Show We Weight and Size Cut Big Figure 1 t Backed Up P by Y Speed Pee an and Sc Science 1 i A AS AS PROVED D BY JEFFRIES JEFFRIES-FITZSIMMONS JEFFRIES FITZSIMMONS JEFFRIES CORBETT AND ANDl l j. j WILLARD JOHNSON WILLARD-JOHNSON JOHNSON BATTLES THE ODDS ARE OVERWHELMINGLY OVER OVER- IN FAVOR OF A BIG MAN I Copyright 1916 by the Press Publishing Co By ROBERT EDGREN NEW YORK March 19 19 At At Carson City Nev In March 1897 I 1 Iwas was strolling trolling along a country road with Jim Corbett In a few afew few days Jim was to fight Bob Fitzsimmons For three weeks Jim Jeffries had been with us In Corbetts Corbett's training camp while Billy Woods Jeffries and I alternated in boxIng boxIng box box- boxIng Ing with the champion Jeffries was a wonderful specimen of a big man We were both youngsters and I had been reading Lorna Lorn Doone To my mind Jeffries was another John Every day In boxing with Corbett he lie had Improved In speed and skill until the champion had to use all his swift fo footwork and craft In dodging and hitting and blocking to keep out of d danner I 1 had harl a lot In of admiration for Jeffries C Corbett and I strolled troll d- d dong along ong t talking about fights and fighters I Jim I said I think Jeffries Is going to be champion of the world wold some time when youre you're through Corbett stopped topped and laughed Hell never be champion he said Hes too big and clumsy He cant can't get et out of his hs own way A hundred and and eighty five eighty pounds Is big enough over h for any heavy weight Anything over that is too big A hundred and five eighty was just Corbetts Corbett's weight I deferred to his I there superior super knowledge of the game and there was no argument I Yet Jeffries became became champion of ot I the world by knocking out the man who vho knocked out Corbett on that of March nineteen years ago He I wasn't too bl big or too clumsy to knock knockout knockout out Corbett himself in spite of ot all his splendid s1 skill and his swiftness of I band hand and foot I J saw Jeffries knock Corbett out in I San Sal Francisco Corbett had trained for months for that right fight Ho was vas I f Absolutely confident that hed he'd beat Jeffries in that second trial for inthe in inthe inthe I the first fight he Jeffries for t twenty three rounds before being f hit bit on the chin I In the second round Corbett hooked I a II hard left to Jeffs Jeff's jaw and shifting j i about bout to meet him swung sung his right j I with wilh every ounce of strength he had I The blow blew cau caught ht Jeffries fairly on I th the point and Jeffries j laughed In the tenth round Jeffries who ho was giving the crowd a run for its money rau ran from his corner to end the fight Corbett sun stilt strong and unhurt saw Jeffs Jeff's intention and tried to slip Blip a. a away ay and block the deadly fin tin punch But Jeffries laughing ran at him and sent a terrific right and a a. furious left leet crashing through Corbetts Corbett's guard into his ribs He simply sim aim ply e drove Corbetts Corbett's s 's crossed forearms back with the blows Corbett fell like I Ia R a log knocked out Months Mo afterward I talked over oyer that light with Corbett In in New York no use he said I r gave Jeff nil all JE J l bad had bad and it didn't even shake him When he be wanted to get j I me he sma smashed hed through my guard and bent ent my ribs in so far th that t I feel eel I the punch still sUll No o man living has hasa I a a. chance with Jeff Hes He's too big bigand bigand and nd too strong Fighting him is like I fighting a grizzly bear So Corbetts Corbett's opinion that pounds was weight enough for tor a a. heavy weight champion had changed Fitzsimmons thought weight count Fitzsimmons was the greatest puncher ever known In the ring He was a a. freak in build with skinny legs and light but powerful body and nd great broad shoulders and powerful powerful pow pow- erful arms He had fists like mallets And he had a marvelous knack k of hitting Champion Fitzsimmons fought Jef Jet fries He had a good humored contempt contempt con tempt for tor the big dub That is he had it before the fight Jeffries knocked Fitzsimmons flat fIat on his back in in- inthe the second round with a straight left that caught him on the Adams Adam's I apple Fitzsimmons w was s practically beaten by that blow but great old warrior as he was he fought along I until the eleventh round before Jeffries Jef Jef- fries tries landed the knockout bl blow blow blow-a 0 a a aright right Tight hand band swing that came clear from Jeffs Jeff's knees and struck Fitz Fitz- on the I Jaw jar Size weight and strength had conquered t I If Jeffries was a big man Willard Is a a. giant Hes He's as much bigger than Jeffries as Jeff was bigger than Tom Sharkey Sharkey was a a. wonderfully p powerful fellow fellow short short squat broad broadas broadas' as as- asa a a. gorilla He was the Irresistible force until he met Jeffries They fought twenty twenty five five rounds and Sharkey Sharkey Shar Shar- key never fought another good tight fight Jeffries broke his ribs and gave him hima himL a L battering from which he never fully funy recovered reco Size strength and weight had conquered again Jess Willard's Willards strength made him a dangerous fighter even before he lie learned how to box There was Sol dier diet Kearns a a. second Tom Sharkey in build and twenty pounds heavier than the doughty sailor Kearns looked a coming champion He knocked out Round One-Round Davis In a round A week Reek lat later r he was matched with fth jt Willard illard People thought the bout would be he a a. Joke Kearns swung a fearful right into solar I plexus He lie stepped t ed back to let Willard Wil- Wil lard rd fall But Willard plunged forward for ward Instead and knocked Kearns cold I with th a a. single straight right hand drive I to the chin I I In Havana Willard took his hll time and nd wore Johnson down don Johnson After ner the twenty twenty third third round went on the defensive Willard thought he was stalling When the bell rang I for lor the twenty sixth Jess Jeas turned to Jim Savage and said He isn't stall stall- ing Im I'm going to knock him out out Rushing flushing from his corner Willard drove a I. right crashing Into Johnsons Johnson's body nearly knocking him down He pressed Johnson to the ropes There the black champion made his dying stand Ills back was against the ropes his crossed forearm raised to P protect his chin Willard Jabbed him lightly In the body feinted and as his guard came carne down a few inches crossed a 8 hard right to Johnsons Johnson's head landing It over the eyetooth Johnson John John- son Bon fell as if it hed he'd been struck with an aX ar He never moved mo until the yun count t was over and his seconds had dragged him ii to his hilS corner comer T Ten n minutes later assisted d by 3 two tiro ot of hIs hs men he tottered towered from the ring rin His f baking legs could hardly support his weight A skillful pound boxer can beat t a bigger tr man who lacks lach stamina stamm o or r h knO knows 8 nothing about the science n e of or th the game But when nhen h n th big man has stamina speed and science a a hu has the he odds arft arA ov overwhelm overwhelm- In l i. i in his favor Jt Its It's as ab absurd urd t to 0 say that wei weight ht and size cut no figure g in a R. heavy y weight eight bout as to say that t a a- good light weight is big enough t to lo o bc beat t any middle wel weight ht ST. 91 Lons LOIIS March Bill Bm 18 Bill Clark once a well wen known non prize fI fighter r. r the deJ e 1 here today tod aged sed 8 In his W hi youth h he e was 1 noted in England as liS a a- bantam m 1 weight To ring followers he ho VJ wa M s known wn as J. J Belfast Chicken |