Waterbury Democrat., 1901-11-15
FIGHTS AND FIGHTERS.
Everything Ready For the Big
 Battle To-Night.

Lots of Ruhlin Money Seeking Big
 Odds-Jeffries's Record is the Best
 Terry McGovern Will Back Dough
 erty Against Forbes Once More.
 Those bruisers of the squared circle, James J. Jeffries and Gustavus Ruh- lin, will tonight in a ring erected on California soil, attempt to settle the question of the worlds heavyweight championship.
 Although remote from the scene where these giants of the arena have met in the majority of their pugilistlc disputes. still the fact that the heavy weight honors are at stake lends an at- traction to the encounter it would not otherwise possess.
 The present holder of the title has never been regarded as an ideal cham pion, and that despite his successive victories over the best heavyweightS of the time. Lacking the whirlWlnd aggressivenesS of the crafty FitZsiIi- mons, the spectacular brilliancy of the phenomenally clever Corbett. or the bulldog tenacity of the rugged Shar- key, Jeffries. although triumphant from the outset of his career, has never caught the fancy of the public who have admired the qualities that made his predecessors in the championship honors so popular.
 His opponent also lacks in the quail ties which to many have marred JeI- fries's fame. The stubborn fact re mains, however. that Jeffries won 1Is title from doubtless the best heavy weight. everything considered, that ever drew on q pair of gloves. Con- sidering his deficiency in the matter of weight and the age handicap under questionably the most marvellous fight CT who ever won the heavyweight title.
 The fact that the Cornishman was prohibitive favorite when he entered the ring with the gigantic bOilermaker and that the latter won his fight from the start to a speedy finish, is q point that renders the present champions record a formidable one to consider.
 The disappointing feature of lief friessS performances has been his utter lack of aggressiveness. While he beat FitZSimmons. and most thoroughly. yet his aged antagonist carried the fight to the bulky Californian from the tap of the bell in the first round to the bloody finish. when the COrnishman was stretched senseless on the canvas floor. All that the burly giant from the Pa cific coast did i'll that memorable battle was to crouch low. throw up his pon- derous left shoulder as protecting armor to his jaw. but out his extremely 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 1nff 1nnr slzI T. brought him to a 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 his drinking water. The indications are however. that his overthrow was the result of too much confidence and q desire to whip his younger opponent in jig time Be that as it may. the Corn ishman. after decisively beating Ruh- lin 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 quietly training for some weeks previously. and who had definitely challenged Fitzsimmons to a fight. ab- solutely declined to again meet the aged warrior before the Horton law went out of existence.
 Many persons have insisted that this funk on the part of the champion real ly deprived him of his title. and that Robert Fitzsimm0ns is the real master Of the worlds heavyweights.
 Jenries's bout with Sailor Sharkey was also very disappointing from q championship view. As was the case frrf ffsrI,@ set the pace from beginning to end. He did nine-tenths of the leading. landed 20 per cent more clean blows than Jeffries, and in all fairness was enti- tied to the decision. Jeffries content cd himself with countering. and while the blows that he did land damaged Sharkey very seriously and would un- doubtedly in few more rounds have put the Sailor to sleep. still the latter won on the points made within the limit of twenty-five rounds
 In his bout with Corbett the latter outpointed the champion for twenty two rounds. at which point his strength completely failed. Jeffries having no difficulty then in sending in a knock out blow. although up to that time Le had failed to land one effective pnnoh
 Four years ago Ruhlin and Jeffries then in the Queensberry class. fought twenty rounds on the same soil where they meet tonight. The decision in that contest was that of drawn battle. each man claiming that he had earned the victory. Since then the huge boil ermaker has captured the premier hon. Ors of pugilism and the Akron baggage smasher has also made rapid strides in the game of fisticuffs.
 Ruhlin's record is a very mottlad one. It is as full of freckles as Fitz- simmons's fist. The one good perform ance to his credit is his knockout of Thomas Sharkey in fifteen rounds. al- though the Sailor had previously nut Madden's meal ticket in a trance in half a round.
 In the majority of his bouts Ru;lin has shown reversals of form that would be startling if it were not known how guileless he is.
 His defeat by the agile Mccoy. his twenty round rough and tumble with Maher. and the twentv-two rounds he required to overcome that huge pugil- istic lobster Ed Dunkhorst, stamp Ruh- lin as a very uncertain performer. The crucial test came when he faced F'ftzsimmons at Madison Square Gar den. when he was beaten to a pulp in six rounds and showed an entire lack