Jim Corbett Was a College Graduate James J. Corbett found his bank clerk kind of boring and wanted some excitement in his hence, he began visiting boxing clubs until finally he was able to do bouts of sparring with experience fighters and learnt how to box under the guidance of the keen eyed Walter Watson at the San Francisco's Olympic Club. Jim Corbett was quite a handsome man to take up the sport of boxing and due to his handsome appearance and extra classy ring style he was moniker as the Handsome Jim, Pompadour Jim, and then finally one of those monikers stuck: Gentleman Jim Corbett. On the other hand, John L. Sullivan in his time was a bare knuckle boxer and that status of boxing laid somewhere between a marginal of respectability and downright outright criminality in the boxing ring. But, nonetheless, John L. Sullivan had become a legend in his own time. Sullivan had won the bare knuckled World Heavyweight Championship title in the year of 1882 and he successfully defended his title for a good 10 years. These bare-knuckle fist fights were marathons, a bare knuckle boxing match would last for 75 rounds or more of constantly hammering each other mercilessly until exhaustion took over. An Epic Contest That Was Fought On a Barge In San Francisco BayJohn L. Sullivan rose to the pinnacle of his profession at a time when many states and local jurisdictions had outlawed boxing matches but he was a legend and his championship matches attracted thousands of people. It was a different route altogether for Gentleman Jim Corbett. His first professional glove fight came when he was 18 and in that fight he knocked out Frank Smith. Gentleman Jim's professional boxing career had begun. Following on from his fight with Frank Smith a three fight series was set up against a boxer by the name of Joe Choynski. The first of the three fight series between James J. Corbett and Joe Choynski was a no contest after four rounds as this first fight was interupted by the law enforcers, namely the police. Gentleman Jim Corbett won the second fight of the three bout series knocking out his oponenent in the 27th round. The last fight in the series was a four round decision for Gentleman Jim. The third contest in the three fight series was an epic contest that was fought on a barge in San Francisco Bay. In that fight the seems of Joe Choynski's gloves was cut. While Jim Corbett in round three and later on in the fight Corbett broke his right hand, but managed to win that fight by a knockout with an almighty powerful left hook. These fights took place in the space of three months. James J Corbett With The Professor in His Corner The next year he won a four round decision over respected heavyweight Jake Kilrain. Then in 1891 he fought a 61 round battle with Peter Jackson, which was ruled a no contest. A month after that bout, Corbett boxed a four round exhibition with John L. Sullivan, giving him a preview of things to come. The much anticipated Sullivan, Corbett fight would place on the 7th September 1892 in New Orleans. It was the first heavyweight championship bout in which the contestants wore boxing gloves. James J. Corbett, with Professor Mike Donovan in his corner, boxed brilliantly. Corbett countered sharply and managed to side step Sullivan's bullish charges. In the 21st round, Sullivan was exhausted and Corbett pounded the champion into submission, knocking him out with a right hand that caused John L. Sullivan fall flat on his belly then rolled over on his back out cold. In 1894, Corbett successfully defended the title with a third round knockout over Charley Mitchell. When John L. Sullivan was World champion boxer he was no fan of Gentleman Jim Corbett. Sullivan hated the elegance, poise and polished manners of Corbett. Bob Fitzsimmons KO'ed Gentleman Jim Corbett With "The Solar Plexus Punch"John L. Sullivan once fought Corbett whom he called the dude in a four round exhibition match in which John L. Sullivan's insisted that both men wore full evening clothing for their exhibition match long before they fought for the World Heavyweight Boxing Crown. However, Gentleman Jim Corbett went on to lose his heavyweight crown to the Englishman, Robert L. Fitzsimmons known as simply Bob Fitzsimmons who KO'ed James Corbett in the 14th round of their match for the heavyweight championship crown in 1897. In the turn of the 1900's, James Corbett challenged heavyweight champ James J. Jeffries who was Corbett's former sparring partner. James J. Corbett made the champion look second rated for the first 15 rounds until eventually Jim Jeffries strength was too much for the challenger. Jim Jeffries caught up with Corbett and knocked him out in the 23rd round. They fought a rematch in 1903 and this time Jim Jeffries scored a 10th-round KO. In between the two Jeffries fights, Corbett knocked out middleweight champion Charles Kid McCoy in the fifth round. As well as being a boxer, Jim Corbett took to acting and performed on the stage during his reign as heavyweight champion. He continued his acting career well into his retirement. |
Corbett is Considered the Father of Modern Boxing.James J. Corbett In his retirement had once sparred with a much younger Gene Tunney and was even thinking of returning to the ring but he soon gave up the idea. James John Corbett was born on the 1st September 1866 in San Francisco, California, U. S. A. James J. Corbett died on the 18th of February 1933 in Bayside, New York. Jim Corbett was one of the greatest heavyweights of his time. Gentleman Jim Corbett is considered the Father of Modern Boxing. Corbett had an originality all of his own. Jim Corbett created a style of boxing that was the beginning of a new art in the sweet science of boxing. He brought a new kind of boxing science to the boxing ring never before witnessed. |
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