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Sport World As Seen With James J. Corbett(Copyright, 101$, by Kiag VWtur* Syfidkatc,Much of the credit for revolutionsx-log pugilism must go to Mike Donovan. He was among the pioneers In the movement to abandon the lxcdon prize ring rules and so change the ring game from a brutal degrading one, to a clean, scientific and manly sport.Donovan began his career In the days when the-prize ring rules governed ail contests. Those regulations permitted wrestling and throwing, hitting an opponent while held in chancery, and’allowed a fighter to fall onto a prostrated foe by which many fighters were ruined as athletes and perhaps crippled for life.Through the earlier, years Donovan adhered closely to London prize ring rules, because in that era, he was taking on men of his . own weight, size and strength. He stood an oven chance with them in the wrestling part of pugilism. Bui later when Mike began battling heavyweights he had to change his tactics because in a gropling game he didn’t stand much chance with a man who had It on him from 30 to 60 pounds in weight.Necessity forced Mike to deviso -tricks af defense that are a part of the ring gamo now. fie worked long and patiently to acquire the knack of sidestepping, of getting, out of the way .of , rushing opponents and of breaking from | clinches. At the same time he perfected a punching attack—something almost foreign to a fighter's make-up in that era because fighters then depended largely upon brute-strength in wrestling.quite a9 effective as the mauling of theprise ring days.Soon converts** to the now method of fighting grew in volume, not only on this side but in England as well. In the ,end the Marquis of Queensbury rule** were drawn up which changed almost' entirely the laws of fighting—and patterned it after the style of Donovan, of Jem Mace and the other clever warriors of the bygone days.When MDCQ first introduced his tactics in the ring the .'fans of that era weren't very enthusiastic about them. They had been educated' only to rough-and-turn-, ble battling. And couldn’t see the value of a strictly punching attack. But Donovan quickly convinced them that his new method was h greatly Superior one, that constant battling with fists wasJust about the time that Donovan retired from active ring work, John L. Sullivan whipped Paddy Ryan and became the heavyweight champion of the world. Interest in boding, already stimulated by the change in the rules, grew greater when John U. by his spectacular work, set the pugilistic world agog.After his retirement. Donovan was besieged with requests for boxing lessons. He schooled scores of youngsters. Everywhere he went he was heralded not only as a great fighter of the other days, but as one of the best boxing Instructors in America. And so he wa_-».In 1334 the Now York Athletic club decided it wanted a boxing instructor. Some of the officials suggested Donovan; others named AYalter Watson, one of the greatest boxing' tifacHera that ever Jived. Tho clutf officials were; deadlocked on tho • selection. - -Finally someone suggested that cho two men box each other, the winner to. get the InstructDrship with its salary of $1,200 which waii “big money* ir« those days.'Donovan and Watson agreed to the1 proposition and put on a thrilling bout with Donovan tho winner. And so Mike got tho job which he held for more than thirty years and which he surrendered only when pensioned.* Watson, -by the way; went to the Pacific coast after his defeat by Donovan and became instructor at the Olympic A. C. in Sun Francisco. And there T met him and learned from him many of the ring tricks which a few years later were enable me to' win a world’s championship from John L. Sullivan. .
Newspaper Details
Fort Wayne News and Sentinel
Fort Wayne, Indiana, US
Mon, Aug 19, 1918
Page 11
Full Page
Clipped by
John H.
IL, USA 12 May 2018
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