The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-07-21

SAN FRANCISCO, Cal, July 20.-Can
former champion fighter of over forty
years of age beat the present cham
plon, young man of tWenty-seYen,
who is just reaching the full measure
of his athletic power? This question
will be settled, once and for all time, in
big arena at San Francisco Friday
night when Robert Fitzsimmons ex-
champion, and James ]. Jeffries, pres
ent champion of the world, will box
twenty rounds or until one or the other
Succumbs
The battle is just beginning to at
tract the interest that always attaches
to an affair of this kind between the
big fellows. The distance of the fight
ing ground from the East has had the
effect of keeping the enthusiasm quiet.
Were the men to do battle in New York
or any of the Eastern cities there is
little doubt that the contest, which is
the most important fought in this
country in over three years, would
have raised a storm of speculation.
Jeffries gained the title from Fitz-
simmons at Coney Island on June Q.
1899, knocking out the topped one
in the eleventh round. He won the
fight over every inch of ground that
was fought and it was always conced-
ed by those who witnessed this mar
VeIously fast battle that F'itzsimmons
was thoroughly whipped man after
the second round. Fitzsimmons cot
himself disliked in many quarters a
long time after the contest by bowling
that he had been "doped" by somebody
during the contest or just before it
and that he did not lose it ION the
square" This story was laughed at by
all sporting men and close followers of
the ring. AS a matter of fact, Fitzsim
mons lost fairly and honestly and lost
because Jeffries was then better man
than FitZsimmons.
Has Not Fought in Two Years.
On the basis of Jeffrfes then being
the better, just how Fitzsimmons now
expects to reverse the Coney Island re-
suit is mystery to close Judges of
| boxing. Fitzsimmons is over FORTY
years OF age, admitted to be by those
I VINO are IN position to know. He has
not fought in nearly two years or since
aug. "a, 1900, on which date he knock
| ed out Tom Sharkey in two rounds
| rms was the battle that closed boxinp
| IN new York state, the Horton law DIV
| ing Sept l of that year.
Bob FitZsimmons is NOT q bovo,, -.
! mas never made any pretense to being
one. He is a fighting machine nuro
ana SIMPLE, and he has demonstra+ad
| lhat TACT time and time again. Where
! muscles are necessary he has them in
puISlng abundance; where thew wo,,1d
oetract from his speed or ability +o
punch they are dispensed with Hic
shoulders are perfect, his arms ara
ouif' LOT Hght1ng all the way to the
nhser UPS. Across his back and undar
HIS arms the muscles lie like tangled
Selpents' His neck is short and strone,
"Alle MS small, peculiar head seems to
nave peen quilt to be knocked abe11t
ne tapers from armpits to waist like
q TaI1slah model Again all superf7u-
oOS nesn Is dispensed with, while tba
-, lie across and protect his body
11Ae capfe wrapped with wire. His
oPpei works are absolutely f1awIase
anu MS eyes the clearest and most die
corning. '-io'' ''is-
sob's Legs Look Weak.
FITS legs look weak and ara -.
one feature of the machine in Viii,
~ appears a mistake may have hoo,
iliade' out they carry him 10a yards
IN very close to eleven seconds a,o5
go 70 make him one of the host
Mlestiefs at the weight living-and
of legs LII 'iat sort
In action he is tricky to the last do
gree. The same peculiar, ungrac afI,l
gait winch marks his walk rans;,,s
with MIN in the ring. 1t seems 70 he
an erfort for the man to move ahont
ne WORKS in, half crouching. with
-: :.oiseiess Shuttle which is Fascinating
eas IS dMhwafdness His feinting sug-
sests nothing dangerous, and his bahi+
OF holding his head with the lxnuci-1as
GOWN and the palm up makes him an
pear SLOW. There is nothing fanny,
pflIllant or bewildering about nc
renting or long-range fighting. His
rents are short, half of them beino,
oluit leads to confuse his opponent as
L. diIS IeaGh. he gets away from left
IeadS or blocks and Counters until 10
has the lead studied. Then he s5r.1,,e
| IL ana crosses with a sayaganass and
ilsHenlng-itke movement of the right
nand that startleS one. If the effort
Is successful he is after his man Hike
a mend, stabbing his left straight at the
mead and Jotting his right into the
nouy' tneh over at the jaw. II the
cross Tails to land he goes ON ratjentIv
with the left prodding at the stonach
until the head is open 10 iah IF he
can concentrate his opponents atten-
tlon on his left the right whips over
at the jaw like a fash.
He Hits to Hurt His Man.
Every blow landed by Fitzsimnons
hurts. STRIKING with the knuckles ds.yn
necesSltates that the wrist be rigid
The arm is directly behind the punch
ana the body and its weight back of
the arm Every punch comes with the
leverage OF every muscle to the toes
puncher, and for that reason has per
rect hands still. He has one blow
which is peculiarly his own 1t only
travels few inches and is made en-
t1rely with the forearm. 1t is peculiar
~ effective as two men close, as one
Peter Maher will testify.
His every effort is toward helnino
ms opponent to beat himself out. He,
lays all sorts of traps to get his man
IN motion, so that he may catch him
coming with jolt. His mind is con-
tlnually at work toward this end, and
ne gets many a jab While maneuver-
ing, but once his man falls into the
trap the end is near. Men have rained
ploWS all over F'itZ, and it looked that
he must be daZed or at least confused;
but 1T was only his way of finding a
short route to the money and the
championship. This waS the case when
he fought Maher. Later, when he
fought the rugged but untutored Shar-
key, and later when he captured the
championship honors from Corbett.
At Carson City in the early part of
the contest Corbett fought for Fits
stomach, and all observers will re-
member how sensitive the latter ap-
peared in regard to this proceeding
and how palpable was his annoyance.
No one will question Fitzsimmons'