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_ San
Francisco, Cal., Aug 15. - James
J. Jeffries, champion heavyweight of the
world, played with "Jim" Corbett for
nine rounds and a half last night and
then Corbett's seconds motioned to
Referee Graney to stop the fight in order
to save their man a needless punish-
ment. The end came before 10,000 peo-
ple shortly after the beginning of the
tenth round when Jeffries planted one
of his terrific left swings on Corbett's
stomach. The man who conquered John
L. Sullivan dropped to the floor in agony
and the memorable scene at Carson
City, when "Bob" Fitzsimmons landed
his solar plexus blow was almost dupli-
cated.
_This
time, however, Corbett struggled
to his feet and again faced his gigantic
adversary. With hardly a moment's
hesitation, Jeffries swung his right and
again landed on Corbett's stomach.
"Jim" dropped to the floor and then it
was than "Tommy" Ryan, seeing that it
was all over, motioned to Referee Graney
to stop the punishment. The fight
demonstrated beyond all doubt that Jef-
fries stands alone in his class. He show-
ed remarkable improvement in both
speed and skill.
_Corbett
during the first part of the
fight was almost outpointed and the few
blows that he landed on Jeffries appar-
ently were without sting. Jeffries was
never in a better condition. He looked
lighter than usual and the way he mov-
ed about on his feet and the frequency
with which he countered Corbett's leads
astonished everybody. Corbett, in com-
parison with the big man opposed to
him, looked very light, but he was really
heavier than ever before. He appeared
to have lost some of his old-time speed
and skill during the early part of the
fight, but this may have been due to Jef-
fries's marvelous improvement.
_Corbett's
physical condition appeared
to be all that he had claimed for it. He
stood many of Jeffries' terrific blows
without wincing, and came back swing-
ing lefts and rights and landing fre-
quently, but his blows hardly stung. Jef-
ries was not only stronger, faster and
cleverer than ever before, but he used
his head to better purpose, and although
Corbett hit hard enough to hurt an
ordinary man, Jeffries went right on
without noticing this, and delivered
blows that counted every time they
landed.
_At
first Corbett was very cautious and
apparently was outpointed by Jeffries,
but later in the fight he warmed up and
showed some of his old-time cleverness.
From the first, however, it was generally
regarded as a hopeless case for Corbett.
He made a gallant fight but he never
stood a chance to win. After the fight
was over, Corbett quickly recovered,
walked over to "Jeff" and shook him
warmly by the hand. He said: "Jim,
you beat me fairly. You stand alone.
No one can touch you."
_Referee
Graney said after the fight
that it was a good heavyweight con-
test. "Corbett was very clever, but
Jeffries was almost equally so, and
showed marvelous improvement. He
practically outboxed Corbett during the
fight, with the exception of the eighth
and ninth rounds. Every blow he land-
ed told and his superior weight and
strength was bound to win in the end."
Time-keeper George Harting stated that
the blows that won the fight were a left
to the stomach, followed by a right to the
same place as soon as Corbett arose to
his feet after taking the count of nine.
_During
the fight Corbett talked con-
tinuously to Jeffries and to the referee
he made a number of facetious remarks.
He was game to the end, and whenever
"Jeff" landed a blow would make a jest-
ing remark. In the sixth round during
a clinch, just after Jeffries had punish-
ed him severely, he remarked to the
referee; "Watch him Eddie! He's trying
to knock me out; go ahead and try
it." Jeffries only grinned and forced
his man all the harder. Corbett did
not keep away from Jeffries in the
manner that was anticipated, but closed,
clinching at every opportunity. He also
did some clever ducking, thereby avoid-
ing deadly blows, but all his cleverness
was of no avail. He fought his fight,
and when the time came Jeffries deliv-
ered the necessary blows and installed
himself more firmly than ever on his
pedestal as champion heavyweight
pugilist of the world.
_Ten
thousand men, representing an
expenditure for seating accommodations
aggregating $54,000 saw the fight. This
is the largest crowd ever assembled at
a ringside in this country and the third
largest sum in dollars and cents ever
contested for. The two that exceeded
in receipts were the Corbett-Jeffries
fight at Coney Island, $66,000, and the
Corbett-McCoy fight at Madison Square
Garden, New York, $63,000. Over the
south side of the arena more than 400
Jeffries admirers from Los Angeles, the
home of Jeffries, sat in a group. Official
San Francisco was largely represented.
Benches, bar, councils, supervisors,
in fact, every branch of the city adminis-
tration were at the ringside.
_
The preliminaries, the first a six-
round draw between Frank Smith, of
Los Angeles, and Jack Sheridan, of San
Rafael, and another of like length be-
tween Jack Evans and Jerry Fairbanks,
kept the crowd interested until the hour
of 9:15 p..m., when the time for the big
men to enter on the scene and had arrived.
The ring looked large, compared with
the enclosure used heretofore in this
city. In pursuance of an understanding
with the big fighter it was made the
regulation twenty-four foot ring. Here-
tofore, twenty-foot rings have been the
rule.
_At
9:15 the crowd rose en masse as
Champion Jeffries walked down the long
aisle and vaulted through the ropes. He
was greeted with great cheers, which
were made to seem insignificant a half-
minute later as Jim Corbett stepped
through the ropes. The seconds were:
For Jeffries. Bob Fitzsimmons, Jack
Jeffries, Joe Kennedy and Billy Delaney.
For Corbett: Tommy Ryan, Sam Berger,
"Yank" Kenny, and "Pop" Dare.
_ _REPORT BY
ROUNDS
_Round
1 - They came to the center,
Jeffries feinting and Corbett stepping
lively. Jeffries swung left over Jim's
head. Jim came in quickly to a clinch
and they were very slow about break-
ing. Jeffries put a light left to Jim's ribs
and they refused to break. Jim put
right over the heart and clinched. Cor-
bett stayed close in and put a short
arm right on the body. They were ex-
ceedingly careful in the break. Jef-
fries forced his man across the ring and
put a left light on the body. It was no-
ticed that Corbett did very little foot
work, but stayed closed and put two
rights solidly over the heart. Jeffries
missed right for the body, but put it on
the chest lightly. As they broke Cor-
bett quickly stepped up and put right
on the heart. Jeffries laughingly said:
"Ah!" The first round indicated that
Jeffries is very fast, and that Corbett
did not do any fancy work.
_Round
2 - Jeffries missed left for the
head, and they came to a clinch. They
would not break, Corbett claiming Jef-
fries was holding on. In the break Jef-
fries swung left on back of the head.
Corbett had failed thus far to land a
single left-handed blow. He attempted
it at this stage, but was too close in.
Jeffries forced him to the ropes, com-
ing dangerously near the jaw with a
left hook. They came into a clinch in
the break, when Corbett put in a
smashing blow to the jaw. Corbett sent
left and right to the body, but got a left
hook on the head. Jeffries came on
quickly, but Corbett clinched. Corbett
sent in a peculiar right hand up-
per cut for the jaw, but was a trifle low.
They fought carefully to the end. Cor-
bett had shown very little speed so far,
while Jeffries showed improvement in
speed and cleverness.
_Round
3 - Both came to the center,
Jeffries missing a left and Corbett
clinching. Jeffries hooked left to the
neck and Corbett jolted him over the
ribs with short right. Corbett increas-
ed in speed somewhat, and had to run
to avoid a rush. He turned quickly and
put a right over the heart hard. There
was a lot of clinching, neither man tak-
ing a chance in the break. Jeffries
barely missed a right for Corbett's jaw
and roughed him in the clinch. There
was much hooting from the galleries.
Jeffries forced the fighting fiercely. Cor-
bett put a left to the jaw and landed
three times with lefts to the stomach.
The blows did not hurt Jeffries, and he
only smiled and forced his man about
the ring. It was a rough round, in
which honors were even. Jeffries gave
indications of forcing matters in the
in-fighting.
_Round
4 - Jeffries went after Corbett,
but clever clinching and blocking pre-
vented damage. Referee Graney stop-
ped the fighting to look at Jeffries's
glove, which was burst, but told them
to go on with the round. Jeffries fought
hard in clinches, but Corbett got in too
close to get any damage. Jeffries swung
a hard left to the chest and got a left on
the mouth and a right over the heart.
There were calls that Jeffries was fight-
ing foul, but the proceedings did not
warrant any such claim. Corbett got in
close, jabbing Jeffries with a left several
times, but the blows were so light that
Jeffries laughed and came back. Cor-
bett slipped to his knees from a left in
the stomach. Jeffries came back with
another, but Corbett blocked it. Cor-
bett was strong and ran to his corner at
the close.
_Round
5 - Police Captain Mooney entered
the ring to look at Jeffries's glove. Fitz-
simmons and Ryan went to Jeffries cor-
ner and cut the glove off. Another was
immediately substituted, but not until
thirty seconds of the fifth round had ex-
pired. Jeffries fought for the body, with
Corbett doing some fast stepping to keep
away. Corbett did not seem to have a bit
of force behind his left-hand hooks, and
alternated with a short right over the
heart which seems to be the best he had.
Jeffries stood up straight and hooked Jim
twice in the stomach. Corbett put the best
blow thus far on Jeffries's ribs, but got a
left on the neck in return. Jeffries put a
hard hook on Corbett's jaw, following it
up with a left and right for the body. Cor-
bett held on and the gong rang. Corbett
seemed tired. He did not seem to have
any force behind his blows.
_Round
6 - Jeffries took his crouching po-
sistion for an instant and put a left on the
head. He then stood straight and put a
left on the chin. Corbett went down for
nine seconds. He got up and stalled for a
moment, then clinched. He took a left on
the body and another on the head, but
fought back gamely. He crossed Jeffries
with a right on the jaw, but without damage.
Fighting at close quarters Corbett upper-
cut Jeffries to the chin.
_Round
7 - Jeffries went after Corbett
fiercely. Corbett used his feet to good ad-
vantage at this stage. He tried to use his
once lightning left but it was a lame ex-
cuse. He came in quickly and sent his
right to the heart but Jeffries came back
with a left on the body. Corbett was hold-
ing on saying: "He can't knock me out!"
"He can't knock me out!" "Go on, Jim,
see if you can knock me out!" They
clinched repeatedly. Corbett landed sev-
eral short-arm lefts and rights on the
head. As quickly as they came into a
break Jeffries was on top of him, forcing
him to a clinch. Corbett took a left on the
head and upper cut to the chin. Corbett
was fighting faster on his feet at this
stage, using his fancy ducking tactics, but
they were of no use against his opponent.
_Round
8 - Corbett staggered Jeffries with
a left to the nose and ducked Jeffries's
left. Jeffries hooked right to the body.
Corbett sent in half a dozen lefts and
rights on Jeffries's face which he accepted
pleasantly. Jeffries was coming towards
his man all the time, and in a breakaway
almost landed a right on the jaw. Jeffries
put a hard left to the body and got two lefts
on the face and came back with a left on the
head. Corbett tried to stab Jeffries in the
eyes, but thus far his blows had not raised
a bump. Corbett fought cleverly at this
stage, sending in a dozen lefts and rights
on the jaw. He seemed to improve 100 per
cent, and the great crowd was in a state
of excitement. They cheered him to the
echo: 'This was Corbetts round. He had
changed his style and was using some of
his old-time cleverness in ducking and
blocking.
_Round
9 - Jeffries came at Corbett with a
rush like that of a mad bull. Corbett
avoided his man. Jeffries landed heavily
on Corbett in the clinch. Corbett seemed
as strong as ever and there was a long
series of clinches. Corbett put three rights
on the body at close quarters. He hooked
Jeffries on the jaw three times with lefts
and crossed with a right. He blocked Jef-
fries efforts and at close quarters, put
three rights on the body and one on the
jaw. He repeatedly stabbed Jeffries on the
mouth with lefts. Corbett's left cheek
showed a lump from one of Jeffries's close
arm blows. Jeffries hooked left to the body
and the referee had trouble in separating
them. At the close Corbett stabbed Jeffries
in the mouth with his left three times, but
these were weak efforts.
_Round
10 - Jeffries stood straight up and
came after his man without hesitation.
Corbett seemed to be making a waiting
fight. They exchanged lefts to the face
and Jeffries made a vicious effort. Jef-
fries sent a left hook to the stomach and
Corbett went down for nine seconds. He
got up and received a left in the stomach
and a right on the jaw. He went down,
and after the count of seven "Tommy"
Ryan threw up the sponge. Corbett was
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