The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-07-24
Fitz and O'Brien Do the
Bunging Up Act.
AND THEY DO 1T WELL
Swollen Lips and DiscoIored Eyes
Give Evidence of the Gladiators'
Earnestness--. The Fight
in an Arena in the
Open Air.
Open Air.
lRx the Associated Press

Philadelphia, Pa, July 23.-Jack
O'Brien and Bob Fitzsmmons today
fought the fastest six-round bout ever
witnessed in this city between men of
their weight. When the gong an
nounced the close of the fight both
men were on their feet. but both bore
the marks of the gruelling fight they
had just gone through. FitZsimmons
lips were twice their normal size and
his left eye was almost closed while
O'Brien's left eye was also cut and
swollen.
While O'Brien landed the greater
number of blows they did not do near
ly SO much damage as those landed
by FitZSimmonS. and the latter was
the fresher at the close of the fight
There was not a clean knock/own
during the bout but three times
O'Brien went to the floor. twice in
endeavoring to get away froom Fitz-
simmns and the third time partly
from Fitzsimmons' right which land
ed on O'Bricn's neck and partly
through the latter's feet getting tar
gled. The fight was. held on the Ma
tional League baseball grounds; the
ring being pitched directly between
the pitchers box and the grandstand
Immediately over the home plate. 1t
was the first open air boxing contest
ever given in this city and the novelty
of the affair drew crowd of about
5000 persons.
The Fight by Rounds Follows.
Round f.-Fitzsimmons led with his
left but missed and as O'Brien ducked
he landed right on the back OF the
neck. O'Brien landed a light left on
Fitzsimmons' face and the men
clinched. Fitzsimmons landed light
I'D t1aa a f.
ter drew the blood from Fitzsimmons
mouth. Jack again landed left to
Fitzsimmons nose and got away with
out a return. O'Brien then knocked
the skin off Fitzsimmons's nose with
a light upper-cut and drew the blood
i'm a stream from his mouth. Fitz-
simmons missed ferocious right and
OBrien, i'm attempting to set away
fell to the floor. O'Brien had all the
best of the round.
Round Both tented and F'itz-
simmons missed two lefts but landed
a third on O'Brien's jaw and as the
latter rushed in FitzsimmonS drove
his right to stomach. O'Brien landed
a hard right and left ito Fitzsimmons
jaw, bringing the blood again. Fitz-
simmons was unable to land with sue
cess O'Brien up to this time. O'Brien
cut Fitzsimmons' left eye with a
short right and a moment later caught |
him full in the mouth. O'Brien's foot |
work was marvellous and Fitzsimmons |
was badly winded. Bob landed a hard |
right to the stomach as the bell
sounded, which was the most dam
aging blow that O'Brien had yet re-
ceived
Round 3.-The men danced about
the ring and then FitZSimmonS missed
a hard right for the jaw. He landed
a light left on O'Brien's stomach and
the latter drove straight to Fitz-
simmons mouth again starting the
blood. Fitzsimmons landed hard
left on O'Brien'S wind which made
the latter finch. O'Brien missed
left to the fact and the men clinched
Fitzsimmons tried right for the Wlnd
but was short and O'Brien countered
with a hard right to the face. In an
exchange of blows Bob landed a hard
left on O'Brien's chin. and Jack
brought his left flush on Fitzsim-
mons Jaw. The men were clinched
at the bell
Round 4.-O'Brien was the first to
lead but missed left for F1tZSlm-
mons face. Bob led with his lett
and the men clinched. F1tzslmmons
tried hard right and as he came IN
o Brien upper-cut him with a tett.
O'Brien then landed three blows with
out return. Fitzsimmons landed
right on Jacks wind and the latter
ran away. A left the face again
started the blood from FitzsimmonS
mouth. Jack landed a light left on
the damaged mouth and the referee
mad TO separate the men. Fitzsimmons
missed a left for the face and O'Brien
landed hard left upper-cut. Fitz-
simmons brought the blood from
q Brien mouth with a straight left
put missed a har right as the men
sent to their conners.
found 5.-Fitzsimmons missed a
lett Tor the face and O'Brien coun-
tered with right to the jaw. Fitz-
simmons missed another left and the
men had TO be separated by the ref
eree. Brlen landed light one and
Fitzslmmons drove a hard one to
~ brien wind, repeating the blow a
second later. O'Brien sent a light
right to the face and as the men came
together OBrien drove a hard right
TO F1tzsimmons' wind. The men were
sparrlng for wind. Fitzsmmons land
ed light olbw on O'Briens wind and
then sent left to the jaw and
right on the wind which caused
. Brlen TO slip to the floor. AS O'Brien
got to his feet the gong sounded
Round 6.-Fitzsmmons led with a
left but missed. He landed the same
blow second later and then drove
LETT TO the wind which took some
of the steam out of OBrien. Fitz-
simmons opened cut over Jacks left
eye. and then drove his right to the
wind. O'Brien landed right and left