Albuquerque daily citizen. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1895-1903, 1902-07-26
WON AND LOST
"lanky Bob" Had the Pondrous
Bollermaker Bleeding But Could
Not Knock Him Out.
BIG MAN STILL CHAMPION.

Arena, San Francisco, July 25-After
nghting a battle of eight rounds that
was fraught with brilliant and coura.
geous work -.obert Fitzsimmons to-
night forfeited his last claim upon the
heavy weight championship. He was
Knocked to the floor by James Jeffries
and counted out after he had so badly
punished the champion that it was a
foregone conclusion among the spec
tators that the Cornishman must win.
Bleeding from a number of gashes in
the face, apparently weakening and
clearly unable to cope with Fftzsim-
mons superior skill, Jeffries delivered
two lucky punches as Fitz paused in
his fighting to speak to him and turned
the tide. The battle was brief but it
was noteworthy and will live in pugi-
listic history. Fitz tried once to arise
from the mat but sat down again in
helplessness and heard himself count
ed out, where, but a moment before,
he had had apparently all the best of
il
Il will never fight again. said the
battle SCARED veteran of the ring when
he had sufficiently recovered to talk.
THE fight was fairly won and to the
best man belongs the laurels."
You are the most dangerous man
alive said JEFF in return. land | con-
slider myself lucky to have won as |
did"
Fitz had been fighting at a furious
gait, but was cool and deliberate and
was %chopping the champion to pieces
with those terrific rights and lefts that
have made him famous. 1t was a
horse and the racer from the tap of
the gong When the men came to-
gether Fitz appeared rather worried.
hut upon the opening of the first round
he assumed an air of absolute confid-
ence and fought with a deliberation
of a general. AS early as the second
round Fitz had jeff bleeding profusely
from the mouth and nose. Again and
again he landed on his bulky opponent
and kept getting away in such clever
manner that it brought down the great
house with cheers. 1t seemed, indeed,
that jeff could not weather out the
gale.
Then came the eighth round and un-
der a series of hot exchanges, Fitz
paused with his guard down and spoke
to the champion. The latter's reply
consisted of two terrific blows that
brought back to him the fleeing
championship anu forever
veteran Fitz from the fistic arena.
Fitz took his defeat with amazing
GOODNESS and good cheer. He walked TO
the center Of the ring and raising his
hand addressed the multitude, say
ing:
"The best man has won. Had |
beaten Jeff tonight | should have con-
ceded him the championship and for
ever retired from the ring. | retire
now, just the same, but without having
accomplished my ambition. | am sat
isfied."
After the fight Champion Jeffries
was seen in his dressing room. He was
jubilant over his success despite the
terrible scars of battle. He said to the
Associated Press:
well, | have won, just as | expected
to-. 1t was a fierce fight, the f%iercest
ever had, but | won. Yes. | got a good
beating as far as marks of battle count,
but then | rather expected that. |
knew that Fitz had a cutting punch
and would land It at some time during
the fight. But a few marks and the
loss of a little blood won't hurt a man.
l took my punishment and only waited
for an opening to land my punch.
never was tired at any stage, and was
stronger than Fitz at all stages. You
saw that he wore heavy bandages and
it was these that cut me up. | wore no
bandages. Fitz is certainly a wonder.
He is the greatest fighter of his weight
that ever lived. AS old as he is he is
the shiftiest and ~cleverest, and hard
est hitting man | ever met. | want TO
give him the credit as know that all