LANG V. FITZSIMMONS

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 706, 4 January 1910, Page 6

LANG V. FITZSIMMONS

WILL BE SERVED."

ON THE CONTEST; , ; • The attendance.at; the .FitzsimmonsLang boxing , 'contest at Sydney on Boxing Day for '.the- heavy-weight championship of- Australia is officially given at 11,000., Lang ; (it will be remembered) :won ',pn la- "knock-out" in 'the 12th round. .The critics are agreed.that. Fitzsinnnons was head, and"shoulders- above Lang -in. the s matter-: of skill.; '/'Youth will be served": is an'".apti description, of ".the-'.battlei'.;..:.V'.;!;'';.';;.■.;"'!■■ ■;.'-.', ,:, ' ■ ■.'.'.'':

"Ex-Champion Should Retire." , , , .According .to , the "Sydney- Morning • Herald" it was not a great- athletic or boxing;..achievement. ',■: .Lang won 'because of "his superior ".strength .and his., youth. Fitzsimmpns lost because-/of his age— -because-•Kβ' no; longer:;possesses -the- vim •and'';'.vigour- which are , .'necessary: for. ohampionship 'standard: /,■'That, journal continues:'''. The' 1 first,': observation to 'be made on the contest is that. Fitzsimmons shpuld retire from, the:prize ring, '.where he has -already:won : as great: honours as :a'ny /living ■ man. 'It , 'is-to the peculiar build; of :Fitzsimmons' that :his . boxing, ■victories lire '.at least.partly .due. ■ He. hw -naturally ; .the ■'•shoulders ;which give great driving force to his blows,-the chest necessary vfor, a : sustained:.contest, .aid the quickness of a sadly;diminished .degree':' to-day—which'' generally characterises .a., bhampiori.'.; Fitzsimmons stands erect, the head even thrown baokward—not: the .sen)bianco , : pf-ia''crouch—. nfid ■■: when he. does, lead/the/weight' comes right from/the .shoulders, hp'matter'.what; description: v of ■'• blow ■ 'he'{: is '/ delivering.. Lang, o'ii. : the. indulges in some.'tiling "approaching; a V crouch,- ~, twisting himself'into a defensive! position, 'thereby reducing: .his stiitnre , . when'-he shapes. The':methods of the two: men. did not vary. The :' ex-world's .champion fought admirably; l - : - His • 'hitting:: was -clean, his footwork clever,'in the extreme/: It was. a , -': magnificent : display of '■' scientific ' boxing, 'bufc'inthout ;tliestrength that cannot be,dissociated '.from success. . . '!/,

Lang -Quite I ■'■:■. :] '-~ , Lang,Von', the. cpntrary; ■ bnllocked his ..way-through, the fight. : He-had not. to .his ,credit;ias the result .of ;thbi2 rounds' ■"work,"' a.'single clean straight: blow.; 'He ;dashed ; ini: withsrepeatedtswings/'which Pitzsimmbns .:■ invariably'/./'avoided - ,: or blocked,: hut'.-.when in at olpse; quarters .—when . apparently clinched-;and'' having Fitzsinimpus's':arm.:locked—he-'got"in the onlyi effective,-:blows. of ''the.:': first' eleven, rounds^• :;v:Tho'usaii'ds.'who' 1 .-saw" the fight ; will 'not.' be' satisneH that.'iang'did;'h6t : transgress ;'■.the ■'■ruleS;.:of.;. a'-clean-break-figtit. ;. Once;'or' clinch, his; head;seemed to''cpme' ? intp'contact with Fitzsimmohs's.' 'jaivf—dpubtles's ■; v accideiifc : allyV ; f or', although.- the -Australian'cha'ni-. pion ; ■ - fpuifht".:-fiijrcely k '•,'throughout; .arid :oyon''yi6iqusly.;:at;;times, : :it-.would, not- be ;fair: to'assume' that-ho-delibbratelyconi- • niitted a'ifoul.' : Kven in/the;final..rbundi 1 when.;. Fjtzsimnipns .'was' ■ so : .; apparently tired that:Ke could;maintain':his balance only- .with! his-';cleverness shone iout. r ,; Again .and., again.: tang-tried -to, sendV him ;' to ./the ■iboards.'.ibut .as : long : as .F.itzsimnibns' had strength to., stand on his: fett 'he was"able'.b/ quick;..welltimed ' ineyements,:. to ;avpid■ ■ the CPiip ■:de graoei': Viintil from - absolute ; exhaustion, unable , /tb'f offer.'.any;'defenbe.'.:whatev«r, , Lang; gpt- and th'o';e;x-fchaSipion ;v?as'':"puti"v..The !.co£;t«St/' : ;iip't v :in:';tH|eK i 'wpria's'':ohanipibnship.i' class , '; ,and-:.that.iAußtralia : --h'as:-rib't';'a' i weight l bpieficapablsi.'.pf -.making-'a 'decent' ; bid;.;,fpr.|'the: •iThe'.VAustralian : champion:i;-;h'asy-- undoubtedly "improved ;i ;but'there'is: little hope;that .ne. will.ever develop into.. a clean,/ twe^handed. 1 fighter: .of-.the'first flight.-;,,He: : had;:;however,'a very awkward ; .proppsition.; The ex-cham-pion's'. wbnderful '■ -headwprk,'. ringcraft, knowledge : of'infighting,/'and ■ machinelike ... guards-, would :make many . an 'excellent', boser:,look'; simple./' .Making' al;lpwance.:''fßr;that,..there U 'still/nothing, ■in ; La'ng's',.'achiey«ment: to .justify a hpiie .thatvhe.iwill;.ever/reach s t)ie; top ■at- the :tree,; despite -his' .yigbur ; ?ahd. { 'strength j • ;altho'ugh;:Ke''may:;_make mbre-ef ■ that. ; im.: :prbyement.j.'fcr,.whichthere';is. suchabund<' ; :ant;;ropm.v^ l'-..'-.-?,"^/' ";.'..'^l'^'S : /'■.', ' ttl !■::■}.' f^ng^Atticks^tike/a'iYPung^Lipri;- I '■;'' ' v .'V.Thus ■ the;:"Sydney. Daily/ Telegraph" :— ;; .J'itzsimpibns,m'a'de;:;a'bold; showing, and not. till, a Eecbnd'.'or.two: alter the' last :round .—f. the ; twelfth :A ;openei could it have ;been\ said;. p .th'tit"he would; surely., be def,ea,tedJ.'At,'that; stage;.: the,'beginning.pf ■ the:.endv;cfcouired/'.' when,'Lang. made', a. fierce rush; anil'forceu,:Jb'itzsiuuubiis uowii. on. tp.:;the.::lower:/strand.':ef,:the,.hempen bpundaryy'r'atid'. : in '"a' neutral;.;'cprner, ■thrbughl the; ;agency ;pf , left : and.", right swings pVtp ':'. the jheckj/;arid::;thpugh: tho elde'r'jnian;' stobd' up. game'as ■ could, be-it became "pffin;: to' , ;the^. spectators',that un-. less!■ heivhadi'.time/- to'.'irecuper'ate .they: were'. then- watching ■ the-' final Hickerings of the jighfc .; ■' "Ypu're/ 1 winning all 'theway,':j"BpD,''/.cried /Burns-r : Fitzsimmpns's'. principal' second, with': the object . of,:/encouraging:/his : • principal" as much -as )pbssible;)"/but'-,the/ next, few minutes. saw-Lang;attacking -like.a.ypnng 'lion, *,and; I'itzsimnlpns.''breakings ground— ■he'-wanted.'.breathing "timer;'; :Net'-to.-.be'.-denied,vLang: : kept;geing, : .using'right and left;with' such.■.ppwe'r.tha't'.lhe .had ;the lighter toan: beaten.'-,Ktzsinimons;feU: oiE. completely/, in;'the .concluding •couple-bf; minutes." ■'• ;Up:-tp, ; and; inclusive• pt', the" eleventh round \ : hisv prospects -of 'success apjeare'd',equally: as.gbbd;as..the younger bpxer's,' and'there.rwere many : rbunds the points' of .which ,, 'were ;svhblly, Fitzsiin-. rnons's." Hβ' certainly ; surprised. the great bulk:;of the: crowd, by/ thje -fine fight v he showed,': flind ..their, sympathy.'to, a : ■ man was , .It was ajgreed .that -there. should- -ba.::';a'.. clean/break:,from;every clinch; ; /i'but'V:this'::cbmpact:::waa':.more noticed .ii'.the ibreacli; , ! than;; the' pbsery : ; anC'e/.'and-.Langjwa's .the ■offender;; always,--maiiJy /because :of;.;his: eagerness itbtiiiake', :'the.;most of -pppbrtunities,- and to.'-be'-fight' ing; , ;',----;;-'.. :■(:''- ■:■;;•>/•'•/ ■.'■■ if W/h? !'/' f.■ •■'••":- i' :, ':

Hpw^he:Australian-Won.v;.O:: /V '■■'-)■ - .In' seaspn' and - put: pf;' season—just,, as lbn'g and as of ten as he .'could.' do sp,' • Lang : forced.his; more' than'2st.;;greater weight upon the-lighter boxer,,and. thus did.a gopd.'deal'! tewards .'weakening.hiin, and ,m'any. : ,ii; time 'the bulkier-fellow, punched a,way while the , , pair / were': clinched, and used his -head illegally) Ibuf "it:■'.was , difficult;:'for',.the,'.. referee .tb "nbtice!. these otconcesj. as '■. they; were:' done'; while;, both scrambled:fpr the advantage.' .Men/who' had-- ,fpllowed;'V,Fitzsimm ! onsV ,!training work: and:'watched .him -in'"two:, , or, three bouts 1 : with•,Tommy ;Burns'^-failed to pbserve the' vigour of those occasions, and noticed.that'his blows lacked-the ppwer shown -in. the/gyinnasiunv-nor was -that effective right cross seen at- any period of the battle.; No athlete is expected to exhibit his true'form:in.actual'combat—the importance ;. '.'of.'.'' the \ 'inpinent ■ arid the 'anxiety pf-:the time affect -him more pr less injuripusly : acccrding to the riianner of man he\is.-' A-Bill,Beach bra.Joe-God--dard would.not -be. troubled,.but a Hanlon, or 'a Fitzsimmons might.': Especially wculd'..it:be.the.case r with;the latter,'be-. • cause 'winning 'the contest meant so much fpr.'hiiri,:'and y'had b'een;'sp,.lpng/put of the'arena as,to-Vie/very,doubtful re-: garding: how "he-.wbjald acqnit : 'himself. The. man had not the pldccnfidence---that faith in his'powers which enabled-him to go in and;exchange wallbps.with "Sailor" Sharkey,; and knock ..the- American" naval pugilist out'in two rounds after he had stood up i;p Jim.Jeffries.:2oand:2s rounds, and then: lost/on: points only. A feature of- the',battle, was thei':mariner in .whibh Mtzsimmons 'fooled'Lang'-:, by; his' duck: ing,' aid;ithe way: he stalled: His head. Time after time the Australian'champ'ipri seemed te be at his wits' end where and how'to hit so that he might/land upon something ; more' solid than the ' atmpsphere,'and the .old fellowfs .footwork had the younger one punching put of, distance in a way '.which angered him to mshing in .to do'; something or anything rather than .hear thousands ;applaudirig ■ the cause ofhis'discpmfiture.'. ' :., ■ ..'■.■,'