The Savannah morning news., 1902-07-22
THE FIGHT AT FRISCO.
snorts Figuring Out the Chances of
Iefrries and Fitz.

II
Jenries and Fitz.
>raxt Friday night, at San Francisco,
40 Iong-looked for championship bat
~ between Jim Je1fries and Rob Fitz-
.,,on,ons will come off. The bout
,,ronises to be one of the greatest ever
fought in the history of the American
nrize ring. Jeff is hot favorite at
n to 4 and is picked as a sure win
nor by the majority of sporting men.
lust eight months ago Jeffries whip
nod Gus Rubin in five rounds at Fris-
90 on June 8, 1899, he defeated the
nan who will be his opponent on Fri
dav night. in II rounds at Coney Is
land. n. Y. This was Fitzsimmon's
FIRST and only defeat, and he took it
60 hard that for a time there was
much doubt as to whether he would
aver again fight another championship
Sattle. He changed his mind however,
and after a series of wrangles a match
r,as finally made with Champion Jeff
RES. and on Friday night Fftz will en-
daavor TO win back the honors lost at
Coney Island three years ago.
There appears to be but one possible
ohance for Fitzsimmons to win, and
hat IS for the champion to enter the
ring trained down too fine. Reports
from Jeffries' training camp would in
dfcate that he has worked day after
dav as though his life depended upon
II and it is feared that he has gone
stale. If such proves to be the case
Fitzsimmons will find the champion
different man than what he would
he under an ordinary course of train
ing. This advantage would serve Fitz
10 a nicely and perhaps win for him
The fight. With both men in good con-
dition Fits only hope is to land one
of his terrible punches in vital spot
and put the champion down and out
for good He could not do this when
he fought Jeff three years ago, and
il is a hard matter to figure out where
he has improved since then. Height,
weight. youth and strength are all in
favor of Jeffries, and with these ad-
yantages he should prove a sure win
ner in the coming fight.
If Fitz should defeat Jeffries it would
be the pugilistfc sensation of the age.
The present champion has shown such
remarkable form since his advent into
the prize ring that the general sport
ing public regard him as marvel of
science and skill, with no equal in the
world He is in a class by himself.
John L. Sullivan was a noble cham
pion. but Jim Corbett was his master.
Corbett, marvellous as he was, went
down before the mightyt Fitzsimmons,
and Fitzsimmons, with his great Prov
ess, was no match for the fistic phe-
nomenon, Jim Jeffries. Jeffries has de-
feated all the good men who beat good
men before him, so there is no mystery
behind the claims of JeffrieS' friends
that his equal does not exist. Jeffries
is an ideal of perfection. He stands 6
feet ~ inches in height, weighs about
2l5 pounds and measures nearly Is
inches over the shoulders. His right
arm measures IS inches and his chest
a inches, without expansion.
Fltzsimmons is but fraction over s
feet liz inches He will weigh about
10 pounds when he steps in the ring.
The normal measurement of his chest
is Il inches. His right arm reach is 212
inches longer than Jeff's. The present
champion is not quite 81 years of age.
Fitz admits to having seen Al summers,
and ii is only reasonable to suppose
that the wide discrepancy in weight will
cut some figure if the fight lasts over
10 rounds. Fitz is too old to stand the
severe strain.
Harry Forbes, the bantam weight
champion Of America, and Johnny
Reagan have finally been matched
again to fight for the bantam weight
championship of the world. They will
meet in a twenty-round bout before
the West End Athletic Club of st.
Louis, on Aug Q. for so per cent. of the
gross receipts. These lads fought
slashing twenty-round draw before the
same club a few months ago.
kid" Carter, the rugged South
Brooklyn slugger whos defeated AL
Wienig, the Buffalo middleweight in
twelve rounds before the Industrial
Athletic Club of Fort Erie, Canada a
week ago, for. a percentage of the gate.
receipts and a side bet of $1,000, is
anxious to fight Tommy Ryan for the
middleweight championship of the
world. Carter says he will box Ryan
before any club which is suitable to
MIN, whether it be in San Francisco
or at Savannah