The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-04-07
iT.HEO[D FIGHTERS
AREOROPP|N||IG0U|1
The New Crop Of Fistic HeroesS
Are Crowding Old Boys to Ss
the Wall.
8FlTz 10 START sANlTARl /!
Literary jack ricnW VI I Leave 4, Y N
the Ring fora Year I ftcr N
Meeting Burns. s.

NEW YORK, April 6.l-Such as they ID
are, the new crop OF fighters Is slowly "a
pushing tho Old Guard to the wall. The
few opportunities that do open these days
are ,islrped by men who had never bee = M
heard OF a few years ago. and, Willingly
or unwillingly, the veterans OF the squaret
circle arc giving way to compel itions
Fitzsmmons Is the latest to ,concere thai
he is passe, as pugllism goes nowadays
and Jack o'Brien will Quit the game for
a year at least, he says, after he AIS
his engagement to meet Burns at .;f Los 1T
Angeles. Fitz has been as good as IN
retirement for the last two years, but "a
fight followers have not given up hope AZ
that he would once more climb inside NJ
the ropes, stripped for action, and ever
and anon a run1or has risen that he wa
coming back and would take on some 0ne NJ
OF the new men In the ring, simply to- show
out. Ssiissfl
These reports have been Fcontradlcted
every time, but they bob up in a new
place, and the wearlsome round of con-
tradiction has to be gone through witt VI
again. This time. though. 1t would Rnp5,ss$f
pear to DO n final decision against Fltz.5%
for from a ring standpoint the old fighter3Ss
matter by opposing any scheme for res
entering the ring. even II 1t was to meet
Tommy Burns. Therefore, the only thing
left for Bob to do In the line Sof the
strenuous lifo is to bring to a head his y
fnvoritc plan for starting n physical cul
ture retreat ut Duneen. N. j. gfi 5sSs
This will mark the end OF a ring cas-
reer which was begun in 1880 in Timura,3S
New Zealand. and which has been puncs
| tnated by bouts with Jim Corbett, Tom f
| sharkey, Gus Ruhlin. Peter Maher, j rn5s
| Jerfrles and a host Of lesser lights. The
Cornlshman's last fight of: any Import
| ance was at San francisco in 905, when
Philadelphia Jack Q Brien knocked him m
out in thirteen rounds, and since thsnss
F'ltz has been awning the thcatre-goings
| public by Knocking gu dyed in- tn -Woolss
villain at matinee and evening perforn-aS
4 ances In 1.-THE Village Bit cksmit TIL. and Y
other pastoral melodramas. aasS
| On top OF the word Of the old cham
| pions retirement, it Is a blow to the
| sporting world to hear that jack o Brien@
i Is going to rest for q year ter meet
4 Ing Burns in May, for the general feel
ing is that If that popular exponent ID n
\ literature and boxing gets out of earshots
OF the gong and the Referees voice for
a twelyen1onth it will mean his permanent
| departure. At any rate 1t Is almost sure
\ that II he does return he will not be In
form to put up any claim to indiyikualS
supremacy unless he has one OF n the
few and far tween comebacks to form
4 that some pugilists have enjoyed.
Philadelphia Jack does leave the ring
however. he will vie with jim Jeffriess
as O property holder, for between his ba t-s
1 ties no has been accommodating much OF
the more subs tantial goods Of this world
In the way of hotels and real estate, ana,
is now further along Easy Street tha,is
] most men who heretofore have rnadaS
their hands, and hands alone. gain them
4 a living E$;7I5is <. $j5 "A 81