BOXING.

Taranaki Daily News, 1 October 1921, Page 11

BOXING.

808 FITZSIMMONS. THE GREATEST RING FIGHTER. OF ALL AT ANY WEIGHT. (By Robert Edgren, in San Francisco Chronicle.) New York, July 23. Tn all the history of the modern ring there have been just three boxers who perfected a swaying, shifting style, and each was a great world’s champion. The first was Robert Fitzsimmons, middleweight, light-heavy-weight, and heavyweight champion. The second was Stanley Ketehel, middle-weight champion, and, on one occasion, contender for the heavyweight crown. The third is Jack Dempsey, heavyweight champion, whose remarkable ring exploits have earned him the name, “Knockout King.” I think that all the old-timers will agree with me when I say Bob Fitzsimmons was the greatest fighter ever seen in the ring at any weight. He appeared in America in 1890, when Sullivan was champion, and such great heavyweights as Jim Corbett, Peter Maher, Tom Sharkey, Joe Choynski, Peter Jackson, Frank Slavin, and Joe Goddard were either in their prime or coming into fame. At that time Bob was a tall, lanky fellow, with a round smiling face and a manner mild enough to suit any clergyman, a heart full of benevolence, friendship, and rugged virtue, and an amazing knack for fighting. Born in Helston, Cornwall, May 26, 1863, he was of Irish parents, and his father was a horseman and fencing master. They went to New Zealand when Bob was a baby. As he' grew up lie played football and other games while at school, and by the time he became a horse-shoer’s apprentice he had a welldeveloped love for sport. He took up boxing—London prize-ring style—and won two or three finish fights. Jem Mace, the great English champion, visited Australia and promoted several tournaments, In 1880 Bob Fitzsimmons, age 17, entered a Mace tournament, knocked out- four grown men, and became amateu champion .of New Zealand. Next year he entered again and beat five men in one night, one of whom was Herbert Slade, the Maori giant. After that he travelled to Australia, won a dozen or more fights, several of them in one or two rounds, and lost one to Jim Hall.

WORKED HIS WAY FROM AUSTRALIA. Probably there wasn’t much money in fighting in Australia in those days, and Fitzsimmons heard of the “fabulous purses” offered in America—purses that sometimes netted a winner several thousand dollars. He came over on a sailing ship as cook’s helper, and when he landed in San Francisco his sole possessions were the clothes he wore and a maroon sweater. Wandering up Market-street, carrying the sweater rolled up under his arm, Fitzsimmons asked passers-by where he could find a place to box, and was directed to the old California-Ath-letic Club. Here he asked for a try-out, and was allowed to train in the gymnasium. History doesn’t tell where he ate or slept. In a day or two the freckled New Zealander attracted some attention, and the gentlemen amateur sportsmen who ran the club gave him a trial against a heavy-weight, Billy McCarthy, who was being groomed to challenge the great John L. Fitz knocked McCarthy out in nine rounds, giving him a most workmanlike trimming. The fight he up was the marvel of the sporting pages and his reputation was made. Within a month he knocked out Arthur Upham, and in his next fight, January 14, 1891, became world’s middle-weight champion by knocking out the great Nonpareil, Jack Dempsey, in 13 rounds at New Orleans. In that fight Fitzsimmons, with his height, great reach, and original fighting style, outclassed the Nonpareil, beat him down at will, and before knocking him o.ut begged him to give in. Dempsey refused, and Fitzsimmons was forced to finish him. A true sportsman, he admired Dempsey and was his close friend afterward. DEMPSEY’S OPINION. What Dempsey thought of Fitz was shown by his dying advice to his wife. He told her to have a bet on Fitzsimmons every time Eitz fought. Fitzsimmons weighed only 1521 b when he beat Dempsey, who,, by the way, was several pounds lighter than that. As a middleweight witli no opponents he began fighting the best heavies, knocking out Peter Maher, Joe Godfrey, Jim Hall, Dan Creedon, and many others, usually winning in one or two rounds. Fitz made quite a bit of money in those days, but in the one fight that promised a fortune, with Jim Hall, at New Orleans, for a 40.000 dol. purse, all he got was expense money and a worthless cheque. The men knocked out by Fitzsimmons never questioned the decision, but Peter Maher offered one original “alibi.” Peter was a great knockout artist himself, and Jim Corbett had retired and given the heavyweight title to Maher. Fitz fought Maher just across the Mexican line near Langtry, Texas, knocking Peter for a goal in the first round after Peter had nearly finished Fitz with a terrific hook on the chin.

“He isn’t human,” mourned Peter. “He’s th’ Divil himself in disguise.” Fitzsimmons, weighing 1581 b. knocked out heavyweight champion Jim Corbett at Carson, Nev., March 17, 1897, in 14 rounds. Corbett led easily for six rounds, but from the seventh to the knockout Fitzsimmons forced the fighting, and all of Corbett’s dancing and smooth skill could not save him. THE SOLAR PLEXUS PUNCH. Fitz finished Corbett with his favorite punch, shifting his right foot in as Corbett jabbed and shooting a terrific lett hook into Corbett’s body. The doctot who attended Corbett after the fight told me Fitz hit him on the solar plexus, and the solar plex*us punch became famous -from that day on. Jim Jeffries, a young giant, knocked Fitzsimmons out in 11 rounds. The old warrior made a gallant fight, hurling himself against Jeff’s impenetrable defence and mixing it all the way. working for a return match with Jeffries, Fitzsimmons did some wonderful fighting, knocking out Jeff Thorne, Jim Daly? Ed. Dunkhorst, Gus Ruhlin and Tom Sharkey—five men in 12 rounds of fightJeffries beat him next time in eight rounds. And after that Fitzsimmons won the light-heavyweight title from George Gardner in 20 rounds the only fight in his whole career that went more than 14 rounds. . DADDY OF ALL FIGHTERS. Fitzsimmons fought more than 400 ring battles, losing to only six men—live of these when he was far past his prime.

He fought in the ring for 34 years! His last battle was a six-round bout with K. O. Sweeney in 1014, when he was 41 years of age.

JOHNSON OUT OF PRISON.

A Chicago correspondent writes:—* Jack Johnson, the former heavyweight champion of the world, is out of prison, but he has landed no lucrative contracts to box, and from the looks of things is hardly likely to succeed. Jack and a few of his followers are about the only people who are taking him seriously. The fact of the matter is Johnson is through as a boxer. If he ever meets Harry Wills, or even Kid Norfolk, the chances are more than even that he will suffer quick defeat. Li’l Artha is in his forties and outside of the conditioning he got in prison hasn’t been prepped for a fight in many moons. After all, the ring game is a young man’s game, and there are only a few exceptions to the' rule. To fight, Johnson has to find some promoter who will put on the battle, and they seem to be scarce. Johnson has mentioned a lot of offers he has received, but he fails to give the names of those making the offers. A paying crowd might be attracted for battle with Wills or Norfolk, but it is doubtful. It is hardly likely any promoter with the backing necessary for putting over a big fight would match Johnson with any of the leading white heavyweights. The public cannot forget his ‘Hop’ to Willard; besides, he is not the Johnson he was in his prime. Frank Moran has been eliminated from further consideration as an opponent for either Dempsey or Carpentier. The knock-out blow handed him by Bob Mart-in just about terminates ail his aspirations and makes Joe Beckett look all the worse. Martin has come along at a good clip the past year, and may yet prove the ‘hope’ of the ex-ser-vice men. He is certain to get a chance with Carpentier, if the Frenchman disposes of Tommy Gibbons. Harry Greb must win decisively from Moran next week to be considered a contender against Carpentier. The field is certainly beginning to narrow down.