The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-03-24
MUST SUIT ROBERT
NALACHY HOGAN SAYS LANKY ONE
WILL DICTATE TERMS FOR
COMING FIGHT
TALK is GETTING TIREsoME
Both the Big Fellows Have Been
Expecting n Great Deal More
Than Any Club Will
Give.

Malachy Hogan, the well known referee
and writer on matters pugilistic, dis
cusses the prospects for the proposed
mill between the leading heavyweight
pugs as follows:
If there is to be a fight for the heavy
weight championship it will have to be
arranged to suit Robert Fitzsimmons.
Bob evidently expects it to be his final
ring appearance, and he proposes to
make it as profitable as the law will al
low. The law appears to be interfering
TO some extent with the plans.
AS expected, all the bids Tor the fight
came from California. The surprise was
the large offer made by Los Angeles, the
nome Of Jeffries. Los Angeles immedI-
ately became q rival to San Francisco
Tor the big fight, and a strong rival, be-
cause the San Francisco clubs fell into
a row and began bidding against each
other.
The developments leave the chances OF
the fight somewhat in doubt. 1t is Ger
tain that both Jeffries and FitzsimmOns
are willing TO hght, but they had counted
that the attraction would mean a goOjly
fortune to both. The prospect of being
partially disappointed has caused a hitch,
and Fitz says he will go back to the
forge before he will cut prices.
Difficulty among the San Francisco pro-
motors is what started the trouble. In
an agreement as to which should take
care Of the battle, they sqdabbled until the
SUPERVISORS took a hand in the matter
The supervisors decreed that the club
which made the best offer above So, 900 for
the fight. the amount to be given to char
ity or be used for some public purpose,
was TO get the plum.
This amount of money added to the
tai! bid which had to be made to JET
fries and FitzsimmCns put the promo
tiers i'll a hole. Each said it wouldn't
give the bounty, particularly * it had to
fight all the other clubs in the bargain
Jeffries was on the ground and saw how
things Were going. He reached the con-
Clusion that San Francisco would be a
poor place to fight, and SO notified Fitz-
simmons. Then Fitz had to do some long
distance figuring to be sure he wasn't get
ting the worst of it.
AS the Only thing left to do, Fitz made
q counter proposition to the Los Angeles
offer, and the Southern Californans do
not like il. The ministers in Los Angeles
have become active in the meantime ana
propose TO do all they can to prevent
championship battle in their city.
There the matter stands. 1t has reach
ed that stage where the pugilists will I'M
dOubteGly have to accept less than they
expected at the start or not fight Iitz-
simmons may balk at that, and if he
does, there will be no fight. If the Los
Angeles proposition peters out there will
be nothing left to do but patch up the
best kind of deal possible with San
Francisco and let it go at that
Under the present conditions of pugilism
fighters are not in a position to demand
the money once paid for fistic events.
Prices are not so high as they used to be-
The promoters, besides engaging in I'M
timely rows among themselves, are con-
tinually getting into trouble with the au-
thorities. and even, in San Francisco,
where lights were believed to be on a
fairly sound basis, there is nothing sure
The talk that has gone back and forth
between the pugilists to the effect that
one is afraid and the other 'dassent" is
tiresome wrangling. 1t will not help ad-
Vertise the battle if it takes place, ana
besides it is tiresOme.