The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1906-10-26
Says One Honor at q Time is Suf.
flcient.

uClc0vs
Milwaukee. Oct. 24.-The Evening
Wisconsin yesterday said:
Joe Cans, the colored lightweight
champion Of the world, and who also
holds the title of welterweight cham
pton of the world, has decided that
one honor In the fighting game Is
enough for him and hereafter he will
not lay claim to the welterweight
championship, but will let the men
who fight around the 140-pound mark
fight 1t out for the title In that d.
vision.
Cans announced yesterday that he
would forfeit his claim to the welter-
weight title. although he won It fairly
by knocking out Mike Twin Sullivan
at Los Angeles.
I'm Cans opinion. the welterweight
championship title should be worn by
Joe Thomas. of California.
Bob Fitzsimmons is getting old, SO
let's roast him to turn. Call him
the ancient rock cod" whatever that
means). or poor old Fitz," or 1.-THE
Dunellen mummy" All the papers
are taking whack at Fitz now, so
why not get into line? remarks Bob
Edgren.
1t wasn't SO very long ago that
Bob Fitzsimmons landed in New York
after whipping James ]. Corbett out
in Carson, New. and winning the
worlds championship. l remember
all about 1t. There were banquets and
speeches. Fitz was welcomed like b
victorious general back from the
wars. He was feted and dined, and
men from all classes of society crowd
ed around to shake his hand. He was
the greatest fighter that ever drew on
fighting glove. He was king of the
Queensbury realm. and all men were
his courtiers.
Tommy Burns crawled out of a
match with Fitz. But Burns was
afraid of hurting the old man! That's
why Burns went right out to Cali
fornia and challenged Jeffries to NEE,
him in three weeks or give him the
title. He knew Jeffries could take an
awful licking.
1t would be shame If Berger real
~ made a match with Fitz. It would
be too bad to break the ex-champion's
fists by getting a nice young Jaw like
Berger's in the way.
Why. Berger knows all about Fitz
and his fighting tricks. Fitz took him
along with a show once and spared
with him every night. Berger was an
amateur then and he wouldn't accent
any salary, except just what he need
ed for travelling expenses and grub,
you know; ham and eggs-and wine
and a few little things like that; and
clothes-just q few glad rags and
some diamonds to help the show
make a front" He went along be.
cause he wanted to learn the game.
And Fitz taught him.
One night in Mechanics pavilion,
IN San Francisco, three years ago,
l saw Berger and Fftz box an exhibi.
ton. Sammy was very fast and clev-
er, and Bob left him fine openings. He
let Sammy knock him down. They'd
practiced and rehearsed that in the
dressing room.
Then Fitz wabbled around as he
was very bad. He half shut his ewes
and rolled his head around. and inst
then Berger stepped in and let 20 one
that nearly lifted Fitz off his feet.
N.Y. but he was surprised! He was
groggy that time for fair. He thump-
ed back on his heels to the edge of
the mat, with Sammy right on top of
him. and then, just as he was about to
fall, he chugged his left into Sammy's
ribs so hard that you could have heard
1t out in Larkin street.
Then Berger landed on the back OF
his neck and Fitz fell down, too. Just
as quick as he could, to make it look
like double knockout. Afterward I
went up into the dressing-room, and
Sammy was looking into mirror to
see II any of his ribs were bent back
into his liver. Fitz was apologizing,
III tell you about Fftz. He isn't as
good as he used to be, by about so
per cent. But he's still good enough
to lick many of the big husky fellows
who are trying to make a reputation
by challenging him. Fitz isn't as fast
as when he met Corbett. Jack O'Brien
might be able to tag him to death
again-or he might not.
Berger might be able to do the
same, because he is very fast. too.
And he might not. AS for the other
big fellows with a wallop, and with
out that gazellelike sprightliness that
Is O'Brien's specially, why, Fitz could
treat them the way he did Sailor
Sharkey and Gus Rubin in two sue
cessive weeks, when the Horton law
went out.
And whether or not Fftz is still able
to fight, he is entitled to some meas
ure of respect, because not long ago
ne was absolutely the greatest fighter
tnat ever wore a padded glove. He
was three-times champion. A mid
dle-weight, he whipped the greatest
heavyweight of his time
And he held his ability to fight long
er tnan any other fighter in history.
Wnen he was 20 he won the middle
weight championship. At "a he be-
came heavyweight champion. At 40
ne became light heavyweight cham
pion. AT 81 he isn't the dead one"
that some people would have you be-
lieve.