Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1903-08-29

And Old Man Fitz is Apparently
After Gardner or Jim COrbett
May be Another Fight.
EACH DEFIES THE OTHER.
Light Heavyweight Champion Declares
That Lanky Bob is Big Buffer
And Says He Ducked.

"Tu fight Fitzslmmons and I'll fight
him good and quick He's Just four
flushing when he says ducked him. II
anybody ducked It was the same Mr.
Fitz,"
This was George Gardner's reply to
the accusation Of tlmidlty given out
by freckled Bob In his general def to
the pugilistic world
Gardner was in anything but a pleas
ant frame OF mind as a result OF the
bitter words that passed the lips of the
Cornishman,
"Fltz announced that he would fight
the winner Of my battle with Root, and
when won | said | would take him
on, insisted Gardner. Il went cunning
after him all over the country and he
lodged My manager, Andy Craig,
travelled all the way to New YORK to
put up a forfeit Of $500 to cover a
contest, think the sporting world VIII
say In jig time who has been doing the
ducking and whether or not Mr.. Fltz-
simmons is on the square.
Il am only too glad TO fight Fit1-
simmons under the conditions binding
the light heavyweight championship.
with which he Is thoroughly conyers-
ant. VIII he make good? Well. let's
see. He's a dodger, as events will
prove He can have my game any time
he wants II"
The pugillstc world Is excitedly dis
cusslng Bob Fitzslmmons ringing chal-
longe TO all the pugllistIc world except
Jeffrles.
Bob. stirred by Corbctts treatment
Of him, Is out after the former bank
clerk In earnest
II want q ight,' he said last night
~ want one badly. I went out to Cali
fornia 10 get one and couldn't get any
orc OF the fighters within dozen
blocks Of place where we could sign
articles.
Gardner fell down. He just disap-
peared when I showed IN on the coast
and said | was ready 10 sign. Then
Corbett before he went into the ring
with Jeff got mad at me and said he
would fight me win or lose. That is
the last heard Of that.
"Munroe, too, is doing a lot Of talk
ing.
Now. | want TO make a proposition.
IL COrbctt wants a fight I'll take him
on for any month this year and the
biggest purse that Is offered III bot
him $4,000 I beat him. II he means
what he says he can sign articles I'm
ready.
"And now about Munroe, n he wants
fight III give him n great chance.
III fight him anywhere and bet him
5000 he can't tay 70 rounds with me.
That looks like a fair proposition,
doesn't Il?
Il want to sogn for q nght, and I
want TO Sign right away. II any OF
these fellows really mean business
there viii be another big fight before
long"
Both Corbett and Munroe want a
fight The latter would prefer TO have
another try az Jeffries. but would try
Fitzsimmons lirst without much per-
suading. Therefore It seems likely that
another championship fight may not
BE- far distant.
When Fitz reached New York Thurs
day he was asked II he would meet
C0rbett for certainty. he said:
u would rather fight Jim Corbett
than any other man IN the world. He
aid after the fight with Jeffries that
ne would meet ne. ana now it's up TO
him to make good. But while in chi
cago he told the reporters that ne was
through with the fighting game and
that means that he win not meet me"