Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-07-25
BOTH MEN CONFIDENT
The Big Fighters Both Express
Confidence in Ability to Win
the Contest. [,
Fitzsimmons Says He Can Solve
Any Strategy Jeffries May
Employ.
WILL IaAx. u Z.
While Latter Declares He Is
Ready for the Battle OF
His Life.

San Francisco, July 25.-Both Jeff
ries and Ftzsimmons express them
selves as confident of winning tonight's
contest for the heavyweight cham
pionship of the world The public,
however, favors Jeffries and betting is
still quoted at 10 to in his favor. Re-
garding the plans for the fight Fitz-
simmons is quoted as follows:
Il made a mistake when l met Jeff
ries before. l won't make it this time.
l underrated his strength and ability.
| This time | am going to dodge his
| strength and play to his weakness.
believe there is not another man in the
world as big as Jeffries who can handle
himself as Well. For that reason l don't
know a man who has q chance to beat
him in a stand up give and take fight.
/ But there is a way to get at him, and l
I know the way. Ii he rusiles at me from
the start | will play for an opening and
once | get it you will see that Bob has
the old punch still with him. Jeffries
size will not protect, for bulk does not
cut any figure when a good blow lands
on q vital spot. | have got that sort of
a punch and am going to use it. My
| style of fighting will depend entirely on
what Jeffries does in the ring. If he
1 makes me come to him will! do it, but
after all his boasts of how easy it will
be for him to get me any time he sees
fit, l think it is up to him to do some o.
| the fighting, and 1 don't believe the
| crowd will stand for anything else
Unless a chance punch is delivered by
either cne of US, 1 think the bout car
hardly be finished in less than ter
rounds"
Jeffries will not admit he can be
beaten. He says:
II never felt better in my life. have
trained carefully. My wind is good. ]
am at my best fighting weight. and no
matter what pace f'itzsimmons may cut
out will be right with him from the
first sound of the gong and will surely
bring home the money. Everything
about this battle is to my liking. The
/ referee suits me. I would rather fight
r'itzsimmons than any man alive, and
when / whip him. as 1 surely will. l in
/. tend to keep right on at this fighting
game as long as there are any aspir-
ants for heavyweight honors left. AS to
II
be, that is something can say nothing
about until l step into the ring. never
went into a battle with my mind made
up as to what | would do. Plans can be
made in advance. but they would all go
wrong If the other fellow failed to come
at you in the way you expected. can
say only this: | will meet T'itzsimmons
at any game he may spring. and the
faster he comes at me the better shall
like it.
Jeffries will have for his seconds Bill
Delaney Joe Kennedy, Jack Jeffries
and Dewitt Van Court. Fitzsinmons
retired early last night and, aside from
a short walk this morning, he will
spend the day quietly in the hotel.
During the afternoon just enough
phantom sparring will be INDUCED i'll to
keep his muscles limbered up. Behind
Fitzsimmons when he enters the ring
will be George Dawson. Hank Griffin,
Jack Stelsener and Billy Haberty.
Should F'itzsmmons succeed in defeat
ing Jeffries he will tour the northwest
but If he loses he will leave after fev
DAYS for his home at Benson Hurst.