The Student Becomes the Master

In a fight that would presage Larry Holmes' vicious beating of Ali more than seven decades later, heavyweight champ James J. Jeffries (left in the above picture) knocked out former champ Gentleman Jim Corbett 103 years ago today, August 14th, 1903.

Like Holmes with Ali, Jeffries had once been Corbett’s sparring partner, during the Gentleman’s five-year reign as heavyweight champ in the 1890’s after taking the title from the legendary John L. Sullivan.

This was Corbett’s second attempt to win the heavyweight title back from his former sparring partner. The first was an epic contest in 1900, a fight that many thought the speedy Corbett was winning until the giant Jeffries felled him with a short left to the jaw in the 23rd round, a one-punch KO that heightened the Jeffries myth around the world.

The rematch, three years later, was not such an exciting affair. Outweighed by 30 pounds, and at 37 years old no longer so fleet of foot, Corbett was outclassed and outmuscled, dispatched easily in a tenth-round knockout. It was Gentleman Jim’s last fight, and the second to last for Jeffries before retiring with the title.

That was until, of course, Jeffries came out of retirement to fight Jack Johnson. But that’s a story for another day.