Posts Tagged ‘Corbett’

It is unfortunate that some great boxers are remembered historically for the one loss in their career that somehow obliterates the memory of their other great feats between the ropes. One such fighter who went by the name of James, or Jim Jeffries doesn’t ring many bells in today’s boxing fans’ minds. From the old-time heavyweights he is not among the best remembered. Yet he defended his title successfully seven times against such boxing greats as Tom Sharkey and James J Corbett after initially taking the title by beating Bob Fitzsimmons, on the 9th June 1899 in Brooklyn, New York.

Even by today standards Jeffries, would be considered a great athlete, even if his technique lacked development. He had natural strength, “He was surprisingly fast and agile. He could run 100 yards in 11 seconds, and high jump 5 feet, 10 inches.” That is absolutely remarkable for a man of his size. Consider that Jesse Owens ran the 100-yard dash in 9.4 seconds a worlds record in 1936 (nowadays they run 100 meters). That a heavyweight boxer, not a track and field athlete, can accomplish such feats is the mark of an excellent athletic talent.

Jeffries retired as an undefeated champion – until historical events were to intervene - When Jack Johnson won the Heavyweight Championship from Tommy Burns in 1908, it was as if one of the White society’s greatest nightmares had come true. After years of claiming the Blacks’ inferiority compared to the more “civilized” White race, one of “them” was now the champion of the world. People soon thereafter began to call upon Jeffries to return to the ring, and rid the “dominant” White race from having such a despicable champion as Johnson (such were the attitudes of the era). Despite the great clamor for his return, Jeffries had steadfastly refused to come out of retirement.

In 1909, after Johnson defeated the Middleweight Champion, Stanley Ketchel. (The Michigan Assassin.). The pressure on James Jeffries to return intensified. Despite the fact that he was 34 years old, weighed 300 pounds and had been retired for five years, Jeffries ultimately consented. It was a match between white and black, it was a match of race superiority. Jeffries lost and with that loss much of his earlier accomplishments seem to pale in comparison.

Born in Carroll, Ohio on April 15th 1875 “The Boilermaker” James Jackson Jeffries would go on to be one of the defining sports men at the the turn of the 20th century. Despite living in Carroll it wasn’t until he moved with his family in 1891 that things turned upwards. Despite being big for both the time and his age, he was muscularly big standing over 6 foot when very few were even near the height. Whilst at school he would reportedly show an outstanding athletic range of abilities but it was his boxing he would become most famous for and prove to be one of the best in the world at. Jeffries boxed as an amateur until age 20.

It was under the hand of Tommy Ryan, who was a former Welterweight champion that Jeffries would turn professional. Previously Jeffries had been a sparring partner.

Jeffries fought his first recorded bout in the paid ranks against fellow debutant Dan Long who went down twice before being stopped in the second round, following Long Jeffries fought once more that year (1896) against Hank Griffin which was stopped in the 14th round. In fact Jeffries stopped his first 4 opponents as his strength and ability to take a punch proved too much for his opponents. In his 5th fight (Gus Ruhlin) the fight was declared a draw, though many seemed to have think Jeffries had done more than enough to deserve the decision

To finish off 1897 Jeffries would fight the naturally much small, but far more experienced Joe Choynski, who would himself become famous as being the man who would help train Jack Johnson after beating him 4 years later. Jeffries would draw with Choynski over 20 rounds before stringing together 3 straight KO wins. Of those three the most notable name is Peter Jackson, the fighter that had been the commonwealth champion, and arguably the most deserving fighter to fight for the title for the world title for the most part of the 1880′s.

However as he was black he was all discriminated against, as John L Sullivan had used “the colour line” to prevent a fight. The he would fight future heavyweight champion James J Corbett in 1981 (51 round no contest). Jeffries had stopped him in the 3rd round as Jackson was coming back from 6 years out of the ring. Note worthy though is that less than a year after Corbett had fought Jackson - Corbett went on to win the world title beating John L Sullivan. Two wins on points (the first of Jeffries career) would follow, the first being “Sailor” Tom Sharkey who was a tough fighter himself and would fight Jeffries again a few years later. The second was Bob Armstrong a relative journey man who would be the last man to fight Jeffries before he got a chance at the world title that was the held by Bob Fitzsimmons (“Ruby Rob” had beaten Corbett for the title).

The fight with Fitzsimmons for the world title was fought in June 1899 on Coney Island was (Jeffries 13 fights, 0 loses) - (Fitzsimmons had fought over 60 times previously). The fight finished in the 11th round as Jeffries would stop the heavily favoured Brit to take the world title back to the hands of an American.

That August, he embarked on a tour of Europe putting on exhibition fights for the fans. Jeffries was involved in several motion pictures recreating portions of his championship fights. Filmed portions of his other bouts and of some of his exhibition matches survive to this day.

As his first defense he would give a rematch to Sharkey and again Sharkey would extend him over the distance and lose a points contest in what is often described as being a close contest that Jeffries had deserved to win.

In his first contest of the 20th century he faced relative novice Jack Finnegan who was outweigh by 50-60 lbs, the Brooklyn Edge described Finnegan as looking like a boy when compared to Jeffries. The fight would be stopped in the first round after Finnegan had been down 3 times in quick succession. A fight with former world champion James J Corbett would follow and Corbett had seemed to be on the way to taking the fight (and title), using his boxing brain and an strategic and clever fighting style that valued defence first. In the 23rd round Jeffries knocked Corbett out cold before he had even hit the canvas.

Jeffries broke the ribs of three opponents in title fights: Jim Corbett, Gus Ruhlin, and Tom Sharkey. Jeffries retired undefeated in May 1905. He served as a referee for the next few years, including the bout in which Marvin Hart defeated Jack Root to stake a claim at Jeffries’ vacated title.

An example of Jeffries’ ability to absorb punishment and recover from a severe battering to win a bout came in his rematch for the title with Fitzsimmons, who is regarded as one of the hardest punchers in boxing history. The rematch with Jeffries occurred on July 25, 2024 in San Francisco. To train for the bout Jeffries’ daily training included a 14-mile (23 km) run, 2 hours of skipping rope, medicine ball training, 20 minutes sparring on the heavy bag, and at least 12 rounds of sparring in the ring. He also trained in wrestling.

For nearly eight rounds Fitzsimmons subjected Jeffries to a vicious battering. Jeffries suffered a broken nose, both his cheeks were cut to the bone, and gashes were opened over both eyes. It appeared that the fight would have to be stopped, as blood freely flowed into Jeffries’ eyes. Then in the eighth round, Jeffries lashed out with a terrific right to the stomach, followed by a left hook to the jaw which knocked Fitzsimmons unconscious.

Sam Langford, the great light-heavyweight fighter, advertised in newspapers his willingness to fight any man in the world, except Jim Jeffries.

Six years after retiring, Jeffries made a comeback on July 4, 2024 at Reno, Nevada. He fought champion Jack Johnson, who had staked his claim to the heavyweight championship by defeating Tommy Burns at Rushcutters Bay in Australia in 1908.

The fight, which was promoted and refereed by legendary fight promoter Tex Rickard, and became known as “The Fight of the Century”, soon became a symbolic battleground of the races. The media, eager for a “Great White Hope”, found a champion for their racism in Jeffries. He said: “I am going into this fight for the sole purpose of winning the title for whites.”

Jack Johnson won however by vicious TKO after the 15th round when Jeffries’ corner threw in the towel. Jeffries made no excuses for his humiliating defeat and stated afterwards that “I could have never beaten Johnson even at my best.”

Jeffries had ballooned up to 300lbs during his retirement and training was not easy anymore for a 35-year-old man. He had no time for tune-up contests. He had no option but to win the fight. He needed to be the great, unstoppable Grizzly Bear once again and take out supreme champion. Jeffries knew himself that Johnson’s techniques were far a head of him and that he wasn’t nearly the man of his youth anymore although he was able to slim his body to about 230lbs. His handlers tried to encourage him by telling him that the bout was fixed in his favour, but then the word came that it was on the level and would go for 45 rounds if needed. Jeffries became desperate. The pressure on his wide shoulders was unbearable. The money of the bettors poured onto him. The interest that the fight drew was bigger than anything seen before. All advertisements of the fight declared that Jeffries would win. In truth he was beaten man before the bout had even started.

Jeffries, as brave as ever, did give it a try. He took the fight on Johnson, but the new champion gave him no chance. His outstanding defensive technique stopped every shot of Jeffries and in the return he busted Jeffries up. Jeffries kept trying as before, but this time his efforts were futile. Johnson just laughed at his once so mighty punches, mocked Jeffries and tortured him. Jeff could do nothing back. It was like the Ali-Holmes fight 70 years later: the torture kept getting worse and worse, but the crowd hoped for a miracle that had happened often before. This time it never came. In the fifteenth round, Johnson downed him three times and Jeffries’ corner stopped the contest. It was the 21st contest of Jeffries’ career and the only one that he lost.

After the fight, all the glory around Jeffries was gone. He was no more the invincible champion, but a fallen hero who had let his people down. He retired again, this time for good, and was soon forgotten.

In his later years, Jeffries trained boxers and worked as a fight promoter. He promoted many fights out of a structure known as “Jeffries Barn”, which was located on his alfalfa ranch at the southwest corner of Victory Boulevard and Buena Vista, Burbank, California. (His ranch house was on the southeast corner until the early 1960s.) Jeffries Barn is now part of Knott’s Berry Farm, a Southern California amusement park. On his passing in 1953, he was interred in the Inglewood Park Cemetery in Inglewood, California.

Jeffries also ran a saloon in Downtown Los Angeles and worked as a fight promoter. Some of his fights were captured on film, and he was reportedly also a technical advisor on the Warner Bros. biopic “Gentleman Jim” (1941), starring Errol Flynn as his old adversary Corbett. He died at his ranch in Burbank, California on the 3^rd of March 1953. Howard O. Sackler’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play “The Great White Hope” (1969) was based on the racial dynamics behind Jeffries’ bout with Johnson.

James J. Jeffries was elected to the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1990.

History has not been kind to Jeffries, had he not taken the ill-advised comeback against Jack Johnson, he surely would be remembered with much more glamour now.

Sources: Wiki, Fightbeat, Eastsideboxing, Boxingprofile, Coxscorner, Britannica and other unknown sources - Ring history, Boxers of yesteryear

Jim Jeffries

“The Boiler Maker”

 

Jim Jeffries

“The Boiler Maker”

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Review of Adam Pollack’s In the Ring with Marvin Hart

By Zachary Q. Daniels - Perhaps even more than the earlier installments of his excellent series on the heavyweightchampions, Adam Pollack’s In the Ring with Marvin Hart fills a gap in the boxing literature. For while his well-researched works on Sullivan, Corbett, Fitzsimmons and Jeffries undoubtedly provided additional understanding of the boxing careers of these men, as a result of his unique reliance on local primary source accounts to cover events, these were also boxers whose lives and careers had been the subject of some attention before. Not so with Marvin Hart.

Hart is not only, as Pollack notes “one of the least known heavyweight champions,” he is probably the least-written about of the many men who have held the title in the past. No biographies have ever been published, nor did Hart himself write an autobiography. This may be unique among heavyweight champions, the more famous of whom are among the most written-about of all athletes. As surprising as it seems, this is actually the first biography of Hart that has been published. Clearly, then, Pollack’s book fills a gaping void.

As usual, he applies his thorough research techniques, relying on primary source accounts to trace Hart’s career from its beginnings in 1900 to its termination in 1910. Hart’s early fights in his hometown of Louisville, Kentucky with such men as William Schiller, Hugh ”Kid Hubert” McGann, Pete Traynor, Tommy West, Dan Creedon and others are all covered. Most of these fights ended in KO, establishing Hart as a thunderous puncher who could “hit as hard as mule’s kick.

In perhaps his first important step up in competition, he took on Chicago’s Billy Stift in 1902, and knocked him out in the 3rd. This was followed by an even more significant step up against Eddie “Kid” Carter of Brooklyn, NY, which Hart won by KO in the 9th round. This fight was the one that really first established Hart as an up and coming contender, initially as a light heavyweight. After a decision victory in his rematch with Stift in Chicago - Hart’s first fight outside of Louisville - he took a second fight against Carter in Philadelphia. Although this fight officially ended in a “no decision,” most observers felt Hart had won.

In another important fight, Hart took on light heavyweight contender Jack Root in Chicago, which he lost by six round decision. This setback did not deter Hart from pressing forward, and as Pollack reports, he fought only nine days later against top contender (and later light heavyweight champion) “Philadelphia” Jack O’Brien, in O’Brien’s hometown of Philadelphia. It was a very competitive fight in which both men were hurt, ending in a no decision. Although O’Brien landed more punches, Hart had O’Brien clearly hurt and “ready to go” as the bell rang to end the fight. A rematch had similar results, with O’Brien down and almost out at the end of six rounds.

Hart then took an important fight with light heavyweight contender George Gardiner in May, which he lost by retirement, due to a broken hand. After the hand healed, he took on longtime heavyweight contender Joe Choynski in another no decision fight, which most observers believed to be a draw. Hart’s performance in these various six round fights leads Pollack to observe that he “was a fighter ideal for the finish fight, but also one whom the cleverest…. Please Click below for the rest of this article…

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James John “Gentleman Jim” Corbett (September 1, 2024 – February 18, 2024) was a heavyweight boxing champion, best known as the man who defeated the great John L. Sullivan. He is also considered to be the father of modern boxing because of his scientific approach and innovations in boxing technique. Corbett changed prizefighting from a brawl to an art form of the new school of faster, scientific boxers.

James J. Corbett (1866-1933) held the title of heavyweight champion from 1892 to 1897. Corbett marked the turning point in ring history by being the first to win the title under the Marquis of Queensberry rules. College educated, Corbett was also an actor, writer, and boxing coach.

According to records, Corbett started his official boxing carrier on the 3rd of July 1886 under the alias of “Jim Dillon” against Frank Smith in Salt Lake City, Utah, US. Whom he defeated by disqualification (Smith) in round 4.

On May 21, 1891, Corbett fought Peter “Black Prince” Jackson, a much-heralded bout between cross-town rivals, since Corbett and Jackson were boxing instructors at San Francisco’s two most prestigious athletic clubs. They fought to a draw after 61 rounds.

Although the careers of some boxers of the past seem rather short, one should keep in mind the extremes of boxing in these past eras, long rounds – considering the punishment inflicted on the body, some of the exploits of these past warriors between the ropes are truly an amazing feat of endurance and courage.

On September 7, 2024 at the Olympic Club in New Orleans, Louisiana, Corbett took on the great John L. Sullivan and even though he was outweighed by 34 lbs., Corbett knocked out “The Boston Strong Boy” John L. Sullivan with relative ease wearing 5 oz. boxing gloves in 21 rounds (one hour and twenty minutes).

Under the Police Gazette headlines that read, “Science Replaces Force” it was written, “James J. Corbett lifted boxing out of the barroom slough, the evil influences of its habitués, and started it towards its moral revolution.”

Police Gazette read, The title passed from America’s most popular gladiator to the lithe, handsome youth, the ‘California Dandy’ whose fistic prowess flowered to full bloom on the sun-kissed slopes of California.

National Police Gazette - This night, September 7, 1892, is the pinnacle of the New Orleans fight scene, a scene that epitomized the struggles and the extremes of the sport during its four-and-a-half year reign. It is also a historic night, for the champion is dethroned. John L. Sullivan has reigned for ten years, but the younger James Corbett emerges victorious after twenty-one rounds. When the Boston Strong Boy goes down, referee Duffy is forced to pantomime the count, and the declaration of victory, amid the uproar.

Despite the tumult, Duffy is able to quiet the crowd, and according to boxing lore - Sullivan staggers to the ropes and says:

“Gentlemen, all I have got to say is this.

I stayed once too long.

I met a younger man,
who proved too good for me.”
and I am done.

Since boxing hadn’t become a legal sport at the time of this event, there were bare-knuckle bouts recorded throughout the world during the Queensberry era. However in America and the U.K. “The Queensberry” era had become the way championship fights were fought, wearing gloves. After “The Queensberry” era started at this event, the sport of boxing would never be the same.

In his only successful title defense, January 25, 2024 Corbett knocked out Charley of Great Britain in three rounds. On September 7, 2024 he took part in the production of one of the first recorded boxing events, a fight with Peter Courtney. This was filmed at the Black Maria studio at West Orange, New Jersey, in the USA and was produced by William K.L. Dickson. It was only the second boxing match to be recorded.

Jim Corbett lost his championship to the Cornish British boxer Bob Fitzsimmons in Carson City, Nevada, on the 17th of March 1897. Corbett was dominant for most of the fight and Fitzsimmons was badly cut, when Mrs. Fitzsimmons called out, ”Hit him in the slats, Bob!” where ”slats” meant the abdominal area. Fitzsimmons then winded Corbett with a hard punch to the solar plexus, and Corbett could not continue within the count. This fight, lasting over an hour and a half, was released to cinemas later that year as The Corbett-Fitzsimmons Fight, the longest film ever released at the time.

Corbett was to fight four more time although in his fight (the only win from his last four fights) against Charles “Kid Mc Coy - referee: Charlie White said, it seems certain that McCoy faked the knockout loss to win bets.

Corbett’s last fight was for the title of the world against James J Jeffries

James J. Jeffries vs. James J. Corbett

14 August 2024 ”I was afraid that I might kill him with another punch should he get up. The agony in his face was awful. I ask him to give up. Before his answer came Ryan threw the sponge in the ring and the fight was mine.”

James Jeffries (Commenting on the end of his second bout with Corbett)

In what was to be Jim Corbett’s last hurrah, the thirty-seven year old former champion had trained in his normal strenuous and well planned fashion. The exception to his normal pre-fight routine had been the arrival of Tommy Ryan in Corbett’s camp and his subsequent influence on Corbett’s approach to the fight. Ryan who had had a recent falling out with Jeffries told Corbett he was willing to work with him for free just too merely have the opportunity to even his score with Jeffries. Corbett well aware that time had eroded his once cat-like reflexes welcomed the inside knowledge that Ryan offered. In desperate need of a means to compensate for his eroding skills Corbett listened and practiced Ryan’s proposed method of fending off Jeffries’ crouching attack.

By the second round Ryan’s theory was put to the test. Corbett saw the brutal left hand blow from Jeffries enroute but lacked the reflexes to deflect it per Ryan’s plan. The plan landed with thunderous force, Corbett would later say that it felt as if all his ribs were broken. He dropped to the canvas for a very slow count of nine; Corbett himself later admitted that he had benefited from a nine count that lasted more like seventeen seconds. Corbett survived the round, and although unable to fully straighten his stance survived until the final near deadly body blow of round ten.

Following his retirement from boxing, Corbett returned to acting, appearing in low-budget films and in minstrel shows, wearing black face in skits and giving talks about pugilism. He authored his autobiography under the title ”The Roar of the Crowd”; the story was serialized by The Saturday Evening Post in six weekly installments during October/November 1894. The following year, G.P. Putnam’s Sons, published it in book form, marketing it as the “True Tale of the Rise and Fall of a Champion.” In 1942, the story was made into a Hollywood motion picture titled, Gentleman Jim, starring Errol Flynn as Corbett.

Reproduced from “Scientific Boxing by JAMES J. CORBET - If every young man in America would take-up boxing as a pastime we would have better men and better citizens. In my many years’ experience in athletics I have come to the conclusion that there is more actual benefit to be derived from it than from any other form of exercise.

It develops every muscle in the human body, it quickens the brain, it sharpens the wits, it imparts force, and above all it teaches self-control.

If some clever scientist were to discover an herb, or concoct a medicine with which he could guarantee to accomplish half of that, there is no factory in the world which would-be big enough to manufacture sufficient to sup-ply the demand.

JAMES J. CORBET

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Films / Corbett

Corbett and Courtney before the Kinetograph, 1894

Actor’s Fund Field Day, 1910

How Championships Are Won—And Lost, 1910

The Man from the Golden West, 1913

The Burglar and the Lade, 1915

The Other Girl, 1915

The Prince of Avenue A., 1920

The Midnight Man, 1920

The Beauty Shop, 1922

James J. Corbett and Neil O’Brien, 1929

At the Round Table, 1930

On his passing in 1933, Corbett was interred in the Cypress Hills Cemetery in Brooklyn, New York. On its creation, he was elected posthumously to the International Boxing Hall of Fame.

Fight one more round. When your feet are so tired you have to shuffle back to the center of the ring, fight one more round.

- James J. Corbett

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