The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1897-03-19

cheek in the fourteenth round lost me
the championship. That heart punch
simply chOked me up. I could not
breath or move for fifteen seconds and
it was several minutes before 1 real
lied that 1 had committed a breach of
etiquet in trying to follow up my Oppo-
nent after he put me out. I meant it
when I said / would be his friend
hereafter. He whipped me fair and
square, but I don't think he is the best
man yet and we will have another go
if money can bring him into the ring"
FIGHT BY ROUNDS.
Round 1. Time Keeper Muldoon pull
ed on the gong string at 1908 o'clock.
The men faced each other, COrbett with
his back to the sun and FitzsimmOns
blinking slightly as the bright rays
struck him full in the face. COrbett
danced around lightly on his toes,
FitzsmmOns covering his ground more
slowly. Both were cautious and smil-
ing. They feinted for an opening.
FitZsmmOns forced his man into a cor
ner and was the first to lead with left
swing, which missed Jim's head by
about ten feet. The Californian did not
land in his first attempt. More leading
at long range followed. FitZSimmOnS
forced Corbett into a rally and upper
cut him lightly in the clinch. Corbett
away clean. Fitzsimmons swung his
left but missed. A hard exchange of
lefts followed in which the Australian
got little the worst of it. FitZSim-
mons then adopted aggressive tactics
and rushed COrbett to his own corner,
, but Jim got out Of danger and sent in
a heavy right on the body as he
slipped away. Fitzsimmons put a
hard left over the heart and Jim swung
wildly with his left, but landed his
right on FitzsimmOns' wind. COrbett
ran into a clinch, but they quickly
broke clean. Fitzsimmons was still
| forcing matters, but hard left swing
| put him on the defensive. Jim swung
| his left on the heart and they came
| together. On the breakaWay Bob sent
! a vicious left upper-cut to the jaw. A
| clinch followed and the men broke
! without a blow as the gong sounded.
| Round 2. FitZSimmOnS opened with a
! left swing, but missed his mark. They
| came to a clinch and were rather slow
in breaking away. A vicious left from
FitzsimmOns just grazed Corbetts
breast and again they were inclined to
hug in the clinch. After the breaka
way Jim sent in a neat left on the face
and a right on the body, dancing away
| without a return. FitZsimmons again
| forced Jim into his corner. swinging
| right and left for the body, but jim 9
fast foot work took him out Of reach.
| FitzsimmOns came into a clinch and in
| the breakaway got a stin left upper
| cut. Bob swung wildly right and left.
| Long range sparring in which Corbett
did most Of the leading followed. Jim
got in a left on the ribs and repeated
| the blow a moment later. FltZslm-
mons smiled and tried to corner Jim,
| who lodged quickly out Of reach and
came back with a left on the wind. An
other left on the stomach brought the
round to close with the men in a
clinch. 1t was clearly Corbett'S on
points.
Round 3. Jim opened with a rush and
sent a left jab hard on the wind. F'itz-
simmons did not like it and tried to
rush in return, but was wild with right
and left. Jim stopped another left lead
for the heart and cOuntered smartly
on the stomach. Corbett put a left on
the wind and right on the side of the
head. Bob's stomach showed a red
blotch where the CalOfOrnian'S left
struck. Bob took a hand in the fore
ing and dashed out wildly, missing with
both hands After a little long range
work Jim shot right and left on the
body and Bob came into a clinch and
landed his right on the ear before they
separated. Corbett shot a terrible right
on Bobs side and followed with fast
left on the wind. Both men were get
ting carefully and cleanly out of clinch-
es Bob's left reached the wind. but
Corbett swung right on the jaw in the
clinch that followed. Then Jim put
his left on the body, and as Bob came
in to clinch. Jim piled two stiff rights
on the wind and followed up with an
other on the body. Fitzsiml uons landed
a nice left on the jaw after Missing the
right lead for the stomach. ,AChe clinct
followed and Bob got in a straight
| drive on the wind. a little hug, ying fol
! lowed and for the first time the referee
came in between the men and broke
them. Before the bell sounded a essa-
ton, FItzsimmons put neat right on
the body and swung his left to the j, ew
and the honors were fairly even.
| Round 4. Jim again led off with a
right which failed to land and they
clinched and broke clean. Bob tried
with right lead for the head, but miss
ed and Corbett put a hard right punch
on the body and in the clinch swung
his right to the jaw. Bob was deter
mined, but slow Corbett commenced