The Saint Paul globe., 1902-02-17
BIG PUCS WILL MEET
JEFFRIES AND FTTZSIMMoNs 10
GET TOGETHER IN THE
SQUARED CIRCLE
ARTICLES FINALLY SIGNED
Giants Of the Ring Will Battle May
10 for the Heavyweight
Championship of the
World.
Special to The Globe.

SpeeIA1 TO The GIObes
NEW YORK, Feb 16.-Jeffries and
Fitzsimmons have signed articles to bat
tie twenty rounds for the heavy weight
championship of the world on or about
May Is. The contest will be awarded to
the club offering the best inducements,
and the purse is to be divided on basis
of GO per cent to the winner and 40 per
cent to the loser.
The fighters decided to receive bids
from clubs up to March Is. This was
done because there is chance for the
passage of bill legaIizing boxing in
this state within the next three weeks.
The articles of agreement signed by
the men are as follows:
I'VE, the undersigned James J. JEFF
fries, of San Francisco, Cal, and Robert
Fitzsimmons, of Bath Beach, N Y, do
hereby agree to enter into boxing con
test for the heavyweight championship
Of the world, the following conditions to
govern the match:
Il. That the contest shall be of twenty
rounds duration.
SO. That gloves weighing five ounces
each shall be used.
''3. That the contest shall be conduct
ed. under the Marquis of Queensbury
rules.
"4. That the contest shall take place
at the club offering the best inducements,
bids to be opened March Is, II m.
.. That the purse will be divided-60
per cent to the winner, and 40 per cent to
the loser.
sc. That the moving picture privileges
shall become the entire and absolute
property Of the winner of said contest
Il That the referee for said contest
shall be selected on the day the bids for
the contest are opened and accepted.
'S. That the contestants be permitted
the use Of soft surgical bandages, subject
to the inspection of the referee.
SO. That the battle shall take place
on or about May 15
10 That neither party to this agree
ment shall engage in ring contest with
the exception of sparring exhibitions in
connection with theatricaf engagements
prior to the date selected for said con-
test.
I'll. That forfeits of $500 a side shall
be posted by the parties to this agree
ment when the club bid is accepted.
H. That each contestant shall furnish
his own gloves, subject to the inspection
OF the referee.
! flames ]. Jeffries,
Robert Fitzsimmons 4"
Percy Williams, manager for Fitzsim-
mons, and j. p. E1gan. representing JEFF
fries, were witnesses to the agreement.
End Of Long Talk.
The match between Jeffries and Fitz-
simmons is the elimination of the most
interesting series of events in latter-day
pugilism. The tale begins in 1899, when
JeffrieS, a rough boilermaker from San
match with Fitzsimmons for the cham
pionship. Jeffries at that time had no
known quality except strength. He had
been Corbetts sparring partner at Car
son City and had whipped few men in
California, but made a poor showing in
an appearance in New York
Fitzsimmons made the match, his first
after he won the championship from
Corbett in 1897. confidently thinking he
would carry off all the money He even
insisted that because of his prominence
he should take Is per cent Of the purse,
win, lose or draw. and he made Jeffries
accept that condition or go without a
fght. That fact has been thrown up to
F1tz repeatedly in the last two years and
at time when he himself wanted to
Tight Jeffries for the championship.
When Jeffries knocked Fitz down in the
early part of the contest at Coney ISL
ana 1t marked the champions defeat.
thereafter he did no. sit down in his
corner between rounds and said his back
mad been injured by the fall. He lasted
until the eleventh round. After the fight
FItzsimmons claimed that he had been
doped. he made no direct charges, but
has always insisted that he was not
right on the night he fought Jeffries.
HaVlng Won the championship Jeffries
did what no other holder of the title
ever did before He Immediately rushed
unto anOther match, and then another
Within a year he had beaten Sharkey in
grueling fight and knocked out Jim
Corbett
In the meantime Fitzsimmons contin-
ued to be a drawing card on the road
until in the sumner, when he again broke
into the ring against Gus Rubin and
Tom Sharkey. He knocked Rubin ont
in six rounds Aug. TO- 1900, and two weeks
! later to the day met Sharkey and ois-
posed OF him in two rounds
Inc feat of whipping two high class pu-
giiists in short order within a COMPARE
lively few days was at that time and is
still considered by many to be the most
remarkable feat in pugilism The staee-
ment IS qualified, however, by the fact
that Sharkey was really not a puginst
after his defeat at the hands of Jeffries.
and that subsequent events have shown
That Rubin is outclassed by Jeffries.
t1tzsimmons retired after his failure
to draw Jeffries into a match in 1900.
He repeatedly declared he would never
tight again and kept up the retirement
claim until a few months ago. When
Jeffrles, in the latter part of December
came East giving out all the way along
the line that he would force Fitzsimmons
to fight if he could, it aroused the old
man. Then followed the long and tire
some controversy which today ended in
a match.
In ali probability the match win be
fought in California, where championships
bouts are allowed and where the clubs
| can draw the most money.