BOXING.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2161, 17 August 1907, Page 2 (Supplement)

BOXING.

“BILL” SQUIDS-

The latest concerning “Bill’ Squlree who wns recently defeated by Burns, tbo Canadian, is that this;. Australian champion will remain in America for , the presenit though liis manager is on his way back to Melbourne. Evidently (remarks the Sydney “Referee”) Bill does not like facing home again, .till Australia inity recovered from the blow caused by his failure; but ho need not feel any ; qualms. Most Australiansporting men re sports in the full sense of the term, and many of them could be relied upon to go out of their way so that the warmth of their champion’s welcome back might be as thorough as possible. After all, it might have ben the fate of a Jackson or a Fitzsimmons in their days to go under just as quickly to such a husky, effective fighter as Burns, even though both these"!men were advantaged compared with Squires in being more skilful, and consequently less likely to succumb to the wiles of an experienced ring tactician. Were Bill to return with Barney Reynolds, we would have an opportunity of showing the world that there is still an abiding jrlace for the mian in our hearts, even though the athlete may have fallen somewhat from the exalted po.ition to which he had been raised.

OLD MAN FITZSIMMONS. KNOCKED OUT BY JOHNSON. MAORILAND FREAK “LAGGED SUPERFLOUS.”

The following cablegram appeared in the latest Sydney “Sunday Time 6.” LONDON, Friday Afternoon.

“Jack Johnson, who recently visited Australia, met Bob Fitzsimmons at Philndelphiia yesterday.

“Fitzsimmons was knocked out in the second round.”

Those who keep track of matters pugilistic should not he at all surprised at this news. Jack Johnson is a husky young giant, much stronger than boxers usually are, and only 29 years of age, with the additional advantage of somewhere in tlio neighbourhood of 14st to his opponent’s' list 81b at most-. Bob Fitzsimmons • is an old man—very old, from an; athletic point of view; his 45th birth-: day occurred on the fourth of last month. Five years ago, when Jim Jeffries defeated the New Zealander in eight rounds, it was made painfully clear that Bob had “lagged superflous.” It is nearly two years since Fitzsimmons engaged in a boxing contest, and then Jack O’Brien beat him so badly from start to finish of thirteen rounds that it was hoped he would never be compelled to enter the ring again, but, unfortunately, it would appear Fate, has decreed otherwise. A case of “needs must when the devil drives, 1” for Bob had been doing hiis best during the past several months to convince a number of doubting promoters that he could still fight. Boxing contests in Philadelphia are' limited to six rounds, and no decision is given at the ringside, that responsibility being left to the newspapers, and when men make bets the authority they are willing accept is named. Fitz., no doubt thought lie might be able to battle through the 18 minutes of fighting, as lie had often done before, but Johnson’s purely defensive work proved too much for his. Well might some kind friend have advised the aged athlete, in the words of Shakespeare: “Oil, sir, you are old; Nature in you stands on tlio very verge of her confine; you should be ruled and led by some discretion that discerns your state better than yourself.”

Tlie pity of it is that so great a marvel of his time should have been forced where last Thursday found him, for I am satisfied Fitzsimmons’ bed hasn’t been quite one of roses since lie ran through ‘the loser’s “cut” of tlie match with jack O’Brien on December 20, 1905. Seventeen years ago Bob Fitzsimmons left • Sydney by the good skip Zealandia in a very modest, unpretentious manner, with all liis worldly goods stowed away in a red cotton handkerchief, and Mr. Tom James, chief steward of the boat, his friend. Strangely enough, the freckled-fisted freak’s stepping stone to general recognition in America was his fellowAu itr.aliian, Billy McCarthy, whom be defeated in nine rounds; but the country didn’t trumpet him as anything much out of the way till lie beat “Nonpareil” Jack Dempsey (since dead) pointless from the beginning of the battle, and knocked, perhaps, the finest fighter of liis inches and weight the United States ever knew, out in the thirteenth round. A long list of successes, which need not be referred to here, followed, culminating ip the Australian middle-weight’s triumph over Jim Corbett, at Carson City, Nevada, on March 17, 1887—an achievement which caused Fitzsimmons to be recognised as tlie champion heavyweight of the world, blit in the very next battle (with Jeffries, over two years later), lie lost tlie lienor, being knocked out by the big Californian alfalfa grower of to-day, in 11 rounds Bob continued to do things in the; ring, and always successfully, till three years further on, when ho and Jeffries once more faced each other, and this time the American got the. convincing punch home in tlie eighth round. Hero the world witnessed the beginning of the end of Fitz as a forefront fighter. It was plain to all onlookers that much of his power had left him, and ample evidence occurred, to indicate that he had undeniably, qualified for a position on the “has-, been” shelf.

NOTES. The Australian amateur championships will be held at Wellington. New. Zealand, on September 10 and 11. -in Griffin, the Maorilander, who I has had remarkable successes in Australia says he is now ready to fight! any mail in the Commonwealth for money (says the Sydney Referee), and; on form—that is, comparing his man-! ner of defeating opponents with thej way in which others accounted fori the same men—there can he no “re-j sidontial champion” unless the hard-i hitting Maorilander has been. givenj a chance to win the honor.