BOXING.

NZ Truth, Issue 100, 18 May 1907, Page 3

BOXING.

FIGHTERS I HAVE SECONDED.

' (By Spider Kelly.)

Young Corbett.

The first time I saw young Corbett was- at Denver, where be was raised, and made his first big lights. ! On one of my trips East I happened to r stop off. -there, , andCorbatt was matcned to fight Jimmy Riley from here. I had heard something about him, so I; 1 took m the fight. Well, Corbett cleaned up Riley m three rounds. He me enough m that . ■'fight . to set me thinking. "There's a fellow who is going to make a 'rep., 1 " I said to myself. Corbett had everything that night. Every .'time he hit Riley he raised him off his ;feet— and how he could hit". There was nothing like him of his size. Corbett then went out and defeated " Eddie Santry, Kid Broad, George Dixon, and Oscar Gardner.' These victories put him m line for the championship 1 .

I was at Denver when he fought Sahtry, andi a funny thing happend after, the knock-cut. Ben Jordan had beaten DiXon, and Santry had copjed Jordan. In fact, Santry was the (first ,to put Jordan down and ou-|>. So when Corbett.. whipped Santry it was a big feather m his cat}.' All this time Bat Masterson and; Otto Floto weie each running elufcs at Denver, and fijrlitinac one another like sin; . They would put ■'shows' "■• on the same night,, and each would try tor" capture thes biggest 'at-' traction. Floto palled off the'SantrvCorbett fißlvt, and the satne night Masterson 'had a show on at his cliib. His main event didn't amount to much, but he got Terry Mc-G-overn and Sam Harris, who were on their way to the const, to stop bver. Just to boost Masterson's show Terry; and Danny Dougherty wratonfora ftiendly bout., Terry had r^ever been to Denver lefore, which made., him quite a card. After thfey had gjven '-their performance McGovein hustled over to Flo^o's club and £<j>t. m- the 'house just m time to 'see' C-prbett, , put the, finishing touches on|Saijtry r As soon as he was able it%as bing and Terry jumped m the ring ■: to ccnsrafulate tho winner. He evahhed. Corbett's liand and shook it fcr all he was worth. Little: did Tejfry think that that Very- same hand would) deprive him of the championship a., few months afterward. They- met m Connecticut, and you know the result. It was one of the "■bis; surprises" of the ring. Corbett licked McGovern before he realised what had happened. When the match ,was made everybody thought McG-overn would win just as they did When Jim Corbett fought John L. Sullivan. Everybody is v.iith tli« champion.

I know that McGovern was a great fig^tsr, bait I told a lot of' my friends not to be too sure about Corbett beins out of the runnin-'. I knew that he had the punch, and anybody who would rush Mm and he.>.could hit would be the sort " of man he could lick. McGovern was this style of a fighter, and Corbett always had his measure. Sam Harris and Jos Humphrey raised the cry that it was a fluke victoiry, and never let Corbett have any peace of mind until they got a return match. This fight was fought m San Francisco, and Corbett demonstrated that he won his laurels fairly. After this battle McGoyp.rn hart noihing more to/sn" about a fluke. He had to bow his head to his superior.

With his success, Corbett • grew careless and neglected bis training, which explains sonic of his indifferent; exhibitions. He was the type of a fighter who needed to do .a heap of • training; to enter the ring fit. He has a round, pudgey body, and easily takes on weight, and he always has to , work like the deuce to get it ofi. As hs .always enjoyed the good ' things of this world, training was not the thing he liked to ,do /best. Any time he lights he should take five, or six weeks to 'train. He is doing the right thing now. For Jimmy Britt he will train, six weeks at least, and why shouldn't he acqaiit himself with honor. Corbett is a man who hasn't dissipated a whole lot. As I have said, if he had been more careful Jn preparing himself for contests he might be champion now. Who knows ?

#,•■ " . * Let. me tell you. Ifcat he came within an ace Qt - whipping Battling Nelson the UA«§t. time ihoy fouEivfc. Just as the •gons sounded at ' the end of -Uuriiitfl -round. I tMnk, he caught Nelson as he was boring m with -a '■left squarely on the jaw.. The blow brought Nelson right on top o f him, and but for the gong I ajways Relieved Corbett would haw" finished him. But Nelson won, but .the credit must go. to him These 1 "ifa' 1 and "ands" don't get us. .anything.

When he was himself the little Denver Iroy was a sweet hitter. I remember seeing him box Dave Barry, the big Canadian lightweight, once. Barry had beaten Rufe Turner, Kkl MoPartland, and men like that,' and he must 'have. -weighed' fully ten rounds more than Corbet!. It, was a si/ht to. see CorheH tear iu\, RavlT.'s middle section, and- evety time .he struck, iiim he lifted, him oft the floor.. • •