Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1894-09-29
RIGHT FROM THE MOUTH
Is The Way champion corbeit Proposes TO
Fight fitzsimmons.

PORTLAND, Sept. 2S.-Champion James
J. Corbett mailed the following letter to-
day:
PORTLAND, Sept. 2S, 1884.
Mr.. Robert FltZsimmons, champion mid
de weight-My Dear Sir l have read in
tbi; mornings papers your very amusing
challenge 10 me. You say that the Olympic
Club offer a purse? Well, may be they
20, but have never heard from them as
ytt. You put $4,000 in the Olympic
Clubs hands; why don't you put it up in
some newspaper office, or some place where
man can see il, or is the Olympic
Club backing YOU: However, that's
not here nor there. l suppose you are
afraid if you put the money up in any
other place than the Olympic Club some one
else might cover it. 1t is not necessary fos
me to give a reply to your challenge,
because you are well aware that will not
accept it, unless you prove yourself a
champion heavyweight, and not a middle
weight. l must acknowledge that as a
middleweight you have no equal, but
all you ever did in the s'heavyweight' class
was to defeat Peter Maher and Joe Choyn-
Xxi, two second-class ''heavyweights, as
both of these men have been defeated
by Joe Goddard of Australia, another
second-c class heavyweight" and no
one knows it better than you.
| suppose you think that the public will say
you're very brave man TO challenge me
and fight me. Why wouldn't you do so? 1t
is just like buying lottery ticket TO win
$1,000 for 81, all you bave TO lose is 81,
and it is the same case in fighting me. If |
defeated you, of course you would say,
He ought to beat me, am only middle
weight Just like the time when beat
Sullivan. "Well," they said, "he is an old
man." And Mitchelb he was little fel.
low he was too small. Now, Mr.. Fiizsim-
mons, if you really in your heart want to
fight for the championship of the world,
you certainly, if you are on the level, want
20 prove yourself champion heavy
seight and not "middleweight."
All you have to do in the world to fight
NE for the championship" is to prove to
me and the world that you are capable of
iefeating any "heavyweight" outside of me.
You say that | promised to give you a
match if you defeated Choynski or
that you lie. | never even noticed you and
iol luteHu W unlesS you Plo'S youiseil Il
champion heavyweight"
You want to jump over the heads of all
these other people, and take that dying
chance with me, but | will fool you. Mr..
Steve O'Donnell, my present sparring part
ner, an undefeated man, has $40, 900 that
he can defeat you. He will box you from
one round to finish, for fun or for money.
How can you expect ME to recognize you
.hen this man stands ready with money
behind him to prove to the world that he is
your superior: If you will only meet him
md defeat him, will accept an offer of
S25 900 from the Olympic Club, and l will
i've you all the fight that you want.
Now if you want to fight me this is the
only way that you can ever get me to make
match with you, for there is no power on
,arth that will make me notice you until
you have defeated Steve O'Donnell and any
urther talk from You | will consider and
simply put down as bluff. l put myself on
record in black and white, that if you de-
feat Mr.. O'Donnell will fight You for the
championship of the world and all the mon
y you like. This is positively my ulti-
matum. Yours truly,
JAMES j. CoRBETT,
Champion of the World.