The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1922-04-20
Edgren Says Real Figrters
Pick Capable Men to Con-
dition for Go.
By ROBERT EDGREN.

tell what condition a champion ls IN
when training to defend his title.
Watch his sparring partners. II
he picks the toughest, toughest lot
OF youngsters ho can find he's In
shape, IL confident and getting
ready to fight Ike a champion.
II he picks a lot OF aged, deerepit
old has bcens. or a soft lot OF half
amateurs who can't give him more
than a little fight exercise put your
muLvy on the other man.
/ admit the simplicity Of this way
of judging champions condition
didn't strike me a few years ago.
There's something about a champion
that blinds observers TO his faults.
lie was good enough TO win the
championship. SO he must be a sort
OF a suporman.
All right as far as It goes. No oak
Is so tough that 10 stands forever.
The biggest pine tree dries up and
rots at the heart and falls. Lions
and tigers become toothless and
helpless. And supcrmon decay like
anything else.
when sullivan trained 90 fight
Corbctt he didn't have a sparring
partner that could make him swclt.
When Corbett trained for Fitzsim-
mons he had old Billy Woods whose
legs were so bad he stumped around
Ike a man on wooden pins. lie had
his brother. Joe, very clever base
ball pitcher. then with Baltimore.
/ made up a third--and as a boxer
was first-class hammer throwcr.
And there was Jim Jeffrles, fresh
from the lronworks IN Los Angeles,
young Hercules who knew Just
about enough 10 stick out his left
hand instead OF his right.
Jcff Elattcncd Corbctt Ia Training.
Except for Joffries I'll say that
Corbett had q hand-picked lot OF
easy marks 10 punch at. And he
didn't know how good Jcffries was
20 be or he probably would have left
him at home.
Corbett trained I'm private part
Of the time. When he began work.
ing with Jeffries a story was sent
out from camp 20 the effect that
Corbett had knocked Jeffrics out. IL
was Just the other way. Jefirlcs flat-
tened Corbett. But that would have
been poor publicity. and II didn't
leak out until years after the fight.
At Reno Jim Jeffrlcs had a couple
OF helpless old has-bccns to work
with him. Jim COrhett was one.
thin, weak, slow relic of tho bril-
liant boxer he used 20 he. Joe Cho-
ynski WIS the other-in better con-
dltion than Corhctt, but no match
for Jeffries Bob Armstrong was a
third, and fat loud putting Sam
Bergen cavorted around on occasion.
Jeffrles needed q couple OF young,
tough sparring partners. Sam
Langford wanted 10 help him train,
and Joe Jcunuctto ana Jim stewart.
husky and able volunteered, but
Jeffries was content with the auci-
ents. Perhaps Jeffrics was right
when he said he couldn't learn any
more boxing and that all he needed
was hard roadwork TO perfect his
wind and stamina.
But II he had been young and Wig
orouS he wouldn't have been satis-
fled without having two or three
good training camp fights every day.
Whom did Jack Johnson have to
rain him at Havana? In camp he
had Harry Wills-but he didn't put
the gloves on with Wills once. He
had Wills rub him down. wills was
bigger than Johnson. and tough
Johnson boxed with Stea mboat Bill
Scotia young white middleweight.
mostly. He knocked the little fell
low out nearly every day during the
weeks OF training.
incidentally after the fight John
son left S5 to be paid Steamboat
Bill for his several weeks OF work,
and Steamboat couldn't find John
son to ask for more. Anyway, he
didn't have a contract with John
son--who had merely agreed TO pay
him "liberally."
Dempsey Wanted Wills.
Why didn't johnson work regu-
larly with wills and McVey2 Simple.
lie knew he wasn't there and was
likely 10 be shown up by younger
men IN better condition.
And now big Jess Wilard-who
met Jack Dempsey four years after
whipping johnson at Havana, and
was knocked for q goal in three
rounds OF entirely onc-sided fighting
in which he was no more than a
helpless punching bag for Dempsey
whom did Willard have to train
him for fight no knew would be
tough2 lie had his old friend Mona
CHAN, grown gray-haired and rather
fat--a game. willing fellow, but
without a punch. He had Jack
Hempel, quite harmless as willard
had battered oll the fight out Of
him long before. He picked up two
second-raters never heard OF before
or since 10 complete his staff Not
man in camp could make Willard
| take the trouble 10 block a blow
Dempsey had big Bin Tate and
.