BOXING.

Greymouth Evening Star, 19 October 1918, Page 3

BOXING.

FAMOUS SOLAR PLEXUS JiLU’.V'. (By “Looker-on.”) The following from the pen oi uou Edgren, sporting editor of the Lew York Evening Vvorld, provides interesting reading: “iTckmg up u copy of the Sydney Referee, edutd ny W. r. Corbett, I read a long discussion oi the blow that knocked out Jim Corbetr at Carson 21 years ago. Mr. Corbett quotes from an American sporting writer, who says Corbett wasn’t knocked out by a solar plexus punch, but by a blew over the heart. The writer quotes someone who saw the fight, to the effect that a. lot of reporters couldn’t agree upon the blow that finished Corbett, and so schemed up the plan of saying that it was a punch in the solar plexus, using the solar plexus as a catch phrase to hang a story on. “All this would be very interesting if true. “But it isn’t true. “This is how I happen to know. “I was in Carson writing new T s of the fight for a San Francisco and a New York paper. Arrangements had been made to take Corbett back to San Francisco immediately after the fight in a special train. A great celebration had been arranged in San Francisco, for the editor of the paper thought Corbett a sure winner. My assignment was to watch the fight and as quickly as possible hustle Corbett to the train, and on the train going to San Francisco make, a drawing of the blow with which Corbett would knock Fitzsimmons out. “The only thing that didn’t run according to schedule was the fight, for Fitzsimmons, in the fourteenth round, left-hocked Corbett fairly in the p t of the stomach ancT Corbett was counted out by Referee Siler. “When the excitement was over Billy Delaney, Jim Jerries, Billy Woods, and T hustled Corbett to his dressing-room. Jim was crying hysterically, repeating over and over that he hadn’t been whipped, as lie was conscious when counted ouj; and unable'to rise only because he couldn’t got his breath. “Corbett was dressed after a short delay and hurried to the train —an engine. tender, and one Pullman car—which was waiting on a side-track. A doctor had been sent to Carson to accompany Corbett. “Corbett was in infuse pain from ihe blow in the pit of Ihe stomach, and was almost hysterical with pain and d’sappointment. On (he train lie was put to bed in the stateroom, and after a few minutes became quiet. One side of Corlwt’s face was badly swollen from a blow. T ask°d the doctor if that was .a serious injury. He told me that the blow on the bed hadn’t done much damage, but that Corbett’s suTering was canned by a blow over the solar olevns—the nerve centre located just be l w the joining of the lower ribs. He sa’d he h-'d dr"g"ed Corbett to relievo h'm. and that the beaten champion would Iv all right when he reached Sao Francisco. “t wrote these details in 111 v account of the fight, and made a picture of Fitzsimmons landing the Wow. and other w’-pej-s quoted from the doctor’s statement. “Vo. J l>e solar pUviis story wasn’t a fat-e The water who says so didn’t see the fight.”