The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-12-31
FINE POINTS OF THE BOXERS.
Ex-ChampiOn FitzsimmOns Talks of
JefFries-RuhIin Glove Contest.

NEW YORK. Dec. 3O-Robert Fitzsim-
mons in the Journal publishes the fol-
lowing: Il have never made a practice
of attempting to. pick winners in fights,
and I'm not going to begin now But
having met both Jeffries and Rubin and
knowing just how they fight think peo-
pie will be interested in my views upon
the coming championship battle.
JeffTieS IS the champion, and his meth
DDS of boxing need to be gone into more
fully than those of Rubin. JefRries is
the slowest champion we have had since
the days of the o!d-style fighter. HIS
merit does not lie so much in his ability
TO give punishment as in his capacity for
receiving it. He is great, big, strong
reeuperatiOn-a man whom the kick OF a.
mule would scarce topple TO the ground.
He is game. A good stiff punch serves
to bring him back for more. His defense,
while appearing awkward, is effective.
He 'smothers up we'll, and that crouch
ing position he adopts serves as a cast
iron protection for vital spots such as
the solar pleXus, stomach and heart
He has what is known as a, caSt-iron
Jaw. Then he is stockily built, and when
braced can Withstand the nercesJ kind of
a rush.
''Jeffries is one of the most careful
lighters l ever saw. He leaves absolutely
no opening Tor any but a NEST scientific
boXer-sucn as CoTbetU.
There is none of that waste Of energy
caused by useless movements in 'Jeffs
fighting. He is content to wait.
The best blow which he uses is left
swing for the jaw. Sometimes at close
quarters it is half arm swing, but
for the most part it takes a full sweep.
SO much for the champions good
points-the ones that have carried him to
the top Of the pugilisitic ladder
Now for his faults.
Here they are:
'SlOWuesS.
"Hesitancy
'Non-a ggressiveness.
An dndeveloped knockout punch.
'They are not many, are they? And
they are faults which can be remedied.
JemrieS telegraphS' his blows. That
is, he starts them so slowly that a
quick eyed opponent can, nine times out
of ten, tell just where he hopes to land.
''That is certainly bad fault.
That is what prevented him for TWEEN
ty-three rounds from hitting Jim Cor
bett.
81 have heard it said that. Jeffries
is poor champion because he waits
for his man to come to him.
1T Is certainly a bad fault-doubly
bad for the champion But on the other
hand, he might never have been cham
pion had he adopted different tactics.
Last of all, L must confess that it is
as Jeffres is he has not developed a
more effective knock out blow. He has
mt got in that's sure.
"A man must be weak and going be-
fore JeffrieS can put him out -
How about Gus Ruhin?''
Hes another giant But his style is
~
Rubin, who a year ago was termed
cart horse, improved wonderfully under
CoTbett's tuition.
He learned tact, Judgment, distance
when and how to deliver blow He can
hit ofIener than JeffrieS. When he strikes
his INST lands en- the place his mind has
decided upon. There seems to be perfe t
harmony Letween mind and muscles That
is one of the strongest points OF attack
lie proved this in the f1rst round Ct h =
contest with me at Madison Square gar
den There can be no question OF Rub
Inns gameness. He is as quick on his
feet and with his hands as any big boxer
In fact a little quicker.
Things cannot come too fast for Ruth
lin as long as his strength holds out
He seems TO like mix, but at the
same time uses good judgment It's not
simply saving and hit while YOU can
with Gus. He measures every blow he
sends out
This big fellows hest blow is the one
with which he moved down Sharhey-a
left jab.
Ever since Corbett taught him to Stick
out his left that lab has become an inn
portant factor in the pugilistic world.
10 offset this long list of virtues Rub
lin has many faults. The most important.
and the cnes which have so far barred
his way to higher pugiliStic hoHors are:
"A weak defense.
An only fair right
"A tendency to go up in the ar unless
held with a tight rein.
There are the two men weighed in the
Ycales of experience.
1--WE tried to be fair to both met
6hey're both my friends-and I'm going
TO wind UP by saying just one thing and
then leave you to draw your own con-
clusiop:
My experience has taught me tat the
winner of a tight is the man with the
punch.
"A scientist may have so per cent the
better of the argument but in the end
the punch tells the tale -