Show NICOT filGUT CROSS CROSS' SAYS TOMMY RYAN TAUGHT JEFFRIES HOW llON TO FIGHT BY LARMSTRONG ARMSTRONG Right Cross CHICAGO Jan 25 The The other day I Imet Imet Imet met Tommy Ryan and he asked me What did I ever do to Jim Jeffries that he ho should AlwaYs have havo his hammer out for me I replied Never anything against Jim but hut a lot for him We Ve Wethen Wethen then discussed the hard work Ryan did with Jim at the tho training camp down at Asbury Park Ryan who lisa has been accused of everything everything everything every every- thing on tho the crooked fighters' fighters calendar nevertheless was the tho greatest fighter fight fight- er pound for pound that America ever produced He lie was champion of two classes the best betting proposition In Inthe Inthe inthe the ring and as Interesting a a. man In Inaction Inaction inaction action as ever lived JIved The first exponent of fighting cleverness he could feint you into blindness Jolt you into idiocy or OT knock you dead with a wallop Ho had hada a cool head blinding speed and every known punch lie He fought more than twenty years everything from six-round six exhibitions to bare knuckle finishes in private And he was once beaten decisively de de- de- de ly He lie offered to fight Fitzsimmons mons mona for the middle weight championship champion champion- ship and had Fits k kept pt his word and made the middle weight Ryan would have been there And he lie fought with a crouch aU all his life remember life remember that And as to Jeffries In Iii the right cross days there came under under under un un- un- un der my observation a much touted coast coasto wonder o who had been a s sparring ng partner of Corbetts Corbett's hid at Carson o City m Delaney had picked him up because he was big lg bigand ig and strong and was attempting to make something of him He lie came to New York and was to fight two men in the same ring Steve ring Stevo ODonnell O'Donnell and Bob Armstrong Both were yellow heavy weights one an Australian Aus Aus- the other a negro Jeffries drew Armstrong first There was the usual delay but finally the bell clanged and we saw the tho big wonder inaction in action aie proved d to be a big lumbering suck suck- erl ert He lIe had a lot o of useless ie footwork n and anda d da a feint or two he had picked up off Corbett Corbett Cor- Cor bett but he stood on his heels started his hooks from behind him and didn't know what his right hand band was for Armstrong stayed his ten rounds and andon andon andon on the excuse that Jeff had hurt his hand he refused to go on ou with ODonnell Then Jeffries faded from view Some months later Bill Bm Brady came to tome tome tome me one night at a six-day six bicycle race and called me aside to ask my opinion of Jeffries saying that Delaney stilt still believed in him and wanted to bring him back east It developed in the talk that Brady thought of managing Jeffries and he was evidently evidently- feeling me out as to what the attitude of Right Cro Cross would be toward a man roan he intended to play up for tor a cham cham- pion I was wall perfectly candid and told Brady I believed If Jeff knew how to box he would be a great heavy weight And in that talk I mentioned that If Jeff had someone like Ryan to teach him h he might be a champion The rho talk ended by Brady saying he hadn't yet decided what he would do and the matter rested a week or so Then one night Brady announced to me that he had hadJeff hadJeff hadi Jeff and w was d dealing with Ryan to train i ed with him The e combination looked promising prom prom- ising and Right Cross took Jeffries and his future seriously This was in the winter at a time when hen Fitz was aas trying to make Sharkey fight with stalling out out of each cor car ner They finally met the meeting broke up in a row and Martin Julian manager was lamenting the fact that Fitz could find no opponents Brady DradY had gone West but I took It It- It upon myself to tell Julian that Jeffries would fight tight Fits Both Julian n and t jumped d at atit nt ng l da nn it it and the tho n next morning I drew the a ar articles ar- ar tides for the fight and Kid Egan signed for Brady and Jeffries The date of the fight was made June 9 0 and the articles drawn In February Both fighters then went with burlesque shows show and Right flight Cross kept the match before the public by frequent stories Finally when the spring came Jeffries went to Allenhurst N. N J. J next door to Asbury Park to train The weak end of the fight was Jeffries Jeffries Jef Jet fries so Right Cross Cros for the Morning and Evening Journal went to Asbury Park Parle to live I was within a short walk alk of ot the trainIng trainIng train- train Ing lag quarters on very friendly terms with Delaney Ryan and Jeffries so went there every day I was the only man save Delaney Deaney and Jack Jeffries who ever saw Jeffries get his from Ryan At that time Jeffries seemed to understand understand understand under under- stand that I was a pretty good friend and when he went to the barn to box with Ryan he used to ask me along And now as to what Ryan did to and for Jeffries First Jeffries was aas without style a knowledge of hitting or blocking All AH he had was the tIle chance of ot the big game man who can take a beating and keep swing- swing Ing R Ryan an knew that as Jeff fought the night he met Armstrong he was built to order for Fitzsimmons hence he started in to beat Jeffries Into smothering up Instead in instead instead In- In stead of coming as If to embrace Delaney Jack Jeffries and I I. I and we alone saw the transformation Ryan Ran did not box or explain He lie jabbed and he Jolted and he hooked booked and he swung and Jeff with a sheepish smile took it And that was the best he had If he reached reache f back to get one of his left hooks Ryans Ryan's right shot to the side of his head with a thud If It he tried to swing the right Ryan crossed inside with a left hook then back with a straight right and the big fellow staggered back Ryan would feint Jeffs Jeff's hands up to Jo his head then bing bang would go left and right to t toe the le body He hit him wherever he liked w whenever he liked and Jeffs Jeff's at attempts attempts attempts at- at tempts to lead or counter counter- were so pathetic pathe pathe- tic that frequently both Delaney and brother Jack would leave the barn In Jn dis dis- dis- dis gust I Arid d be not deceived with the Idea th that t there was any agreement that Jeff was wae not to do his best lie He was always alwa's trying trying try try- ing ing- and Ryan saying Come on en come on They swore and fought and arid scarcely spoke e at times but Ryan Y was s not a hy hired sparring partner e and d h he did not O care are one d d- d whether he trained with Jeffries or not He lie wanted Fitzsimmons beaten and before him was a big strong youth matched with his e enemy kh He knew Fitz his every y trick his IS weakness weakness weak weak- ness and his strength He lIe could Imitate Imi tate him perfectly and he made Jeff fight Fits in that barn as near as Ryan could fight like Fitz He would jolt Jeff and stop and explain and then do it again harder At times Jeff was discouraged A hundred times Umes he asked me If I thought he had k chance with Fitzsimmons I would tell toll Ryan and he would say If hes he's going to quit Ill I'll make him do it Inthis in inthis inthis this barn not In the ring and the next session would be one of blinding speed blood and taunts But there was no quit in Jeff There is none He lie was and is game and his courage is as rock-ribbed rock as the everlasting everlasting everlasting ever ever- lasting hills And lay Jay your bet on that Inthe in inthe inthe the coming fight for that is the ace Ryan says I know more of those tutor days than any anyone one I guess that's true Delaney Deaney didn't like to see it it and quit coming Jack used to try to advise Jeff and Jeff didn't want him around I used to stand by and Id sic Ryan on on and some someway someway wa way th tb big bear liked me for tha that t. t Jeff was not taken in hand like a ayoung ayoung ayoung young millionaire and gently taught He was turned into a barn with the cleverest cleverest clever clever- est eat fighter alive aUve who was trying to break his nose cave In fn his ribs cut him up and put him out if he could And he lie learned first to protect himself and next to hit while protected Ryans Ryan's wallops at pt tt his body taught him Ryans Ryan's crouch and the old straight left that Ryan Ran used a left that traveled six inches and set sot your our nead back In the hands of Jeffries earn d to travel four Inches and set you down Ryans Ryan's little left hook to the floating rib that slowly stopped his men In Jn Jeffs Jeff's hands brought a temporary but complete paralysis Ryans Ryan's short right straight as a w wagon wag wagon wag wag- gon g- g on that stopped many a rushing sucker in Jeffs Jeff's hands later stove Sharkey Sharkey Sharkey Shar Shar- key in like a R ship po pounding on a rock- rock strewn lea snore shore It was was was' all Ryan's Ryans and he gave It all all aU- which the worlds world's champion should not forget Had Jeff Jet split his bit with him Inthe Inthe in inthe the fight that made him champion Ryan would not have been overpaid that's overpaid that's what Ryan was worth to the now proud and haughty worlds world's champion champlon |