The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-11-19
JEFFRIES AND RUHLIN
GOSSIP OF FIGHT BETWEEN THE
 BIG CRUISERS.
Victor of the Unpopular Champion Was a Foregone Conclusion "Reminiscences of His Fight
 With Bob Fitzsimmons.

l James J. Jeffries. champion of all pugi- lists. always unpopular, although never beaten. has been a source of disappoint- ment from the beginning of his career. His victory Friday night in San Francisco | over that false aIarm," Gus Ruhlin, | was expected by the majority of follow | CTS of the game, and the statement that | the bout was a fake was not altogether a surprise. Bouts with a queer look are Of frequent occurrence in the Golden Gate City, says an Eastern exchange.
 Ruhlin. it seems, was outclassed. He was frightened. was powerless in attack as we'll as defense, and Billy Madden hereafter. Ruhlin for months to come would be hooted from any arena and If he battles any more 1t will have to be with Jim Jeffords. Ed Dunkhorst. the merit. The Akron Giant proved a quitter of the rankest kind, flashing his yellow flag before he had even been hurt
 Jeffries has never been the sort of a champion who pleases the public. He has lacked aggressiveness, the spectacular brilliancy of the phenomenaly clever Corbett. the tenacity of Tom Sharkey or the hitting ability of Bob Fitzsimmons.
 The stubborn fact remains. however, that Jeffries won his title from doubtless the best heavyweights, everything con sidered, that ever drew on a pair Of gloves Considering his deficiency in the matter of weight and the age handicap under which he labored, Fitzsimmons was unquestionably the most marvellous fighter who ever won the heavyweight title.
 The fact that the Cornishman was a prohibitive favorite when he entered the ring with the gigantic boilermaker and that the latter won his fight from the start to speedy finish. Is point that renders the present champions record formidable one to consider.
 While he beat FitZsimmons and most ried the fight to the bulky Californian from the tap of the bell in the first round to the bloody finish, when the Cornish man was stretched senseless on the can vas floor. All that the burly giant from the Pacific coast did on that memorable battle was to crouch low, throw up his ponderous left shoulder as a protecting armor to his jaw. put out his extrem " long left arm and await the rush of his elderly foe.
 It was in the second round that Fitz- simmons. making fierce rush at the coming champion, received straight brought him to sitting position on the ring floor, and so dazed and shocked him as to practically render him inef- fective during the remaining rounds:
 Fitzsimmons has frequently asserted that his defeat on that occasion was due to drugs administered to him In hls drinking water. The. indications are, however, that his overthrow was the re- suit of too much confidence and desire to whip his younger opponent in jig time. Be that as 1t may, the Cornish man. after decisively beating Ruhlin and Sharkey, with an interval of two weeks between fights, announced his readiness to meet the champion one week later, and the latter, who had been qulet- ly training for some weeks preVlously and wh, had definitely challenged Fftz- simmons to a fight, absolutely declined to meet the aged warrior before the Hor- ton law went out of existence.
 Many persons have insisted that tnls ms d. prived him of his title, and that Robert Fitzsimmons is the real master of the worlds heavyweights.
 Jeffries' bout with Sailor Sharkey was also very disappointing from cham pionship view. As was the case in the | fight with F'itzsimmons, Sharkey set the pace from beginning to end He dld nine tenths of the leading, landed 70 per cent. more clean blows than Jeffries. ana | in all fairness was entitled to the de- | cision Jeffries contented himself with countering, and while the blows that he | ly, and would undoubtedly in few more rounds have put the sailor to sleep, sun the latter won on the points made within | the limit of twenty-five rounds.
 In his bout with Corbett the latter out pointed the champion for twenty-two rounds, at which point his strength con com pletey failed, Jeffries having no dlih- culty then in sending in a knockout blow. although up to that time he had failed to land one effective punch:
 Four years ago Ruhlin and Jeffr1es | then Tn the lSueetSDuT6 OuSiie | twenty rounds on the same soil where they met Friday night. The decision, in that contest was that of drawn battle; each man claiming that he had earned the victory.
 Ruhlin's record is a very mottled one; It is as full of freckles as F1tzsimmons fist The one good performance to his credit Is his knockout of Thomas Sharkey in fifteen rounds. although the Sailor had previously put Madden's bread-winner ln a trance in half round.
 In the majority of his bouts Ruhltn has shown reversals of form that would be startling if it were not known how guile
 less he Is. ,
 twenty round rough and tumble with
 Maher, and the twenty-two rounds he
 required to overcome that huge pugllistic
 lobster, Ed Dunkhorst, stamp Ruhlin as
 a very uncertain performer. The cru
 cial test came when he faced Fitzsim-
 mons at Madison Square Garden when
 he was beaten to a pulp in six rounds and
 showed an entire lack of championship
 form,