like drop kick
over the ropes into the laps of captivated
sport writer's In the first few seconds OF
play.
Of onesidedness, a consistent carnival o.
quick casualties such ~as no modern
movie camera man ever cranked his ma
chine over, or ever hopes to. And this
young woman begged John L. please not
to fight her husband. She pleaded with
him, implored him. wcpt. And hnal!y
left him with fear choking her heart. her
useless mission ended. sullivan would
have been gallant enough to grant almost
any other request. But not this.
The woman was Mrs. Charlie Mitchell.
Her reason for not wanting the Sullivan
Mitchell fight TO be held was as curious as
the fact OF her not wanting IL TO happen
Her man was a terrible hitter. hghter
born and bred. She was afraid he would
XII sullivan and she didn't want her
husband TO be murderer.
Adds to Glory of Title.
The story is not so funny as IL is in
teresting az n sidelight illustrating the
kind Of men fighters are. and suggestive
In throwing an added glory around the
champlonship ~ the world when one re-
fleets the quality OF the opponents the
worlds champions have In all times had
to beat in order TO make and hold their
place at tho top of the heap In the hght-
ing game.
There is a long. long list OF aspirants
10 the title OF world heater whose ability
and fghting qualities can In no way be
diminished by the fact that great hght-
ers as they were. they were UP against
men who were still greater. ~ Is sucn
a fighter that Jack Dempsey has to meet
IN Jersey City next month. JACK may
beat the F'renchman In hurry as lo'
OF people expect. or maybe not at at
But whatever the outcome OF the battle
when the last bell cianes I think most
nvht fans will realize that there VIII
still be two lighters inside the roped lit-
lie square Of a battleheld--two regular
men, and not one.
II IL this underlying fact concerning
championship battles. a fact realized.
unconsciously felt perhaps. BY the crowd.
which makes the cccuration OF hoxirZ
promoter not wholly one TO be entered
into for the health OF those financially
involved in Il. The crowd will fall over
itself every time 10 pay. and ray well.
for anything that possesses a substratum
of reality.
There are two kinds Of sanieness. And
any consideration OF the Dempsey-Car-
pentier argument mrst suggest them
both TO ono who thinks the thing over.
man who holds on to an already ac-
ouired title has got 10 have both these
kinds OF Sameness. This factor In FORE
casting the outcome OF n contest Is as
true to-day as It was In the long ago
when n 1.-THE young bank c'erk of San
Francisco. one Corbett. purloined the
laurel wreath from the a.yed brow OF
the great sullivan.
II belongs TO the Psychology OF every
athletic game, but II is particularly true
OF boxing. II Is maxim II can be put
IN a sentence. Briefly. then. II Is easier
10 be q game fighter than game train
er. fght is for one day the prepsra-
tlon. work. training. all that mass OF
uninspirlng physical outlay OF tagging
eneryy. is matter of months. For.
every blow delivered under the spell OF
the crowded ringslde there are hundreds