The Washington times., 1905-12-24
FItz Traces History
OF Fighting Science
Far Cry From Figg to Himself and Corbett-
Future Champ Will Be 18Opounder,
Fast and Hard Hitter
By BOB FITZSIMMONS.

But there was another change com
ing along and ! didn't see that 1 don't
think anyone will call me IL 1 say that 1
couldn't be expected to see it. / was
working along easy, with the belief
that L could trim any applicant that
showed up. but 1 thought the giants
had all been done with 1 couldn't know
that a young bull was going to come
out Of the West, who moved pretty fast
and who weighed sixty pounds more
than l did, and who had been trained
by the foxiest trainer in the business.
didn't think that an elephant-beg
pardon, Jim-could move quick. but
1 found it out at Coney Island and in
just eleven rounds the elephant-pardon
again. Jim-had put me away. 1 say
now. just as l said then, that Jeffries
was and is an accident.
You don't look for many men Of his
kind in a century. He's not the regu-
lar run OF men by a whole lot In fact,
1 guess he's a sort of made-te-order
boy for the particular job he had TO
do. 1 don't honestly think he's a regu-
lar fighter. not the fighting machine, at
least He's the best, however. just now,
but II he sticks to the game some fel-
low is going to get him in time. You
see, he's big and stronger than the
ordinary and he hits hard, and then
he's fast, too. on his feet and in his
movements He carries out my combi-
nation all right, and my dope is right
at that, but he's too big for the ordi-
nary man to take a hack at.
Future Champion Described.
Maybe some day In the future there
will be a new style Of champion who
will make US of the present day look
like a piece OF debased money. but 1
doubt II. There will be mighty few
more OF the Jeffries type, and it's my
idea that the coming champion will be
a man Of about $50 pounds. who will
combine extreme speed with a hitting
uality that will count for something
and who will be as shifty as they make
them. The combination, as 1 have
doped it out ought to whip anything
that walks on two legs. barring acci-
dents of the Jeffries kind
! claim to know Jim Jeffries about as
well as any man can know another. and
I don't believe there's a man in the
business today that can whip him I
worked with Jeffries a lot after our
second fight in San FRANCISCO. and L
can modestIy claim to have taught him
something. too. You'll notice as a gen
eral rule that championship fights are
getting shorter. too. Corbett whipped
Sullivan in twenty-one rounds 1 beat
Corbett In fourteen and Jeffries put me
away in eleven the first time and in
eight the second time.
Fights Will Be Faster.
OF course, If you carried this much
further. you'd have man whipped be-
fore he got into the ring. but what /
mean when I point that out is that the
fight of the future is going to be be-
tween speedy men who will fight fast
and hard and who will only go a short
distance. Something like the racing of
today. There used 10 be horses that
could travel ten miles at a fast clip.
and hold IL 10 the end. with a saving
burst OF speed Tor a climax; but to-
day it's the horse with the fast speed
for the short distance that brings home
the money
These things are all bound to reach q
certain limit, Of course, but l think the
combination 1 speak of for a short dis
tance fight is going TO be the thing.
Not so much endurance. but more speed
and grit while the short bout is on.
Why. there have been Queensberry fights
lIiat nave run INTO eighty ROUNDS, but
l never heard that any OF the spectators
enjoyed them half as much as they did
the rip-roaring. speedy battle that went
along at racing clip for ten or twelve
rounds and ended with a sharp rally all
over the ring.
Just the same, It's quite a long step
from old Figg down TO Jim Jeffries-
and, say. did you ever think how many
black eyes. cut lips and twisted noses
were wrapped up in those years?