San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1895-09-29
BOB is COMING.
HE WILL SHOW HIMSELF HERE
TONIGHT.
Advantages That Fitz. Has Over
Corbett and Vice Versa-Fltz-
simmons and Party.

1AAAAASAo oAN - oAkg
Bob Fitzsimmons, the middle
weight champion pugilist of the
world, will arrive in San Antonio
over the Southern Pacific from
Houston this afternoon. During
his stay here Fitzsimmons will be
the guest Of Manager Walker, of
the Grand opera house. Tonight
he will give an exhibition at the
opera house, which will be his last
public appearance prior to his
fight with Corbett.
Fitzsimmons has just been made
the papa of a bouncing boy, tho
first fruit Of his second matri-
monial venture. The middle
weight champion is as confident Of
winning the fight as he is of facing
Corbett in the ring, and he now
feels cock sure of that. But conf
dence alone will not win the
match. 1t will take speed, agility,
hard knocks and plenty of them to
decide it. Fitzsimmons is accom-
panied by Ernest Roeber, the
wrestler, Duncan G. Ross, the
broad swordsman, and he also
has his pet lion, Nero, with him.
The party leaves for Corpus Christi
tomorrow, where Fitz will go into
training at once.
The following will prove inter-
esting reading for friends of both
Corbett and Fitzsimmons
in intellectual ability these two
men appear to be about equal.
They are above the average OF prize.
ring intelligence. Corbett has had
the more finished education of the
two, but Fitzsimmons, in knocking
about the world and shifting for
himself, has gained valuable ex-
perience. His experience as a black
smiths foreman, for instance, was
better for a career in the ring than
Corbett's life as a bank clerk.
Corbett and Fitzsimmons both
have pretty good heads for their
business. 1t is very difficult to
choose between them. Corbett's
Is perhaps little less the ideal
fighting head than Fitzsimmons',
but it is almost as good, and 1t is
anchored to neck which makes
up largely for its defects in other
ways. Fitzsimmons has a power
full neck, but it is not quite as
broad across the back as Corbett's,
and it is not quite as muscular.
1t is strong enough to butt the
average man over the fence. and
the muscles spread out very pref
tily on its side, but it is not quite
the Corbett neck.
To console Fitzsim mons for this
it may be mentioned that some
very venerable fighting authori-
ties do rot want a neck too broad
at the back. They say that it in
terferes with ducking and lodging.
Ducking and lodging are not as
as they were in the old
DAYS of Joe Coburn and earlier
but they are very impor-
tant still. The man with a quick
neck who can duck under a swing
or get away from straight stab
by lightning twist is to be envied.
1t may interest ignorant readers,
by the way, to know that the nose
has much to do with a mans abili-
ty to duck. The man with a big
nose has his mind constantly on
that in a fight and tries in all ways
to protect it. A blow there hurts
him mvch more than 1t would if
his nose were small.
Coburn, who had a nose out Of
all proportion to his brains, was
wonderful at ducking and guard
ing his face generally. On the nose
question Corbett and Fitzsimmons
are almost even, but Fitzsimmons'
nose would probably stand a flush
hit better.
After the head comes the neck.
We have noticed that Corbett's APP
pears to be the heavier. Measure
WHY
alike. Muscle in the neck is i'm
portant as sign Of vitality, first of
all, provided that the neck is of
fair length, and it is very import
ant as an anchor for the Jaws. A
blow on the chin which knocks a
mans head back and shakes his
brain, shakes him, because his
head is Jared. Powerful neck
muscles help to weaken the bad ef-
feet of such a blow. 1t would be
to have too much power
in the neck, except for the fact that
a man with the massive neck OF a
heavy wrestler would be incapable
Of quick ducking.
1t seems that Corbett is the bet
ter man below the waist and FitZ-
simmons the better above the
waist. This opinion is subject to
several notifications, but it ap-
pears to be true in general. In the
first place, Fltzslmmons' legs ap-