LATEST BOXING

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 707, 5 January 1910, Page 8

LATEST BOXING

FITZSIMMONS QUITE SATISFIED. Interviewed, by ;a Sydney "Koferee" representative after his contest with Lang, Pit7Simmons said —

. "I thought I: couloV make good in another battle, but have had a rude awakening to the fact that I am too old for the ■ game,, though I didn't feel so before. In the.,second or , third round it dawned upon me that my,vim was not there. ' I couldn't punch. as I did, even while training, and I couldn't rough. it with the, big, strong, ■ husky young, fellow, who was. always Woring in,, and wanted a heap of shoving off. Oh, how I longed for the old vigour—the strength and the speed that enabled me to hit hard when I got the chance, and keep . well with.: my opponent,. no ' matter, hoiv he rushed the pace. ''.''.' "Wheii I was on the roads working I'd see a vehicle passing, and I'd say, 'I'll race that 200 or 300 yards, and, if I lead it I'll win the: fight.' I'd go, too. My, I would.- ran. And I'd win, and while puffing afterwards 'chnckle at having; made a good omen for myself." Bob's glance . over, the Atraclc of time affected him visibly, ■ and:' he continued; "I was ,bpxing to-day for. those three boys in America—my three lads—but it wasn't to be." ■ And tears welled in the kindly-hearted, , famous boxer's eyes. He was the fond father;'then, of boyswhom he.took a pride in,/ and whom,, he .jigged on his Imees night after, night under the family roof tree,'for Bob was always a great lover/ of his horned 1- turned: the conversation. . , , "■ "Tes, Lang is undoubtedly a good, strong' young fellow.;"-;' continued' , ' Pitz, i"and/I could improve him. There is 'no reason why the man.who beat me: to[dayshould;not make a name'for himiself in the world.' , , .... , ..

WILL. BURNS-'AND LANG MEET? Discussing, the Fitzsimmons-Lang contest, Tommy Burnsr'said:—"Fitz. certainly showed a a lot , of skill, and he weathered a tough time extraordinarily well; ho is a great old fellow beyond any manner of doubt, and, as fair a fighter as ever lived; I. think. -; I liked Bob's qhance of winning through what I had seen'hiVn do while sparring,;and I backed him. . ..- ' ' "No;-I didn't lose much; but that wasn't«.my Lang'- people wouldn't-respond, consequently I- was lucky. . ; • .'.' '■'-.' '-V ' ■■'■'.■

."Lang has improved a: good deal, and he has put on a lot ofvweight.'.and fights better than" he did. 1 \ I .-thought- Fitz. might put a right across and end the contest .at any moment; but he didn't seem equal to , it.' ■ ...."Possibly the great ; .heat effected Fi.tz.', the; top : of: his! head was; exposed, to £the 'fierce- rays of i the' sun, while.ie stood' in the ring, f>We ; had an.''umbrella over him in his corner, as you saw; but there Avasn't enough .time .in' the minute for ,the'- : niaii to cool■! down." : :.' ) '; ■' '• .

;' "Ktz. certainly had; a.;stiff' task set him, with. such\a husky, weighty young fellow, who is, possibly, better now than he ever,was before. . . "■•■'•

■/'fj r ill : l;meef him?;-;-Well, I; 'don't knbwr-np one' has.mentioned the subject. It all depends. '."■" I' haye: made up my mindvto fight again, and if there is money in it, why not Lang as well* as anyone else,?", .":■'■. : -. ■. - :;■■.!. ■ ... ~'.' .' ■ ' }■ f.Upon'th'ie siune,-: subject,,Lang remarked;—"Am I likely to fight -Tommy Burns?,,; Well,. I'm' willing enough.- . I'll see how' I get on. with Squires.;- And the're's.'.my., hand—it's ,a'bit strained. Do ybii think' I. learned, anything', of ■ Jack' Johnson?-: You- do,, eh? Well, I'm ; ,glad of that.".. '...."' .

.v Eiidolf: XJnholz, :who beat 'Tim" Tracey for the light-weight championship of New, iZealand.sdme.-months.ago, met defeat'at .the-hands-of Frank 1 . Thorn last Wednesday night.'-. ■•Thus the "Arrow", on,'the event:': "Thorn , won,, because -. the latter is the) best Australian boxer we have, and he ,was,-at. the top of. his form—better than ever anyone had. previously seen ;him|i q'nd.:;bigger ;and' healthier,- too.. ,It was'a'contest "between a boxer" pure and. i-simple, and an absolute: fighter under boxing rules. .Had.it been-under P.R. laws, is not.reflecting, on.Thorn-to'say hofin'tist , have; beonHbeateh:'::ThornVj ! ;is. .the', only niah 'in'.this country, who ,nas •the' "hang" of•; Unholz's,, 'methods thor- ; oughly, and knows how to combat them, :and such is thegame of hit, stop v and counter'.-that Eudolf . might meet and beat one who would put the come-hither on Thorn; -. TJnholz-f plight with: .great., ipluck and vigour ;'he rushed and Tushed -again;"'and 'rushed 'in , !every way he thought might baffle the enemy, but all to no-purpose. Thorn was on tho alert, s 'imd'strong-'always': : Tho young .Australian :had more or-less tho.better of every round , ,excepting the' ninth, which saw., ■Unliolz; hold the advantage. Unholz is imatched- Summers.,on. 'Anniversary Day.;' ■ . -

:THE< r CONTEST. Some interesting remarks on the projected Jeffries-Johnson contests, from the pen: of - W: 'W.' ! Naughton, appear. in ;the latest issue, of the Sydney "Referee." He stfys:—Nearly every line in the contract, in {fact; is of a tentative character, and while I have always been among those who v .believed that!, the white man' and; 'the negro would, 1 eventually , come,' 'to-' gether, I will have to wait for: something more binding before■'beginning to- call: "What'did I.tell'-yoil?'',. -, - L --; ■,-' .. ■■!•■ What is puzzling ■me''is- that from': the way Jen"rics's>:a.ppearance-; andv.-'condition 1 We desoribed';wheri;}h6; arrived -in.'New' .York'frdm.abroad,-.we ■at:this end 'imag-' in'ed he just- wanted, to'put on. the finish--ing touches and step right into the ring.' ; Johnson said all.he needed was six weeks; Jeffries" said:' "I'll' , be'ready'- when - Johnson is,"'and the fellows, who guess '.at •things whispered: ' "They.will meet. some-, wftere.at Christmas time." • Other's said :•■ "No; , -that's'.-rather-'soon. Mark my words, thejdate- will :be■ -Washington's Birthday." This: comes on February 22.' : But now we'll have'to wait, two-thirds ,of ■a-yeaiv and one hates to ponder, over, what,may crop"up to block the wheels during'that time.':•;' . . :. ■'■■■'•,;