Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1907-08-03
Interesting Facts About Noted
Man of Prize
Ring.
BLAMES EASTERN WRITER'S.
SAYS Match With johnson Should Not
Lave Been Consummated--Beg
ming of Great Career.

Exit Bob 1Tltzslmmons from the
roped arena, The grand old man of
me stuffed mltt game made his fipal
how az Philadelphia Wednesday nigh,
in manner not BETTING his time
honored reputation. not in manner
beneacial to the game, says George
sIler He entered the squared circle
IN this country about II years ago
T., blaze OF glory, and left 1t We'd
nesday night In haze which practice
aly obliterated the halo that encircled
his bald pate since he defeated Jack
Dempsey.
Il was not his defeat at the hands
Of his opponent, Jack Johnson, that
dimmed the luster of his long and
,cuutable ring career, as that was
nnticipated, but the manner in which
II came about. He thought that if in
the pink of condition he had one good
siy-round fight left in him, but he
entered into the fray fit subject for
"A bospital. and did not have one
chance In million to win or to battle
two rounds Three days before the
date set for the contest he injured
his right arm while boxing with Joe
Jeannette, one Of his sparring part
ners. This necsssltated an operation.
and naturally put the old fellow out
OF the running.
SHOULD HAVE CALLED OFF
MATCH.
Report says he was advised to call
oT the match. but he feared he would
be dubbed uuttter. so ne determined
Ia 20 through with it. And that is
where he erred. Followers of the
potne and the sporting public In gen
eral know that Fitzsimmons is game
Ga the core and therefore would not
have accused him of being a gutter
had ne announced his unfortunate ac-
cident and cancelled the engagement.
Instead of so doing, he kept mum,
entered the ring unfit to do himself
Justice or to give the public run Tor
its money. The spectators paid their
money to see a contest. instead they
saw 4 big young colored giant, I'M
doubtedly the cleyerest in the business,
exchange few blows with an ola
cripple who collapsed early In the
0rht They were gulled out of their
money and Fitzsimmons, in the shank
of his honorable ring career, was
perty to 1t.
True. he explained his condition to
the crowd, when he entered the ring,
bnt that was after II had handed its
money into the box office.
EASTERN WRITER'S TO BLAME.
1t is possible that eastern sport
ing scribes and those directly inter-
ested ia the welfare of the sport were
in the play. The scribes wrote columns
about Bob's excellent condition. almost
up to the moment that he entered the
ring. They ha dhim doing ten and 10
mile jaunts on the road without draw
ing deep breath; doing fast and hard
boxing staunts with young ana husky
hcavy-weghts; holding back, fearing
he would knock them out-ln fact,
they had him as strong and as fast as
when In his prime.
Fitzsimmons, according to his own
statement, stepped into his As year
last June During his ring career he
has held the middle weight, the light
heavy-weight and the heavyweight
championships. He won his first title
on January /, 1891, at New orleans,
by beating Jack Demsey in 10 rounds.
He captured the heavyweight title by
beating Jim Corbett at Carson, New,
on March II, 1897. He captured the
light heavy weight championship title
BY defeating George Gardner at San
Francisco on November 25. 1908. He
never was defeated for the middle
weight championship. but when he
drfted into the heavy weight division
he naturally defaulted his middle
weight honors.
He engaged in only one battle as
the heavyweight championship
against Jim Jelfries, at Coney island,
on June s. 1893, and went down 10 de-
feat IN II rounds. He also took part
in only one battle as light heavy
weight champion--that with Jack o.
Brien, at San Francisco, on December
20, 1905, and lost in the 18th round.
He again tackled Jeffries in san
Francisco on January %, 1902, and
was knocked out in the eighth round.
He gave Jeffries an awful drubbing
In that battle, and It was any kind OF
odds he would win IN any round after
the third. The big fellow could not
lay n glove on him---that Is. with effect
land Bob, in the vernacular OF the
sport could not keen his gloved hands
cut Of Jefts face The latter's frontis-
piece however. was harder than Bob's
hands, and before the end of the iifth
round they practically We're knocked
out of commission.