San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1897-01-24
WITH THE BOXERS.
REVIEW OF THEIR WORK OF THE
PAST YEAR.
Peter Makers Cake Walk" With Big
Australian SteVe 0'Donnell-Some-
thing About the TopnOtchers.

Pat Fields, of this city. has been {
close observer Of pugilistic events fol
many years. Naturally enough he
has his favorites and always feels an
interest in their movements. He is
a great damirer of Peter Maher, whom
he believes to be the greatest fighter
of the day. Maher has whipped ev-
erybody he has ever met but Fitzsim-
mons, and Pat believes that Maher
will not be happy until he puts the
Australian to sleep.
At the request of Mr.. Fields the
Light publishes the following review
of boxing events of the past year, from
the pen Of the well known Macon Nc
Cormick:
The departing year has been one of
great activity in general sporting, and
especially so in pugiIistic circles. The
knights of the boxing glove have had
plenty to do and they have had no
cause to worry about the dullness of
which other tradesmen have had to
complain. Let us look back and see
what the leading fighters have done
during the year.
Jim Corbett, the topnotcher of them
ali, has had but one fight during the
year, and it has not added anything to
his fame. His match with Fitzsim-
mons last year fell through, most prob
ably owing to the fact that Fitz,while
in training in Texas, injured one OF
his shoulders in a friendly wrestling
bout with Ernest Roeber. and was in
no condition to fight at Hot Springs.
Corbett and FitZ are again matched,
and in the merry month of March they
may decide their vexed question Of SUI
periority. Failing to get a fight with
Fitzsimmons, Corbett went to Cali
fornia. and while in San Francisco, he
undertook to best Tom Sharkey, the
sailor boy, in four rounds. He had
sll the best OF the first two rounds,
but Sharkey almost made rough
and tumble" go OF the remaining ones,
and Corbett came out Of the contest
with no fresh laurels on his brow.
Bob Fitzsimmons, after his fiasco
with Corbett, took on Peter Maher and
they met in a ring on the Mexican side
Oh Jle tNlO NTdIlue Oh the GlSI VI rep-
ruary. Maher was almost blind with
an ophthalmic affliction; nevertheless,
ne had the best Of the first half minute
of the bout. AS they were separating
from a clinch Fitz brought his right
over against Peters jaw, knocking him
out instantly. Though Fitz was the
victor, he gained very little credit
through this encounter. Bob's only
other encounter was with Tom Shar-
key in San Francisco a few weeks ago.
1t was to have been the best OF ten
rounds. FitzsimmOns had all the best
of the fighting, and put Sharkey hors
de combat in the eight round. The
referee, Wyatt carp, decided that Fitz
had struck Sharkey foul blow in the
groin and gave the fight to Sharkey.
The fact seems to be that Fitz was
robbed of his victory. He sued for
the $4,000 purse, but the suit was
thrown out of court on the ground that
the affair was an illegal transaction,
and Sharkey got the purse minus ST.
500 which he owed to California par
ties.
Peter Maher last season, after his
easy victory over Steve O'Donnell,
whom he put out with three punches,
at Maspeth, was presented with the