FIGHTED HAVE SECONDED.

NZ Truth, Issue 91, 16 March 1907, Page 3

FIGHTED HAVE SECONDED.

(By Spider Kelly.)

Jack O'Brien.

Jack O'Brien is' one fighter for whom I have the. highest respect, and right now I consider him about the best oif the heavies. O'Brien is a high-class fellow all round, and no one makes- a mistake m classing him one of the uplifters of the ring. Jack is a clean, brainy fellow, and one who '. has more intelligence than any other fighter m the ring now. He is . tjie ciovcrest man the world has. ever known m one- respect—footwork. Now, Griff o was a clever man with his. head, and Oorbett was clever m innumerable ways, but when it comes to footwork, there is no man now before the public and I ca.nnot recall any man who ever had a chance with him m this respect.

I seconded Jack for his £ght with Kaufmann, and later with Fitzsiuom«as. O'Brien's foot-work did as much to put Kaufmann out of the running a ; s. did. those wicked jabs.

Kaufmann chased O'Brien that night until he v/»s' tired, and 'if you iremembei- O'Brien so befuddled him with his- footwork that* he had Kaufmann's back turned to him at one time, ' had , Al. running through the ropes next time, and' had him generally mixed up and trying to guess where Jack wduld" "be, next most of the night. <

Had not Kaufmann been game clear ..thirpugli he. would have -quiit that night, for,' no. one ever fought und«r uaorei disco uraglfig circumstances. O'Brien had him -Minded and bleeding 'aunost /from the first round, and never • gave Al. one moment's rest. The way O'Brien has of jabbing m those wicked, ffainta.lisins jabs is enough tp set a fellow dippy.

Now, mfist persons' will admit that Fitzsimmo.us was a clever ringster. I was back of O'Brie-n when lie beat Fitz, and he certainly made Fife look bad that night. I am not making comparisons of what might- have liapo&ned had the pair met years be-fc-re. That; kittd ,of •■ talk runs for Sweeney and Captain Fekhary/ This is a world of actualities, and O'Brien actually -chopped* the head off Fitzsimmons that night. O'Brien's wonderful legs did much, to carry him out of trouble. He hopped aWay from the kangaroo', and old Fifcz was unable . to ■' lanu at all. O'Brien 1 was dazzlingly clever that night. It : was impossible to reach Mm.. O'Brien is/ also a clever "ducker,": and he dipTMid under many a swing ,< 'from b oth Kau f m ann and Fitzsimmbns which would have landed on a less likely fellow and put him out of business. ■.. . -

Now, here is another trait m O'Brien's character which is not generally known to' 1 the public. He is a generous, fellow, is this 1 same O'Brien, and while; he is not one of the kind who goes about looking for cheap advertising qn how. generous they are, O'Brien is. a good fellow with his money, and has helped many a fellow along. •.

He wanted me td go' behind him against Kaufmann, ; i; "I. xas m wlios Angeles at the ' time arid did not want to leave v as I was discussing a business proposition^ but O'Brien would not hatye . Mno" for v an answer, and he made the Inducement^ so liberal. t;hat I had to come. He pays 'everybody who works with him well. He •. is a . great moneymaker himself, but is not averse to parting with some of it, and it does not require' a hoisting engine to get a dollar from Jack,

O'Brien is a- clrirch'-|oing fellow and attends the services of the church of ' his persuasion and the church of his fathers and forebears every Sunday morning. . O'Brien never misses: mass, and lie is one fellow who is on the "square" with his religion. He. does not dodge churchgoing, and :T have seen the fellow go when he Was sick and unfit to be out of dqors.

In closing, I want to put O'Brienls hitting ability before %he public m a proper light. . Now, there . are those who say Jack, cannot hat. Just ask Al. Kaufmann or Bob Fitzsimmons about this. O'Brien has a knock-out punch, and he has shown it m most of his fights.- . The Philadelphia fighter Is not one that loves to show a fellow up by knocking hitn out -too quickly, but he is there with the knock-out punch when he wants to send it over and any fighter who invites a punch on the jaw fromj O'Brien has a dab of mud on his skylight.