The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-11-15
NEWS OF The FIGHTERS
FALSE REPORTS FROM TITS CAMP
TO INFLUENCE BETTING.
Odds on the Cornishman Have Beer
Cut-DangerOus Blows Delivered
by Fighters in Big Battles.

stedu Oh . 10 L and z 10 i money being laid
on the Cornishman. the prevailing odds
are now s to 8 1t is believed that Fitz-
simmons is largely responsible for having
the reports sent out from his training camp
regarding his dissipation and fracture of
training rules, in order to influence the
betting. 1t is further believed that Fitz-
simmons wishes to get down a fortune on
himself at somewhere even money, and he
Is resorting to these tactics to accomplish
the coup.
And yet few Of the knowing sportsmen
believe that Fitz will enter the ring in any
but the best condition. Gardner seems to
be as confident Of winning the coming fight
as Fftz. He is working hard to get into
the best of shape, and thinks that he
would be able to bring home the long end
of the purse if the fight were held at once
instead of ten days hence. He argues that
he will be able to wear Fftz out in a few
rounds. and then finish him after he has
Gardner really believes that the Cornish
man will not be able to last more than six
rounds at the fast pace that he will cut
out Gardner has been gaining in weight
steadily ever since he began to train for
the night AT present he weighs 172 pounds,
at. This additional weight will make him
q much stronger opponent for the crafty
Fitz, and will enable him to better with
stand the fierce PUSHES OF the ex-champion.
The advertisements used in San Fran
cisco for the Fitzsimmons-Gardne fight
are as unique as were ever used in booming
q fight. There is a cut on the top Of a
fence. On this fence are seated Jefries.
Ryan, Walcott, Cans, Corbett and Neil.
Between Jeffries and Ryan there Is a va
---N Il r- - ~ rI-lA
heavyweight champion" and a little far
Their over Cans is whispering into Walcott's
ear. "who is ftp" Fitz. strong. is the
wonder OF the lighting world, and it Is
believed he will surprise his friends by his
when je9ries and corbett fought. This
figure is taken from his own statements.
From 100 pounds to 1SS pounds Is quite a
drop. and at the advanced age of Fitz it
Is not an easy matter to get 1t off. AT least,
II would have been a great deal easier ten
years ago to take of double the amount
than It is now. The whole result Of the
Good and strong, he should win in a walk.
Weak. by reducing, gives Gardner a great
chance.
A st. Louis fight critic says that Gardner
should carry the odds in his coming fight
with Fitzsimmons. He says:
by all rules of form. Gardner should be
the favorite. He is young enough TO be
Fitz's son. He has never been beaten and
the I dIhhtS'hb eayvvWw xedi4Rh1a division TeS' inciuding
the sturdy kid" Carter and the shifty
Jack Root. Gardner is conceded to be fast
of an unmerciful jolt. ~Fftzsimmons, be-
sides the natural handicap his age imposes,
has his chances further impaired by his
two defeats at the hands of the bear-like
Jeffries. Gardner is twenty-four. Fitz-
simmons, as nearly as mortal can tell. Is
forty-four. 1t is an old man against a
young giant, and yet the Methuselah is
and much Of its sympathy with him. Since
he came to this country the ferakish Rob-
s1t has found aceomplishing the impossible
His very physique Is abnormal. 1t Is
little short of miraculous that. with his
height and abnormal breadth of shoulders
and depth OF chest, he was for a decade
able to fight In the middleweight division.
"When Ruby Robert shambled into the
ring to fight Jack Dempsey, the famous
him. 1T is a shame was the most frequent
comment. Yet the Cornishman forced the
then middleweight champion Of the world
to take one of the most pitiless drubbings
in ring annals. That night Dempsey en-
tered the ring the handsome. fearless and
courageous Nonpareil: and left it a battered
the middleweights of consequence Fitzsim-
mons decided to test his steel against more
worthy foes. His first entry into the heavy
weight ranks was against the indolent Pc
ter Maher, whom latter-day annalists of
the ring call Pedro Myero. At that time
the Irishman was regarded as a dangerous
rived in the country. He was a broth of a
boy, who had q clip in either hand that con-
tanned all the elements necessary to a little
journey through the land Of Nod.
"~FitZsimmons's defeat was predicted to a
certainty. Yet he accomplished what was
considered the impossible by sending the
Celt to the floor and forcing him to quit,
although twenty-five pounds lighter. After
disposing of Hall and Maher. Fitzsim-
mons gamely threw down the gauntlet to
Corbett, the dancing master of the ring.
Another slashing was predicted for Fitz.
The Corpishman bravely submitted to a
flashing that would have felled ten ordinary
face. sent forth the famous solar-plexus
blow in the fourteenth round of that men,
orable ST. Patrick's day at Carson City that
Dt @Esen When he lost snf he was picked to do
surprising things. He was picked to beat
Jeffries. the giant boilermaker. with ease.
ite and sht ssain 'a asto 5ans f the cubic By yas get-
ting licked by the giant novice of pugdom.
After this fight the sports said Fitz was
things under difficulties again cropped out
in the Cornish miner. Not satisfied with
the sports dictum OF his deafness he re-
turned to pugilistic life and challenged Gus
Rubin. The Akron Giant was then at his
best. He had just knocked out Sharkey,
a task which Boilermaker Jeffries had
failed to accomplish with his riveting wal
Il lODS. was NV Z oG Xix IlAlC
he issued the challenge TO Madden's pro-
tege. He entered the ring a sick man. Dur
ing the first round his lack of condition
was painful. He was slow and incautious.
When Fitz returned TO his corner after
the close of the second essay, some one
back of him remarked: He is a goner,
sure. He's too old. The remark fired into
life all F-itzsimmons's pride. Between
clenched teeth he said to his second, III
show them I'm not
Then he went into Rubin. Finding him
self too slow to work his famous shift he
began TO mix Il with the Akron Giant. NJ
less than six swings on the point of the jaw
did Fitz take with wonderful heroism. Rub
lin at this ~juncture repeated the mistake OF
most of Fitz's ring antagonists and be-
came careless. Right here something hap
pened. Rubin came too close. The Cor
nishman's mauling fist crashed into Gus's
bread basket. This one blow had more ef-
feet than all the blows Rubin landed. The
Akronite doubled up.
"'Oh, il hurt you. did it? Queried the
leering FitZ, and from that time on he was
himself.
.Fitzsimmons. not satisfied with conquer
ing Rubin, then threw down the gauntlet
TO Sharkey. He had an old grudge agains,
the Dundalk sailor. With only two weeks
intermission from the time of his fight with
Rubin Fitz entered the ring with the
sailor. Sharkey went the way of the 9TH
ers. Fitzsimmons gave the sailor a mauling
that put him out Of the running as a pugi.
list. After that walloping Sharkey had &c
enter the wrestling game Then came Fitz-
simmons's recent scrap with Jenries. After