The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-11-01
NEWS OF THE FIGHTERS
FITZsIMN0Ns GARDNER CONTEST
ATTRACTS ATTENTION.
Tommy Ryan May he Sincere I'm His
Desire to Fight Root-Joe Grim Ex-
amfned by Physicians.

Bob Fitzsimmons is now In California
preparing for his fight with George Gard
ner Nov. IS. He has decided 20 do his train
ing near San Francisco. where the bracing
ocean breeze will freshen him up and fur
nish enlivening surroundings. The lanky
Cornishman now weighs considerably less
than $50 pounds stripped. and with nearly
a month in which 10 take of twelve pounds
he says IL Is a cinch. Fitzsimmons cannot
see that Gardner figures in the dope at
all as a winner. and looks upon himself a.
the surest OF good things. Gardner has been
In California for some time and is very
confident OF winning the coming fight Fitz-,
simmons Is picked the winner and =
few bets have been laid at TO odds on
him. Many Eastern men who have followed
Gardner's ring career believe that the Low
ell man will give the former champion one
of the hardest fights of his career, and IL
he does not win he will cause Fftz to
realize that a hard battle was fought This
is the most important fight on the schedule
for the near future, and fistic followers
consequently will have little TO divide their
attention. Fitzsimmons and Gardner will
fight for the light heavyweight champions
ship, a title that Gardner won when he
defeated Jack Root.
If Tommy Ryan. middle-weight cham
pion, is sincere in his desire to get on q
match with Jack Root, of Chicago. there
should be little trouble in getting the men
together. as such a battle would attract
considerable interest and suitable purse
could be secured. Ryan has made so many
threats to agree to meet some good man
that the public will not take him serious
ly until his forfeit is UP and articles signed
for an encounter with Root Ryan might
agree to take on a fourth-rater and pick
up easy money. but when Ii comes TO meet
ing a man who has a chance TO defeat him
or give him hard fight Ryan has a way
of his own of crawling out OF the match.
Ii will be remembered that he threatened
to give Fitzsimmons a fight and also Phila-
delphia Jack OBrien, but his excuses were
as many as the holes in a piece or sweitzer
cheese.
Joe Grim, the Philadelphia freak. is be-
ing taken so seriously by the New York ana
Boston sports that the knowing ones are
forced to smile. Grim has been examined
by physicians galore since going to New
York and some OF their reports make funny
reading. One doctor says that the reason
why Grim has not been knocked out Is that
he is lacking I'm brain. In other words, that
he has not brains enough to be Knocked out
Another doctor says the Italian is lacking
in sympathetic nerve and that there are no
nerves on his jaw TO be affected by a punch
that would knock out other pugilists. IL
is also stated that his stomach Is so strong
that he cannot be hurt by a punch in that
region. The fact Is that Grim has been
beaten by several men. In his recent con-
tests with noted men Grim has not been
given such terrific amount OF punishment
and il is pretty safe TO say that I'm his
palmy days Charley johnson took more
punishment on the jaws and stomach I'm one
fight than Grim has received in all the con-
tests in which he has taken part. Grim
does not know how to hit, but he has ac-
Quired considerable skill in defensive work
and. strange as IL may seem, is one OF the
hardest men to hit now in the ring. IL is
said that he keeps his jaw well covered and
dances away every time an opponent sets
himself for a hard punch. He is sharp and
cunning-just the opposite of dumb.
xxx
Promoters OF boxing in st. Louis evident
ly look for boom in the pugilistic line
next year in connection with the worlds