Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-01-18
AREV|EW OF SPORTS.
Some Leading Features Of the Demp-
sey-Fitzsimmons Battle for
the Championship.
DEMPSEY NOT A MIDDLE-WEIGHT.
Reasons Why the New Champion Must Take
the Challenge of Pat Farrell
Into Consideration.
DEMPSEY NOT A MIDDLE-WEIGHT.
MEETING OF BASEBALL MAGNATEs
Prospects Of the Association Cluh in Boston and Chicago
and Local Club AFFAIR."


beaten in a way almost without parallel.
The result doubtless would be a very great
surprise to thousands of people in the
United States, but it is only fair to say that
readers of THE DISPATCH would be quite
prepared for the result. Once more my
opinion regarding the outcome was correct
and although it took nerve to discard Demp-
sew, because of his immense popularity, I
stuck to my own judgment with satisfactory
success. Doubtless almost everybody will
be saving, 81 told you So" and there is one
fact to which want to call the attention of
my readers. l want to point out that am al
most the only writer in the country who,
above his own name, expresses a definite
opinion regularly on future events. also
want to state that ii l select three winners
out of five am the gamer, but my ratio has
so far been or to 1. What want to say,
then, is that when the time comes round
when shall name a loser kindly remer Der
the Dempsey -Fitzsimons affair.
Some Features of the Fight
There is much to say regarding the battle;
the battle that will always be considered re-
marhable one in more wavs than one. In
reviewing it may have some very plain state
ments to make, and if they conflict with the
opinions Of any reader, let it be understood
that no bad feeling be developed. start ont
with the statement that in Fitzsimmons,
Dempsey met his first good opponent; in short,
the first real fighter, l am not forgetting
Fogarty, but the latter was merely a lad when
he met Dempsey. Well then, the first time
Dempsey has faced anything like good
pugilist he has proven himself to be sadly de-
ma I IN T1Nf win hFS hano hQ
Is beaten. Readers of this paper must know
that time and time again l have disputed the
statement that Dempsey was first class
puGlllst. L have steadily maintained that
opinion while, of course, freely admitting his
abilities as glove expert. The praises that
have from time to time been sung in favor of
Dempsey as the greatest middle-weight" that
ever lived we're all of the veriest nonsense.
WHY Just let US for moment think of Dempsey
in front OF Mace, Sayers Breute at middle
weight. When we begin to look atthe matter
in this way he can soon see how foolish all these
extravagant laudations are. If the battle of
Wednesday proves anything at all, it proves
that Jack Dempsey is far below par as
middle-weight pugilIst and for one will never
consent TO rank him in the first class of
niddle-weight fighters; l mean fighters, not
boxers. Many people may conflict with me
On this, but cannot alter my opinion.
Some Poor Judgment Shown.
The newspaper accounts of the battle were as
= rule excellent; to be sure, there were some
absolutely ridiculous, and only showed that the
writers knew as much about fighting as a
donkey does about his grandfather. All the
good accounts were unanimous one thing,
and that was that Dempsey was beaten from
the start; in fact, he had not the ghost of a
chance TO win. The good accounts also agree
that Dempsey was almost always in front of
FItzsimmons, and mention this to show that
as prize fighter Dempsey showed remarkably
poor judgment. He mus: never have studied
the achievements cf the famous middle-weights
OF the early part OF this century. Let me refer
to Mace and Savers. These men, when fighting
very big opponents with long arms, were not SO
foolish as to try and dodge out of the way in
front of the bic men. They lodged past them.
and the dOdging past meant punishment to the
big men every time. ! fail to get hold of any
account Of Wednesdays battle which mentions
Dempsey trying this very well-established
and effective method OF dodging big man. To
be sure, all the douginC in the world couldn't
make Dempsey defeat Fitz -immons simply be-
cause if the former haG nearly all his own way,
1t would take him so long to knock the wind
out of the Australian that he, Dempsey, would
get tired. But dc claim that the contest be-
yond doubt shows that Dempsey displayed
little or no good judgment in the ring.
A Plausible Plea.
Doubtless will be reminded of the fact that
FItzsimmons made such a rushing fight of it
and crowded Dempsey SO persistently that
Dempsey was bound to stay in front This
sounds very plausible. but it only proves what
have already contended. that Dempsey, not
withstanding all the talk about his tricks
and ring generalship, is very far behind many
men whom could name. We all know that
there have beer many middle weights who
would not be crowded. Big King insisted on
crOwding little Mace, but the latter wouldn't
notions out of big Tom who was a very good
man. 1t may be interesting at this point to re-
call an event that caused much talk in favor of
Dempsey some time ago. | refer to his con-
Dempsey declared the winner
OF that burlesque. did my fault-inding about
the result at the time, but recall the event to
point out that as result Dempsey was con-
sidered to be the great and glorious middle
weight" Thousands of people really believed
THAI he was a most wonderful fighter and
commended that he was not, simply because of
his performance against McCatfrey. He was
CunteSJlng against McCaffrey under the most
absurd conditions. Each little tap counted one
and broken nose would count 10 more. As q
result, Dempsey kept dancing about and max
Ing his little taps" that wouldn't hurt a fly.
The result was that Dempsey was declared the
winner, and people reilly believed he was a
tremendous tighter. He was nothing OF the
kind, and it was only such contests as that in
question that have prevented Dempsey from
being much better fighter than he is. Any
man who is better fighter than La Blanche
Will defeat Dempsey. They an evenly
matched pair. and l don't think that anybody
who knows anything about pugilism will con-
tend that La Blanche is anything like the best
mlddle-weisht that ever lived"
A Few Words About the Victor,
There is no need to say much about Fitzsim-
mons. He had as easy task to accomplish as
any man may DESIRE and he fought in the most
effective way. Certainly Dempsey commenced
in the first round TO try and find the Aus
tralian's measure but the tall man from down
under was also looking for Dempsey's measure
aud be found it very soon. He found out that
Dempsey wasn't the lightning change artist
he was given out to be- and he just kept in
front and sailed into him right and left and
paying no heed at all to the light returns of
Dempsey. The latter must have known in the
second round that his doom was sealed; GER
tainly F1tzsimmons knew the fact, and Just
stuck to the one plan, viz, of going up TO
Dempsey and butchering him far as the
gloves would allow. The contest does not by
any means prove what kind of man Fitzsim-
mons is. he was not tested in any important
way, and am inclined to believe that there are
several middle-weIghts who will give him a
much better test than did Dempsey. So
far we must admit that he is re-
markable man and that he is a champion
know OF no better man TO test him than
Charley Mitchell. The latter. l suppose, will
be here soon. and if a contest could be ar
ranged between the pair it would, indeed, be a
great event Of course, Mitchell couldn't get
down to lo4 pounds, but he and Fitzsimmons
could come very near to equal weight
fear that FItzsimmons must go out of his class
to secure a match except another wonder
comes from the land on the other side OF the
globe. 1t is incumbent that l should say few
words regarding the gentlemanlIness of FitZ-
simmons. No man could have acted with more
generosity and feeling than did Fitzslmmons
In the battle His example should not be for
gotten by those who are interested in the sport.
While he was generous, be must have admired
the pluck displayed by Dempsey. The latter is
without doubt one of the gamest men who ever