The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1922-01-23
Jack BrittOn Is AmericaS Ring Marvel
Despite the Handicap of His 36 Years
He Laughs at Father Time
and Keeps Place in Van
Of Welderweights
avoid the Bright Lights" B"
Britton's Advice to All
Young Boxers

SEW YORK, Jan. % We sport
| ing scribe and So sporting IAN may
| rant and rave to his hnart"a content
/ In praise of vetorana who are Etlll
/ starring In various branches Of
sport.
such wonder men az ~ cobb.
4 walter johnson. Frank Kramer
Stan Zhyszko ana Al be Orp deserve
. coolies N praise Ana ibcy rot 10.
nut to the notion Of this writer
tho peer Of an the Veterans today lH
none other than our brilliant vel
tcrwoight champion William !.
Br"slln better known To an ~ us
az Jack Brittou
For ~ years Jack Bri,tou has
been joustlng IN the a1uared circle.
/ lie has seen his thirty-Hixth birth
day pass along ana IL we'll on tho
road toward his thirty-soventh Yet
to look al him today one might well
/ discount his age hy five or siN years
aud 10 SEQ him in ring toys. working
/ diligently for tho coming defense
Of his title a Madison SQUARE Gar
den JanuaR ~. against young
Dave Shade, ls to marvel at the
manner of the man.
Bri,ton In Fine shape.
Jack IL ~ clean -limbed and finely
conditioned In appearance today as
| many a boxer fully ton years his
junior lie Isn't carrying fatty tissue
around his waiatliue lie IL aa nim-
BILE on his feet as a 2-ycar-old colt
and his speed aud accuracy In pro-
pelling his gloves. the tools uf his
trade, are inspiring.
When II is remembered that Jack
Br!tton has been "A star In the siren
uous game OF give and take for
nearly "a decade 70 Ia difficult to SEQ
where any Of tho other ve.ernns can
claim anything on him In the way
Of standing Off the ruvigas of time.
Boxing demands more physical en-
durance than most sports, The best
arugment In substantiation OF this IL
the fact that In nearly all other
lines OF sport tho player In through
before he reaches the age OF 80.
Baseball Is the one notable excep-
tion. and baseball cannot be com
pared 10 boxing for the claims II
makes on tho players physique.
Had lack Rritton haen an !nd!f-
ferant boxer, prone to satisfy him
self with a few fights year. the
claims thia writer makes for him
would not be worth while. But like
the aggressive fellow he In I'm the
I ring, Brltton has fought hundreds of
battles ana he is one champion who
will not run down an opponent who
wants action.
Jack Tells His Story.
Let him toll you little some
thing about himself. lie can best
explain why he has been able to
hold up all these years
Nineteen active years I'm the
ring says Britton, "is bound to
teach boxer something about the
value OF clean living regular habits
and constant activity.
I'm hundreds Of bouts have
found that by keeping myself up To
"A certain standard OF condition all
the time | could go along without
teeling the wear and tear or action
To any great extent.
when Ted Lewis and | were
matched for the bout In which | re.
gained the weltcrweight champion
ship | had been working constantly
Tor several months.
u have made IL a rule to do a
certain amount OF road work and |
also work out In gymnasium nearly
every day,
1T was this kind OF work and doz-
ems of exhibition bouts In which
boxed for the soldiers that primed
me FOR my battle with Lewis. an
thirty odd years of age. and hav,
been through all the struggles that
p come TO a boxer.
II have my little family and IN,
fact that | have always tried IN,
! best 60 take care Of myself to thanh
for the fact that | am still champ
+ ion. And my advice to every younl
' boxer is To remember first, last ant
all the time that the bright light
and success in the ring cannot b.
1 mixed.
Started "Fightlng" Early.
Il broke into the game as a re
suit Of battles | had with the kid
. who lived on my block In chicago
y where | spent a number OF year
. with my parents. six brothers an,
. SIX sisters, My father and mothe
= wanted me to become minister a
. one time, but | was too young the
= TO consider any vocation seriously
. "a career In the ring. however
. was far from my dreams In thos
y days As | grew little older
U had my first affair." guess the
call it puppy love--with a little red
haired glrl I'm our ueighhorhuod.
n was jealous of her. and when | sa,
a some other Kid shining up TO he
a there was fight Finally. after
n had whipped every kid OF my ag
" In the eighborhood and a few VIII
we're older my red haired idea
lllNNtu AWAY anu ihNfl ulhIIlt
somebody else,
Y But the street fighting | did 1
Chicago gave me an idea that
might make good as professiona
= boxer, and | started going to OCon
10 nclls gymnasium, where | 500
y learned something OF the science O
= the game.
10 After winning number OF pre-
< liminary battles | wandered to va
Il rlous parts OF the country ! bite
. boxed for my cakes as they say
and often for just a few dollari
During the first seven or eight year
OF NY career nobody paid much at
G tention 10 me. Later | became rec
- ognizcd as lightweight with som
4 science and punching ability, ana
- began to get on In main events
!. trained faithfully all the time. bu
= | WAS growing and soon outgrew tn
g lightweight division or thought tina
g l had. Then | went In as a welte
ana have been boxing In that elias
for "a number Of years.
a "As welterweight champion toda