Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 15, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 26 January 1918 — CHOYNSKI AS FIGHTER [ARTICLE]

CHOYNSKI AS FIGHTER

Lack of Weight Held Californian Back in Ring Game. Joe Began Ring Career About Thirty Years Ago and Jim Corbett, His Fellow Townsman, Was His First Opponent. Joe Choynski, who in his day was considered the greatest light heavyweight, was born at San Francisco on November 8, 1868, and was less than two years the junior of that other eminent San Franciscan, James J. Coi> bett. “ - ~ r -j Joe reached nearly six feet in altitude before he stopped growing. He began his ring career about thirty years ago, and Corbett, his fellow townsman, was his .first opponent. It was a bad start, for Jim stopped him in Jthe first chapter? r Jae won all of his next few bouts from secondraters, and in 1889 he decided to tackle Corbett again. They were matched to fight at Fhirfax, Cal., but the police broke up the fun. A little later they met at Benicia, Cai., famed as the early home of John Heenan, and Joe traveled 28 terrific rounds, but was finally defeated. A month or two later Choynski and Corbett mingled in San Francisco, and this time Joe was defeated in four rounds. After defeating Frank McLarney at Portland, Ore., and several other coast fighters, Choynski sailed for Australia, where he whipped several good men, but was twice defeated by Joe Goddard. * _ Upon his return to America Choynski fought an exhibition with John L. Sullivan. After defeating several other good men, Joe, in 1894, fought a draw with Bob Fitzsimmons at Boston. Two years later he defeated Jim Hall, but was afterward knocked out by Tom Sharkey in San Francisco and by Peter Maher in New York. la 1897 Choynski fought a 20-round draw with Jim Jeffries. In his later battles Joe was defeated by Kid McCoy, Kid Carter and Jack O’Brien, but his worst defeat was at the hands of the negro welterweight, Joe Wolcott, in 1900. He avenged himself on the black race in 1901, at Galveston, by stopping Jack Johnson. After he retired from the ring about fifteen years ago Joe became boxing and physical instructor of a leading athletic club in Pittsburgh.