The Minneapolis journal., 1903-03-14
THREE GOOD FIGHTS
Trio Of Championship Matches Have
Been Arranged in the Last
Fortnight.
Jack O'Brien Shows His Grit by
His Willingness to Meet
Fitzsimmons.
Three championship fights have been a,

Ihree championship fights have been ar
ranged within the last fortnight. Follow
ing closely after the announcement that
Jeffries and Corbett had signed articles,
and that McGovern and Young Corbett
would settle their differences in San
Francisco, March 81 came the news that
Philadelphia Jack O'Brien had announced
his willingness to meet Fitzsimmons for.
the middeveight title.
To an outsider it looks as If O'Brien wa 81
going out Of his way to hunt trouble. His.
cleverness is unquestioned, but in speed
he has no advantage over Fitz, while in
experience. ringcraft. and hitting power
the Cornfshman has a big handicap.
O'Brien has chiefly confined himself to
picking up easy money by polishing off
second rate middles and dub heavies and
no one yet has had an opportunity, since
his return from England, to measure his
ability to whip a f1rst-rate man of his
class. F'itz as shown by his fight against
Jeffries last summer, has not gone back.
and most men would concede him the SUI
perior of any man In the ring to-day ex-
cept. the present heavyweight champion.
Naturally he will be a pronounced favorite
over O'Brien. .
| Whatever may be the opinion in re-
gard to O'Briens chance Of winning how
ever. he has proved his grit by taking on
Fftz after Tommy Ryan lodged the ISSUE
Few will hesitate to acknowledge the win
| AOi VI lllc UOuL d Cledl lltl6. Itydn HAS
| never been a very popular champion. for
he has consistently kept away from every
| proposition that looked the least bit diff
cult. Moreover, he took the title by de-
fault, for Fitzsinlmons never lost it. The
lanky, one did not care much about the
middle weight honors while he was cham
pion. nor after he was defeated did he
claim his discarded title until Ryan made
him weary by repeated challenges.
TT has heen StlaS nffe, hot
no longer make the middle weight limit,
that Ryan thought he was safe in sprea d.
Ing his defs When Fitz called the bluff
however,, and declared his willingness to
put up a bunch of the long green that he
could make 1853 and still be strong enough
to put Ryan out in ten rounds. the pseudo
champion meekly crawled into the hole he
had dug and announced his retirement
from the ring.
Terry McGovern and Young Corbett are
busy training in California for their bout
March 81. Here is the way the two fight
ers size up their chances: McGovern says:
No man can figure out the winner of
this battle between me and Corbett. The
man who lands the first good punch will
win. Young Corbett is the hardest prop,
osttlon In the world for me. Why? Be-
| cause he fights me in exactly my own
way. There are two or three men in the
country who can whip Corbett. I think,
and whom I have already<defeated. But
that doesn't count-Young Corbett can
still possibly whip me. <
''COrbett steps in to meet me-he
knows my style. He did it once and he
| will do it again. Whenever I rush, he
will not wait for me to come-he steps
up to meet me. If he beats me to the
wallop, you or anyone else can see the
! finish. y. *
"The same tactics will be on at Frisco
that took place at Hartford. We will
get together quick, and there will be fast
work, slam, bang. step in and give and
take. It's bound to , be that Wayne
can't help ourselves. Well, the man that
gets the others jaw first will wir1 see?"
| Young Corbett thus voices his opinion:
my poor showing with Eddie Hanlon
does not Indicate that I have gone back.
Don't fool yourself with that idea.
simply couldn't get into proper condition
| for a long battle in the time had, 50
[ did the best could. While I would like
to have stopped my man before the limit
I am well satisfied with the outcome Of
| the battle under the circumstances.
| Now as for McGovern I am just as
confident of defeating him as a man can
be. I realize he is a great fighting ma
chine, but l. have made a close study Of
him and know him as we'll as an engineer
knows his engine. I familiar with his
weak points as we'll as his strong ones.
and when it comes to fighting him you
can bet I will win all the way.
my style of fighting is Just the kind to
drap McGovern. The only way to fight
him is to carry him along at q, fast clip.
If you break ground it gives him conf
dence. That is the reason he has put so
many asptrants away with knockout.
| They were too busy trying to-, protect
themselves and forgot to fight him.
II have plenty of time to get right be-
fore March 81. and when I am right do
not fear a bunch of McGoverns. Nc
Govern is only human, and I have proved
that he can be knocked out. What is in
store for him when we come together I
don't care to say. The contest will show
who is entitled to the featherweight cham