Evening star., 1933-02-23
Corbett and Jeffries.


JAMES ]. CORBETT-Pompad
and Gentleman Jim-came ex-
tremely close to wearing the
royal robe of boxing's greatest
achievement.
This was in the first fight he had
with James j. Jeffries.
Consider all the details before you
vote.
l. Corbett at the time was IS years
old.
2. He had been out of the ring four
and half years.
3. He was meeting the man who had
knocked out the fighter who had
knocked out Corbett.
4. He was giving away nine years in
age and more than 80 pounds in weight.
Here you have four heavy and crush
ing handicaps.
Yet-under the 15-round limit of the
last Is years, Corbett would have won
every round.
Under the 20-round limit Of few
States, he would have won at least ID
rounds.
His long, hard early training had
been so effective-his early condition
had been so good-that even at IS he
was able to regain most of his old speed
and stamina. and to retain most OF
his old skill-at an athletic age where
four years of idleness usually mean rust
and retrogression.
He was ready at this age to start the
twenty-third round of fight against
one Of the greatest champions in all
ring history so far ahead that only
knockout could save the title for Cali
fornia's raging and bewildered grlzzly.
Getting Back in Shape.
THE point in this fight that always
i interested me more than anything
else was how a man OF 35, nearly
five years out of action. could ever get
into condition to go % rounds against
champion of Jeffries' physical caliber.
I asked Corbett about this. HIS
answer was: 'Legs-legs and condition.
All those long hours of road work,
had left me with pair OF legs that !
could build on-with a general physical
condition that I could reconstruct.
"I had found out that my legs were
fit and ready before I ever challenged
.Jeffries. I had made the test over
many months of secret training. l
knew the legs that had carried me 8!
rounds against Peter Jackson would
carry me at least Is rounds against Jim
Jeffries is no fatal knockout inter-
vened. w
Modern fighters know little or moth
ing about developing leg stamina ana
speed. Their training amounts to less
than nothing. Jack Dempsey was
hard worker, but JACK 81 most OF
his time building up his and MS
punching power.
Gene Tunney was a leading excep-
tion. He knew the value of good legs
and perfect condition. He trained, not
for a few weeks, but for years.
"Legs-legs," Jim continued. They
are what transportation means to an
army. They take your guns into
action. They take you out of trouble.
They are big part of the whole game
and I had the legs.
To-day you see fighters worn out or
slowing down after II or Is rounds.
Their steam Is all gone. At the end
of 20 rounds against Jim Jeffries-big,
rough. strong, who liked to wear you
down. wasn't even starting to tire"
!, The One Mistake.
How did Jeffries ever happen to
catch you?" I asked.
II made one of the most fatal human
mistakes that any one can make in
snort" Jim said "Yet it is a common
mistake. I took too much for granted.
I was so far ahead with only three
rounds left-just minutes-that I be-
came careless.
"You may recall the line that the
late Harry Pulliam, president OF the
National League, put up in his office
after the Evers- Merkle incident-'Take
Nothing for Granted
This advice came a few years too