Evening star., 1933-02-19
By the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
JAMES j. CORBETT was champion
heavyweight pugilist of the world
~ for five years, having won the
title from John L. Sullivan and
lost it to Bob Fitzsimmons.
After his retirement from the ring he
devoted most of his time to the stage,
having been initiated in the theatrical
profession by William A. Brady, who
was his manager when he won the
heavyweight title and for some time
after
Corbett displayed better than ordinary
ability as an all-round athlete when as
young man he became member of
the Olympic Athletic Club of San
Francisco. 1t was said of him that he
could have made any OF the clubs
athletic teams. but he showed prefer
ence for base ball and boxing.
In the latter sport Corbett quickly
absorbed all that the boxing instructors
had to teach and developed such re-
markable skill that eventually he was
regarded by critics of the sport the most
scientific heavyweight boxer the ring
has ever produced. His skill, coupled
with his speed, made him hard man
to hit, and even in the bout in which
he lost his title and others in which he
was knocked out his opponents were
said to have been more severely pun
ished than was Corbett.
THE former champion became pro-
i fessional pugilist after he had
proved his superiority over ell the
amateur boxers on the Pacific Coast.
His success in a few professional bouts
led to a match in 1881 with Peter Jack
son, the foremost Negro boxer of the
time They battled for 81 rounds, and
the bout, which ended in draw, has
been claSsed as one of the greatest ever
fought between two heavyweights
Corbett's showing against the clever,
hard-hitting Negro attracted the atteo-
tion of boxing enthusiasts Throughout
the United States and finally led to the
match with Sullivan for the heavy
weight title.
That bout was fought at New Orleans.
September 7, 1892, six days after Cor
bett had passed his twenty-Sixth birth
day. and resulted in the dethronement
of the Boston Strong Boy, who had
been the idol of boxing fans for several
years.
During the five years that Corbett
reigned as king of the heavyweights
his most important contest was with
Charlie Mitchell, the British champion.
The latter had to his credit 39-round
draw with Sullivan, fought in France,
and dogged Corbett for chance at the
title from the time he won it from
Sullivan. They finally met at Jack
sonville. Fla, and Corbett disposed of
Mitchell by knockout in three rounds.
THE champions next important bout
i was the one in which he lost his
title to Bob Fitzsinmons. 1t was
fought at Carson City, New, March II,
1897. the Cornishman, then middle
weight champion, winning by a knock
out in the fourteenth round. The blow
that separated Corbett from his title
was described as solar plexus punch,
a term which thereafter became widely
used in pugilistic parlance.
Corbett attempted to win back his
lost title after it passed from Fitzsim-
mons to Jim Jeffries, but after more
than holding his own for % rounds in
a bout at Cony Island in May, 1900,
was knocked out by the new title hold
err. In 1908 he made second attempt
against Jeffries at San Francisco, but
was defeated in 10 rounds. That was
the last appearance of Corbett in an
bout, although after it he
appeared in number of exhibitions.
Most of Corbetts career on the stage
was devoted to vaudeville circuits and
at one time he was said to have been
the highest paid individual in vaude-
vile ranks. While William A Brady
was managing Corbett's pugilistic af-
fairs he prepared the boxer for part
in After Dark" which proved a big
financial success.
A FTER winning the heavyweight
"A championship Corbett was starred
in Gentleman Jack" a play writ