Jeffries-Corbett I: scoring the NYT report, and other questions.

1) Mendoza, in another post, supplied this link to The New York Times coverage of the 1900 Jeffries-Corbett fight

http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?res=9506E6D91E31E033A25751C1A9639C946197D6CF

(If the link on this post doesn't work, first try refreshing;
if the article still doesn't show, go to post #20 of
http://www.eastsideboxing.com/forum/showthread.php?t=43920&page=2&highlight=outbox+jeffries )



How would you score this fight, based on NYT's account?

Here's what I came up with:

Round One: I had it for Corbett (1-0 Corbett). (In addition to my scoring on rounds, I'll also give, first, a pro-Jeffries (10-9, Corbett) and pro-Corbett (10-9, Corbett) points scoring).

Round Two: Jeffries, but arguably even (1-1), (19-19; 20-19 Corbett)

Round Three: Jeffries (2-1, Jeffries), (29-28 Jeffries; 29-29)

Round Four: Decidedly Jeffries (3-1 Jeffries), (39-36 Jeffries; 39-38 Jeffries)

Round Five: Jeffries (Jeffries took the start of the round, Corbett the middle, Jeffries the end) (4-1 Jeffries); (49-45 Jeffries; 49-47 Jeffries)

Round Six: Jeffries (5-1 Jeffries); (59-54 Jeffries, 59-56 Jeffries)

Round Seven: Decidedly Jeffries (6-1 Jeffries) -- however this is the first round where Jeffries is described as punching in a wild manner -- see also rounds 8, 10 and 15; (69-62 Jeffries; 69-65 Jeffries).

Round Eight: I gave this to Corbett, though arguements could be made for scoring the round even, or even giving it to Jeffries (6-2 Jeffries); (79-71 Jeffries, 78-75 Corbett)

Round Nine: Corbett by a fair margin -- borderline two-point round (6-3 Jeffries); (88-81 Jeffries; 86-85 Corbett)

Round Ten: Decidedly Corbett (6-4 Jeffries); (97-91 Jeffries; 95-94 Corbett)

Round Eleven: Corbett by a fair margin -- borderline two-point round (6-5 Jeffries); (106-101 Jeffries; 105-102 Corbett)

Round Twelve: Corbett, but arguably even (6-6); (116-111 Jeffries; 115-111 Corbett); NYT reports there was even betting at this point

Round Thirteen: Jeffries (7-6 Jeffries); (126-120 Jeffries; 124-121 Corbett)

Round Fourteen: Corbett (7-7); (135-130 Jeffries, 134-130 Corbett)

Round Fifteen: Corbett (8-7 Corbett); (144-140 Jeffries, 144-139 Corbett)

Round Sixteen: Even, but arguably for Jeffries (8-7-1 Corbett); (154-149 Jeffries, 154-149 Corbett)

Round Seventeen: Jeffries, but arguably even -- both fighters effective, NYT called the round Jeffries' (8-8-1); (164-158 Jeffries, 164-159 Corbett)

Round Eighteen: Corbett (9-8-1 Corbett); (173-168 Jeffries, 174-168 Corbett)

Round Nineteen: Jeffries -- Jeffries knocks down Corbett and also generally has the better of the round (9-9-1); (183-176 Jeffries, 182-178 Corbett)

Round Twenty: Corbett (10-9-1 Corbett); (192-186 Jeffries, 192-187 Corbett)

Round Twenty-one: Even, but arguable count have been scored for either fighter (10-9-2 Corbett); (202-195 Jeffries; 202-196 Corbett)

Round Twenty-two: Jeffries -- NYT also states that Corbett was weakening (10-10-2); (212-204 Jeffries, 211-206 Corbett)

Jeffries seemed to hold the advantage during round twenty-three at the point when Corbett was knocked out.

So, just going off of NYT, after twenty-two rounds I have an even fight on rounds, 10-10-2, with Jeffries having three big rounds (4, 7, 19 (knocked down Corbett), and Corbett having a big tenth round, and semi-big rounds in the 9th and 11th, and with Corbett appearing to tire.

I'll be very interested to see how others would score, based on NYT. There are a lot of rounds that could have gone either way. (The above was my second attempt at scoring; in my first attempt, I didn't write down the rounds, just kept a cumulative tally in my head, and ended up with Corbett ahead 12-9-1, though Jeffries had more big rounds. Even on that reading Corbett hadn't yet cinched a decision).

2) How do you feel about NYT coverage? Are there reasons to consider it more or less accurate/unbiased than other coverages?

3) Have you read any contemporary coverage that suggested Jeffries could have only won via a knockout? I do not see anything in the NYT commentary that suggested Corbett had a decision cinched. It's clear that Jeffries had not prevented Corbett from boxing wonderfully; yet it's not clear that Corbett was decisively winning, or necessarily even winning at all when he was KO'd. (It was stated that, during round 15, Jeffries people looked worried).

4) Does anyone know how a decision would have been rendered? Were there judges in addition to the referee, or was it soley the referees decision? Were rounds required to be scored and, if so, was the decision to be based on score, or could other considerations be allowed?

Apollack is writting a book on Jeffries which, I'm sure, will be invaluable when it comes out.

 

I slightly edited the first post to link to the thread in which Mendoza originally cited NYT