The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-08-17
SPUkUNG NEWS.
Sharkey Has His Fight All
Planned Out.
Has Studied Weak Points of
FitZSimmOns.
ADMITS BOB'S SKILL.
But Says There Are Several
Flaws Noticeable.
SIOWneSs inDucking anb Crooked
Arm Mentioned.
ADMITS BOB'S SKILL.

New York, Aug. 17.-Tom Sharkey,
who will meet Bob Fitzsimmons at
Coney Island on August "a. is very de-
sirous of beating his opponent and be-
sides fitting himself physically for the
bout is also engaged in mental train
ing. The easiest way to find vulnerable
spots in Fitz' makeup. or, in other
words, the discovery of weak points in
the lanky ex-champion's fighting atti-
tude, is the matter to which Sharkey is
devoting much of his time.
The ex-sailor tells how he thinks he
will reach Bob and win the fight in the
following:
TT has been a hard study for me and
" ould be for anybody else to find flaws
in the defense of Bob Fitzsimmons,
and, although I have discovered some,
they are 100 per cent scarcer than his
freckles. Regardless of the fact that 1
once fought Fitz am not going to base
my ground of attack on that expert
ence. You know that a man changes
I saw Bob fight Rubin at the gar
den Friday night and for the sake OF
the money inducement 1 hope that he
will fight me in the same way. II he
does, you can bet it will be all over
an shorter time than I can recite It
In that fight Fitz fought very much
different from the way he fought me:
He put up a harder fight with me and
was a bit more guarded
..Fitz is a man with whom few can
take any chances, for his good qualities
even to this day far exceed his weak
ones. He knows how to deliver every
blow known to the game in a daInag-
ing way and besides the ordinary wal
5ops he has some of his own invention.
He can punch as hard as I can with
either hand, and I don't want to jump
into any that Rubin did
But there is one thing about Bob in
overcome. You remember how when he
mad things going his way in the Friday
might fight he forgot all about having
two hands to guard him. He was open
for any kind of a swift one that would
have laid him out had a good hitter
sbeen before him That is one of his
" eak points shown in a general mix-up,
in which kind of fighting 1 think 1
excel.
Another thing I noticed was that he
was a great deal slower in ducking
swings than he was when he met me.
Well, have just got a patent on how
tail, but then you know that would be
giving him a line on what / expect to
do and he could improve that point
I'm always after the big end of the
money and I am giving very few points
OF my intended mode OF fighting to OPP
pOnents.
..F'itz can't straignten out that right
arm of his very fully, either. That 1
consider a big advantage to me. The
crook of the limb prevents him guard
mig as thoroughly as he ought to and
If I don't find I can pierce it then my
name will not be Tom Sharkey.
These are the open weaknesses OF
Fitz. have discovered other ones, too,
but I'm not going to give my snap
away. He would be given to fair warn
ing of the advantages think I have.
Then when the time arrived I would be
found wanting for some other manner
of attack than the one am going to
map out. 1 know, just as sure as the
sun rises on a clear day, that I'm going
TO win that fight. Fitz, 1 know, is a
good one but he will be no match for
me, I can assure my friends that At
Just what time during our twenty-five
rounds 1 will dispose of him 1 cannot
say for teh present, but will be glad to
tell LATER on"