The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-03-04
TALK Of THE BIC FIGHT
Now Its Over, Everybody Knows
How 1t Happened.
BLOW THAT PUT MAHER OUT
Fitx Tells How He Did It-Sullivan Com
pared with the Others-Some Say
Maher Is Better Man
Than Ever.

what kind of a blow does 1t take
to put a man out?" This question was
asked Bob FtZsimmons by a reporter
OF the Press when the champion passed
through Philadelphia on his way to
New York last Thursday.
THAT depends on the man and where
% you land it," was the fighters reply.
Were to have fought Sullivan. mind
you, not when Corbett met him, but
when John L. was in his prime, l would
have wanted an axe. When Corbett
fought the old man at New Orleans dis
sipatiOn had made a physical wreck
of the greatest fighter of them all. He
was hog fat and his legs We're weak and
tottering. But nevertheless, Corbett did
not dare come within reach OF that
mighty right that had put so many men
TO sleep.
"The blow by which I knocked out
Peter Maher in our recent battle ana
which was almost the same as the one
that defeated Jim Hall with at New
Orleans was a right-hand jolt on the
Jaw.
"Maher had repeatedly fouled me.
Twice he hit me as We were breaking
away from a clinch, and at another time
he sent in right-hand punch three
inches below the belt.
FITZ WAS ANGRY.
II must admit that these actoins on
the Irishman's part made me boiling
mad all over. The next time we clinch-
ed took in the situation i'm an instant.
] warded off his right with my left and
swung my body round to land my right.
My arm was bent at the elbow and so
close was Peter to me that 1 had not
more than eight inches to work ii. L
did not straighten my arm out, but
brought it up with a sudden jolt, half
swing, half upper cut. l threw all the
force of my body into it from my leg
up.
Before + even landed It knew it was
all up with Maher. When l hit him he
went down like u log. and | stepped over
10 my corner and sat down. My seconds
rushed over to me frantically. telling
me to watch him and finish him. What's
the use said !, hes done for and so
he was
Sullivan and FitZsimmons have per-
haps won the greatest reputation OF all
the fighters for putting out men. Their
methods are entirely different. Sulli-
van relied entirely on his tremendous
strength and his ability to stand pun
ishmcnt. When he used to star the
country offering 5000 and $500 u night
TO any man who could stand up before
him for four rounds he would play
with his opponent for the first three
on the face with force enough to knock
an ordinary man out but Sullivan was
no ordinary mortal. This would give
the ambitious boxer courage. 1t would
dawn upon him that Sullivan was an
overrated individual and that he could
finish him In just about another round.
JOHN LIS SWING.
When the fourth came there was a
different light in John LIS eyes. They
shone like Goals of fire. Sullivan was
like mad bull. One mighty swing of
that right arm and his opponent was
knocked senseless sometimes as it hap
pened, clear off the stage and through
the bass drum in the orchestra.
FitZsimmons' tactics are entirely diff
ferent. Cunning and strategy are por-
trayed In every movement of the fight
er. He can hit a very hard blow, but
he does not waste his strength by using
1t until he sees the proper time at hand.
Then he sends it out like lightning and
1t is all over with the latest aspirant
for pugilistic hOnors.
The test will come when FitZsimmons
and Corbett meet, IL they ever do. Here
are two men who fight along the same
lines. Both are crafty to the degree.
Corbett has the advantage in weight
and in age, for FitZsimmonS is no
spring chicken any more, while the Cal
ifornian is right in the prime of physi-
cal development. On his feet Corbett
is quicker than FitZsimmons and he
has a slight advantage in height over
the Cornish man. FitZsimmons will
equaliZe matters by his remarkable
ducking qualities. He also uses his
shoulders to splendid advantage, and
in the miN-up he will out-class Corbett.
Should the conqueror of Sullivan seek
close quarters with the Australian he
may expect to find himself travelling
the same road that Hall, Dempsey,
Naher and Creedon have gone before.
1t rarely, happens that a pugilist
gains in the popular estimation by a
defeat, but this Is just what has result
ed from Peter Maher's knockout by
FitZsmmons is the claim of many who
saw the mill. There are any number
Of fanciers who picked the Australian
for the winner of the recent fight, who
now declare that they would put their
money on Maher if the two men ever
come together again.
A well-known Pittsburger said, dis
playing a check for $500 which he had
pulled down as the proceeds of a ) to 4
bet on FftZsimmOns. ''lf the two men
meet again and Maher is in condition
] will have all this to bet on the Irish
man. And I'll think better of my
money than l did before"
One of the best known sporting writ
ers in the country, who saw the con-
test. and has since had time to think
il all over, said in the Cincinnati En-
quirer: Without trying to detraot in
the least from the credit due FitZsim-
mons for whipping Maher, it is but
justice to say that the blow with which
he won the fight was lucky one.
Nearly all the experienced ring-goers
who saw the mill are a unit in this
opinion. Indeed, FitZsimmons made
such a poor showing in the earlier
stages of th:.t very brief battle that a
great many believe he has gone back
and is not the man he was a year ago.
j picked FitZsimmOns to beat Maher.
but, if they were to fight again. 1 would
pin my faith to the lrishman'S colOrs.
] belize Maher is the better man, even
If ne did come to grief.
Tom O'Rourke says: "Maher was in
bad shape and shouldn't have fought.
His eyes were in frightful condition.
He rushed at Fitz and took him una
wares. He smashed his man on the lip
and cut it. When they broke away
from the first clinch Bob was very
much dazed and his mouth was
smeared with blood" O'Rourke says
that FitZsimmons was so dazed when
he got in the Knockout punch that he
did not know what he had done.
PLANS OF PETERS MANAGER.
The plans Of Peters managers in
clude giving the big fellow a rest for
three months. He will be sent to some
spot where he will not see a punching
bag or a boxing glove, and given time
to build up physically. Maher is any
thing but a well man. He is in much
the same shape Joe Choynski was when
he met Jim Hall. He has been in al
most constant training for nearly two
years and there is a limit to human en-