San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-02-25

fought him standing on one leg. AT
J his best he wouldn't 60 more than a
| few rounds with Dempsey-say from
! three to ten. But Corbett in his early
days would easily outspeed and out
box Tom Gibbons who wouldn't be
| able to use his superior punching
power against such an agile opponent.
No chance of a knockout.
Bob Fitzsimmons would knock out
| Floyd johnson in anything from two
to six rounds. FitzsimmOns was the
greatest fighter of his weight in all
ring history. He had everything.
He'd give even Dempsey a desperate
fight. for he was crafty and full of
tricks, and always had that knock
out punch while he could stand up.
He was thirty-five when he won the
worlds championship, and even then
was dropping back. Four or five
years before that-say the year after
he knoclsed out the old middleweight
champion, Jack Dempsey. the Nom
pareil. he might have knocked out any
of the giants Of the ring, from Sulli.
| van to Dempsey. He was the one
white man John L. Sullivan fatty re-
fused to fight.
Dempsey vs.. Jeffries.
jim Jeffries and Jack Dempsey
there would be a fight When he
won the worlds championship, JEFF
fries was the most powerful man seen
in a ring by any man living today.
! Jeffries was deliberate and care
ful. He lacked Dempsey's dash and
/ fury. But he was absolutely game,
able to take more punishment than
any other man 1 ever saw, and was
deliberate hitter with terrific
punch in either hand.
1t was one Of Jeffries' straight lefts
. that practically beat Bob FitzslmmonS
"a left that lifted Fitz from his fee
e and dropped him flat on his back
: Fitz was dazed from that time unit
] the knockout in the eleventh.
1t is possible that Jeffries coult
/, take even DempSey's rapid fire o
: heavy blows and wear Dempsey out
When Jeff retired from the ring fol
lack Of opponents he was like Demp
e sey. today, considered practically in
' vincible. Reno can be thrown int
e the discard. The Jeffries who facet
D Jack Johnson was shell Of the rea
d Jeffries Of six years before.
a He Paralyzed "F'itZ."
: On the other hand, Fitzsimmons
< aged 40, gave Jeffries a terrific ham
k mering at San Francisco before b,
:, broke his hands and was knocked on
in the eighth round. When the en-
{ came, Jeffries had both eyes close
:. and looked beaten man. He caugh
Fitz coming in with a left in the bod.
Z, that paSalyzed poor old Fitz and lef
r him helpless for the finishing blow.
Ill If Dempsey had Jeffries where Fit
Y had him, Dempsey would finish JEFF
s His hands would be good, and, al
though Dempsey never has been eI
n tended in any fight since his movie
l. days, have no doubt he'd be as dan
d gerous in the eighth round as in tn
Is first.
.e Harry Wills wouldn't have a chanc
It to beat Jack johnson at his bes
Wills is bigger than johnson, an
s perhaps stronger at lifting a barre
r of case of hardware. But Johnso
is had his strength in arms and shou
ST ders, fighting strength. He was il
is cOmparably better as a boxer, nor
ID confident, trickier, faster and harde
ct hitter. Wills has been fightiI
b. twelve years and is slowing up. Whe
n he was at his best he was knocke
st out by Sam Langford in fourteen an
nineteen rounds. In the first figl
he knocked Langford down two {
Lh three times for nine-secOnd count
be yet when LaHgford (as game a fightC
Ii as ever lived) got up and went aft
re him again, Wills lost heart and triC
IT. to stand off on the defensive, so Sa
as quickly beat him. Langford was
nd smaller man than johnson, and ju
IT about JOhnsOn's equal as a fighter.
Id Burns Better Than Greb.
Now for Tommy Burns-a sml
= man but a great champion for b
6 inches. Burns was master box
: with a dominating mind, courageO
: and aggressive. He won the world
: heavyweight championship after j
fries retired by knocking out {
= champions Of England, Ireland al
Australia and beating Marvin Ha
and other title claimants in AM
a lea.
at Burns was only feet Z inch
,. tall. and when he lost the title
i'' Jack johnson, weighed only /
z pounds. He was filled with the i'd
z that johnson wasn't game, and tn
z he could make him quit. He dash
= into the colOred man continually u
e til the fourteenth round, author
Il johnson Outboxed and blocked neal
: all his punches. There Burns W
so weak that the police stopped I
fight and the referee gave johnson I
. decision.
y Probably no man Of Burns $
could have whipped him when at
best, and this applies 10 Harry CIR
who has none Of Burns skill Gl
has swarmed over Tommy Glib,
and Gene Tunuey and a few otI
good men, but be never beat any m
as good as Burns, who had a bet
head and better punch.
. This doesn't make out much oi
. case for the modern heavyweigl
Dempsey alone has shown class C
20 parable 10 that Of the best Of forr
g days. As for the few unmention
~ Firpo is a powerful big fellow.
y L clumsy: Bob Martin has b,
n -through' since his beating bv FL
% johnson. and there are no others
81 present worth listing.
IL Copyright, 1923, h the Bell syr
- cate, Ind.)