San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1926-01-10
FIGHTER WITH
ONE STYLE
FAILURE
Man Who Can Slug and
Box, as Occasion De.
mands, Succeeds.
BY JAMES ]. CORBETT

Copyright. 1885. King Features Syn. Inc,
The fighter who wages every BATHS
in exactly the same way never viii
get far along in his profession. The
one who uses his brains and changes
his tactics to meet every new situa-
ton that arises is the man of great
ness.
The best Of many illustrations was
in Jimmy Britt'S contest with Young
Corbett in San Francisco in 1904.
Corbett was a great hitter. He car
ried dynamite" in either hand. 1t
was considered suicide" for a boxer
to slug toe-to-toe with the whirlwind
Westerner. Britt, never a slugger.
defeated Corbett by suddenly smuggling
with him.
When the fight began, Britt elected
to box with Young Corbett.
Don't let him get any nearer TO
you than is necessary" Britt's Sec
onds cautioned. "The first minute
you try to stand up and slug with
Young Corbett you're gone.-
STARTED BOXING.
Britt started out playing q boxing
game with Young Corbett. Using his
bewildering footwork and calling upon
all his science and ring generalship.
Britt tried the game of making Young
Corbett wear himself out by vainly
pursuing him.
But the scheme didn't work out.
Young Corbett. furiously aggressive.
chased Britt all around the ring, cor
nered him and sent through lefts and
rights that carried terrific power be-
hind them. As the fifth round ended
Corbett was almost unmarked, but
Britt badly used up.
"I'm through boxing with him
from now on I'm going 10 slug IL
out with him." Britt told his sec
onds.
IF you try to slug With him for
one round he'll knock you Dead" re-
torted his second.
BOXING NO USE.
"Say, listen" came back Britt. IT
started out boxing this bird-and he's
all but murdered me. II I keep on
boxing him he'll knock me as flat as
a pancake. ! can't keep out of his
way. From now on I'm going TO stand
up and punch away at him and Ill
guarantee that III make better show
ing than 7 have by boxing with him."
BIRTHS seconds tired 70 get Jimmy
- ahun
wouldn't. You're insane" they told
him. The crowd thought so too when
it saw Britt 90 out in the sixth and.
instead Of running away from Young
Corbett. stand IN and batter away at
him. The only man who figured that
the change of tactics would win bat
tie for him was Jimmy Britt. 1t was
his opinion against everyone in that
arena. Britt was right.
Jimmy had figured it out that by
slugging with Young Corbett he would
force Corbett to use short punches al
most exclusively. Young Corbett had
been doing the main damage with the
long sweeping punches which became
impossible in short range work.
KEPT CLOSE IN.
Jimmy Britt. the boxer and never
real slugger, met the champion slugger
at his own game-and beat him to it.
Britt's jabbing III the close fighting
began to damage Young Corbett. Ere
quently Young Corbett tried to back
away so as to get. a long swing at
Britt. But Jimmy always followed
and kept close enough TO balk any
'haymakers."
Misfortune came tn Britt In the
eighth round. In blocking a left-hand-
er he pushed our his right and Young
Corbett caught it 81 such an angle as
to break it. But Britt, as game as
any fighter that ever lived. didn't quit.
He continued to fight on and on and,
although using only one hand accom-
plished a seeming miracle, out-slugging
a world famous slugger.
'Corbett had rolled up tremendous
lead on points in the first five rounds.
During the next three rounds II was
even. From then on Britt had to fight
with his left hand only, yet when the
final gong changed in the twentieth
and the referee awarded the decision
TO Jimmy Britt. there was not a dis
senting voice in the audience. Britt
had won without a question OF doubt
and in so doing had achieved perhaps
the greatest victory of his career