The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-01-13
THE RING rs STAKED.
Eyes of the Whole World
Fixed on New Orleans.
oLADlAToRs MEET TOMORROW
Tho Amphitheater Will Not Hold All
Bob Fitxsimmons Hit Each other.


night, between dob Fitzsimmons, Of
New Zealand, and slack" Dempsey,
champion middle-weight of the world,
will be, in many respects, one OF the most
remarkable fought on American soil. II
is an international battle in reality, one OF
the few ever had in this country, Fitz-
simmons coming from 1000 miles away.
1t offers the biggest money ever given for
glove fight. S12 600. Finally, the differ
ence between the men, in their size, APP
pearance and style of fighting, is so extra
ordinary rs to make ii new departure.
No two men ever entered the ring so
thoroughly the antipodes OF each other in
every respect as Dempsey and Fitzsim-
mons, and the result will determine
whether our old idea of what the prize
fighter ought 10 he is correct, or whether
we must imagine wholly different per-
son. No one who sees Bob Fitzsimmons
would ever imagine him a pugilist, for he
is the opposite of all ideas ever conceived
OF the athlete ancient or modern. Over
six feet in height, he ought 10 weigh $50
TO 200 pounds, and class among the heavy
weights, whereas he is thirty to fifty
pounds short. He has very small head,
snort neck, narrow hips and exceptionally
~,
disposition to be knock kneed In ordin-
airy street dress, he looks like lanky coun-
tryman. angular, awkward and weak. His
ribs show too conspicuonsly, and there is
narrowness about his chest that would
apparently rule him out of the prize ring.
When stripped, however it is seen that he
has an abnormal wealth of muscle about
his arms, legs and back, but is thin every
bar AL lie NH aats al lxy
long, and give him better reach than any
other prizeaghtcr, while there is no super
fluous hesh TO hit--he is all skin, muscle
and bones.
But despite his looks. he has been one of
the most successful men who has ever en-
tered the ring, and has never lost tight.
His absence of liesh is great advantage
10 him; he is quick as lightning, and
lodges every blow-and there is less TO
hit. His long arms reach over and strike
his antagonist at apparently impossible
distances. His week point is his legs
which are too thin for good service and a
long fight.
Everybody knows "Jack" Dempsey.
He is the opposite of Fitzsimmons, four
inches shorter than Bob" and the ideal
figure of a prizefghter or gladiator. He
u
plenty of muscle and is well developed
throughout. He has been prominent in
the ring much longer time than his
opponent, has won many laurels there,
and has sustained only one defeat. He
has fought everywhere and with nearly
every prominent middle weight in the
country, whereas Fitzsimmons has only
met three here.
In the mode of training, as far as the
public Is concerned, the same difference is
10 be observed. Fitzsimmons has kept al
most hidden away from view since the
match was made, whereas Dempsey has
been .conspicuously public. all the time.
Fltzsimmons has been training in quiet
part of the little town of Bay ST. Louis, on
the Mississippi sound. His trainer and
second, Jimmie Carroll lives with him in
small cottage. They have no servants.
Their wives do the cooking and housekeep-
ing, and they see nobody. When Fitzsim-
mons wanted to take a run to New Orleans
ne went incognito. He was absent three
days from "the Bay" a week ago, and ran
once. incognito and disguised, TO Gal
weston, it is reported, to have a view of his
antagonist, Dempsey, and see what sort of
man he was. He had good chance to
study him, for Dempsey was managing
me Boston pugilist, Upham, in his night
with Pitzlln, and won the battle for him
after be was practically defeated. and it
gave Fitzsimmons an opportunity of seeing
Just how Jack fights. The latter, on the
other hand, has never seen Fitzsimmons.
ana viii not set eyes on him until the two
men enter the ring together. He has nat
urally been anxious 10 meet the man he
proposes to fight, and came all the way
from sGalyeston 10 New Orleans to put
up the forfeit money and sign the
hnal papers, with the belief that they
would meet him here. Fitzsimmons
was to have been present at the same
tlme, but he did not turn up al the meet
ing, sending his trainer, Carroll, instead.
and Jack Dempsey went back 20 Calves
ton disappointed. There are those who as
sert that Fitzsimmons is kept out of sight
purposely. and that il Dempsey saw him
he would feel disposed 70 retire from the
night with such remarkable antagonist,
nut THIS, OF course. is preposterous beyond
the fact that FiizSimmons evidently courts
secrecy.
Dempsey, on the other hand, seems
rather pleased with the notoriety that at
taches TO pugilist and is constantly be-
Tore the public. He plays ball publicly on
galveston beach, where every one can
watch him and see has good points. His
training IS equally open and he has ap-
peared before the public on a number of
occasions, He was present at the Upham-
fItziln prizehght as second for the Boston
man. He ran up to Dallas 10 give an ex-
hihition before the Dallas Athletic Club.
spared there and spent couple of DAYS
IN town. He accepted the offer of the Gal
weston Athletic Club which rendered him
benefit. and SPARED there ONLY a few
DAYS before the time fixed for the meeting
with FltzSimmons. Some of his friends
have been afraid of this publicity, that he
would strain or otherwise iniure himself
but x has apparently done him no harm
lie has certainly not encouraged secrecy
or mystery. Everybody has seen him and
knows his condition-and il is tirst-claSs.
The only unknown quantity is Fltzsim-
mons, Tor no one can say positively what
he can do.
He has certainly been a successful man
IN his tghts-more so than Dempsey. hut
has fought less often and with men of less
prominence. His battles have all been
phenomenally short ones, and he has never
been IN but one fight of seven rounds and
generally has Knocked out his man in the
thlrd round. His last two meetings-with
Mccarthy before the California Athletic
Club in San Francisco. and with Tpham
before the Audubon Club in New Orleans
were somewhat longer but in these il
Was quite clear that he prolonged the fight
IN order 10 give the club members a show
Of sparTing for their money; indeed. he
could easily have Knocked Ifpham out in
the hrst round had he desired To do so.
his ngnt.ng IS 81 the quick order; il is a
hattie Of blows, following fast one ON an
other, and with his length of arms he
seems TO reach over and strike his antar-
onISt IN the back OF the neck when the
latter is apparently well out of reach of his
arms. He will light the Dempsey hattie
on this plan, forcing the lighting and try
Ing TO make it short. But he has a far
different man TO deal with in the present
affair from those he has met beforehand il
rel al ~ hsa h.Nu ~.