CORBETT ON JEFFRIES.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 857, 1 July 1910, Page 7

CORBETT ON JEFFRIES.

WORLD'S GREATEST PUGILIST. "Having been requested to pick tho man who, in my'opinion, was the greatest pugilist this world has ever seen, and to give tho reason for my selection, 1 reply without any hesitation to tho first question—James J. Jeffries, of Los Angeles, California." Thus Jem Corbett upon tho man who will enter the ring against Jack Johnson on July 4 to battle for a championship which he laid aside, and to win it back if possible for his own colour again. Corbett, who gives his reasons (tinged no doubt by some faint recollection ol' the battering he saw Bob Fitzsimmons, his own conqueror, take from James J. Jeffries when he lost the heavyweight title), discourses at length upon big "Jeff" in the San Francisco "Weekly Chroniclo." He gives a history of the art of boxing, from the old days when it was merely a display of brue strength down to tho present-day scientific methods. He speaks of Jem Mace with tho reverence due to an old master, who founded scientific pugilism, albeit it is with the conviction that Mace's methods are out of date. "I shall never," he says, "forget my first introduction to Jem Mace some 16 years ago. He invited me to come around and show him what I had that was new in boxing. It was a meeting of the old and new champions, and 1 was as glad of the opportunity to learn from him as to show my own skill. Ho explained the straight leads and straight cross-counters that he had used so effectively in earlier days, and seemed greatly surprised when I kindly told him that if • he boxed like that now the clever men of tho new school would tear the top of his head off." Then Corbett asked Mace to lead at him. Haco did, and "was simply dumb with astonishment at my skill in avoiding his leads. For instance, I tried the double feiut with both hands, and slipped into a side-step, at which ho let go both hands and went out of position." Corbett left Mace gaping at his wonderful .new tricks.

"What shall I say of Jim Corbett," .continues tho modest James J. Corbett. "He had studied out a style in which something had been adopted from Maco, and carried forward into a development showing individuality. Without dwelling further upon the subject, I wish modestly to say that there has been little improvement since."

Then ho considers Jeffries "a big, robust man, weighing 2301b., as hard as nails, and tho quickest man of his weight I have ever seen in the ring. Above all, ho has something that none of the others could ever show—a knock-out punch with the left hand. Unlike some of tho other critics, I believe Jeff still tho master of them all. . . . Jeffries takes punishr ment with the same due nouchalanco as did Morrissey, is clever, like Mace, but with an improved style, and ho is bigger than O'Baldwin, He is better on his feet than Coburn, and ho has all that anyone else ever had; iu fact, little more, including that famous knock-out punch with the left hand, and ho doesn't need to send it along more than 7in. to make it effective." Here, then, is a picture by a skilled critic of' the human battering ram that will meet Mr. Jack Johnson next month in Nevada. That short left-hand jolt may give Jeffries the championship again.