Waterbury evening Democrat., 1904-01-01
THE PUGILlSTS. NEW CHAMPIONS.
Honors Changed Hands in Two Cases in the Prize Ring
 the Past Year.

two boxing championships change hands
 One, the light heavyweight, created l within the year, was first won by George Gardner, who beat Jack Root l for it. and then Gardner lost it to Bob Fitzsimmons.
 Harry Forbes, the bantamweight champion, lost the title to Frankie Neil.
 ! No new material developed among the fighters during the year with the l exception of Eddie Hanlon, who, by ] his remarkably game and clever fight against Young Corbett, has pushed l himself forward as the best of the 1 feathers, next to the champion. + While the sport did not flourish as it did under the Horton law in New ] York state, there was plenty Of box. ing. San Francisco. Boston and Philadelphia, with scattered go here and there in Baltimore, were the cit ] ies in which inc greater number of bouts were fought.
 There were over 200 battles worth recording fought in the United States within the year. The boxers met in twentytWo different states, and they encountered the usual amount of legal opposition.
 There have been only one or two places where battles between pronain- ent pugilists for championships could take place. California is the only state where mpionships can be scheduled with assurance that the fights will come off. As a result. nearly all the decisive battles of the year were fought at San Francisco.
 Events of less importance were per 1nitted in Massachusetts, Connecticut New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Nary land, Georgia, Louisiana, Arkansas, 1 Tennessee, Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, Illinois Wisconsin, Mis- souri, Iowa. Nebraska, Colorado, Kan sas, Montana and Oregon.
 Tn many of the states named the authorities stopped or tried 10 stop l boxing.
 Three old champions successfully defended their titles and two did not 1 engage in battles having any direct | bearing on their championships l Jim Jeffries of the heavywelghts, ] Joe Cans of the hghtweights and Young Corbett of the featherweights 1 were able to hold their places at the top without any difficulty. l Tommy Ryan did not engage in any I battle of enough importance to be called a defensa of the niddleweight 1 title. nor did Joe Walcott, although l he fought frequently meet 3. direct l claimant for WeIterw eight honors
 Jeffries had to make only one fight to hold his title-that against Jim Corbett. Jack Johnson has found no colored opponent his equal, and he has beaten Denver Ed Martin and Sam McVey. his strongest rivals Ii has been 9 long time since there l was an out and out fight for the mid- | d1eweight title. Tn 1902 Tommy Ryan, who holds it only by general consent, had but one fight that could be called championship affair. He fought Kid Carter and beat him. In 1903 Ryan did not engage in a single bate of importance
 He has defeated Billy Stiff, Cy- clone Kelly and John Willie, but has \ not tackled a man anywhere near his measure Jack O'Brien. who is the recognized clainant for the title. has 1 fought with everyone with whom he could get a match. He has beaten many easy arnrks and met heavier men, such as Marvin Hart. Kid Car ter. Joe Chovnski and others.
 Ryan and O'Brfen are matched at the present time. but with no pros pe|-t of a fight.
 | The wel+erweight division has been without battles for the reason that Joe Walcott is tIe acknowledged SUI riArior of any pugilist of that weight. Billy Woods forsht Walcotf draw I and may ba q good man. The near est apnroach to wa1tarwaipht contests have been amo,ie, the white men who care to have noFhinep to do wfff1 Wal colt. Natty Matthews beat Torn Cor1hip. Ruta Ferns beat Matthews ] and Marlin Dr1ffv f,ea+ both Ferns and Matthews. That leaves Duffy with a good claim to the white welter. weie1t championship. I The same is true of the light. weight division. William FitZgerald was the only man who essayed to meet Joe Cans in championship fight and Cans beat him in fen rounds.
 Cans recent. defeat by Sam Lang ford at Boston was not champion ship event, although it was fully as much so as many affairs in which titles are decided. Cans, however, retains his place Jimmy Britt lays claim to the white lightweight hon. ors. but he failed to beat Jack O'Keefe and lost once to him on a foul
 Young Corbett engaged in two i'm. nortant fights. His draw with Eddie Hanlnn early. in the year was fought | off Tuesday night. and CorFett won He beat Mc1overn for +ha title, and was hnsv with secord-rate fiohters the remainder of Tho time. He scored victories over Billy Maynard Huull Murphy. Jimmy Rriees. Austin Rice and others besides having the better of several 'Fno decision" affairs at Pnila de1Dhia.
 Following are the present cham pions;
 vyweight--James J. Jeffres, of l Los Angeles. Cal.
 Light heavvweioht-Rob Fitz- simmons. of New York.
 Middleweight-Tomny TSyan, Ctin- erant)