The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1905-06-06
OLD MAN SAYS HE Is ALSO rnE
CHAMPION MIDDLE As WELL
AS LIGHTWEIGHT
Anxious for Another Battle With ,lef.
fries-Says There 10 No Doubt Of
Him Losing to Sehrsck.

Bob Fitzsimmons, "the "old gentle-
man of the ring" again claims the
worlds heavyweight championship.
Not satisfied with that, he also says he
is rightfully the lightweight ana the
middleweight champion. and is willing
to defend those titles against all
corners.
Now matched with Mike Schreck for
the light middleweight championship,
which is to be settled July 4 at Salt
Lake City, the one-time champion Of
the world. who lost his title to James.
]. Jeffries, says he is rightfully the
worlds champion, whether Jentries
gives it to him or not
IF Jeffries should die, then the title
would revert back to me, wouldn't it?''
is the way he puts it.
Then, if he has retired the same rule
should hold good" he says.
would you fight Jeffries again?" the
veteran was asked.
Il certainly would" ne said. II
have always wanted to give him one
more battle. His last victory over me
was a fiuke. have never said that be.
fore, but it is true. He never put q
glove on me until he knocked me out.
beat him numerically up to that
fr@ 80
hands. hit him too hard. I wanted
to put him away too soon. I should
have just kept after him and finally
beat him down, just as Corbett wore
down John L. Sullivan.
Will Claim Championship.
Il am going to claim the heavy
weight championship now against all
corners; don't even bar Jeffries. AZ
ter put the quietus to Schreck I will
invite all of them to take a crack at me.
1 never felt better in my life than do
now. When 1 fought Gardner I was 4
sick man. 1 had pneumonia and faint
not been for the disappointment it
would have caused the club, before
which we fought in San Francisco, I
would have asked for a postponment
of the battle, but thought Gardner
was a cinch and so I went on with
him. In the second round I knocked
Gardner down and at tine same time
knocked out my left hand. I never hit
him with that hand thereafter. During
the fight I knocked Gardner down
seven times in as many punches.
Those were the only blows I landed. I
was pretty sore, too. From the fifth
to the eighteenth round I just stalled
because my right hand was broken. All
1 wanted was the decision in 20 rounds
which got easily. Had my hands
been good I don't believe Gardner
would have lasted three rounds.
However, I want to give Schreck an
the credit due him. I got only a dect-
sion after 20 rounds fighting. while
Schreck put Gardner out in 20 rounds.
On dope that would make Schreck
better man than me, wouldn't it?
Says His Age is 43 Years.
Some of the newspaper men have
been guessing at my age for years. and
1 want to put them right. June was
43 years old. was born in 1862. /
have heard men say they saw me fight
ing 30 years ago. I have only been
mere IA years, so that stops that ar
gument.
Il feel like this was my second time
on earth. I don't believe I have felt
So good in ten years. Don't look the
picture of health? I haven't taken a
drink nor smoked a cigar since Christ
mas. That may account for my fine
physical condition"
What do you weigh now?" the spin
legged fighter was asked.
Il tip the scales at exactly 1922 he
said. when I fought Gardner in San
Francisco, I just balanced the scales
at 1853. A funny thing happened when
we were weighing in. Harry Corbets
put me on the scale first, setting the
beam at 1853, the limit. When I step
ped on the scale the bar flew up as If
l weighed 200. Gardeners friends were
jubilant as they thought I was over
weight and would lost my $4,000 for
felt. Corbett then discovered that he
had fogotten to put on the 100-poun
weight and would lose my $4,000 for
pounds. Gardner then got on and he
was right at the notch"
l. AAA