The Washington herald., 1908-01-19

dicted that in his first battle in the East
he would get a setback that would retire
him from the ranks Of the contenders for
the title. McGoverni was on the road with
a theatrical company at the tiTae the
match was broached. and the purse that
was offered by Bill Crowley of Hartford,
appealed TO his manager sam Harris, so
strongly that the champion was brought
home and set to training at Johnson s
road house in Westehester.
McGovern OutcIassed.
Corbett trained at Hartford and he
put in the hardest two months of his
career. with the result that he was in
magnificent physical condition. Nc
Govern was in fairly good trim. but he
was against a combination that was too
heavy Corbett not only had a hard
punch but was strong and not at all
afraid. Although as much as TO l
was offered on McGOYeTn's chances
he never had chance. There were on
ly a few persons who took the short
end of the betting, the same as in the
Corbett Sullivan bout. and the sup
porters of McGovern came away from
the ringside in a dazed condition.
The Fitzsimmons-Jehrie contest at
Coney Island in 1899 also was an upset,
but many persons do not believe that
JenTies won that battle on his merits.
He was 20 all practical purposes a
novice, while the freckled champinion
was at the zenith OF his powers, and
had all bis hitting ability. Fitz was
a S-to-1 favori;e, and while everybody
, L., nF
maker. it was held by the most intel
ligent observers that the skill and
punching ability of Fitz would enable
him to bring home the bacon"
Fitz was knocked out in the eleventh
round, putting up the most singular
night in his career. During the entire
battle he never landed blow with his
left, his best hand. ana continued 10
swing right handed lawmakers that
went over Jen's head. Je6 did little
during the fight except hold his lift
shoulder against his jaw and, when
Fit1 bored I'm, shoot out straight left
One OF these lefts caught FitZ on the
mouth in the second round. and he sat
down on the ring floor. From that
time on Fitz fought poorly and was
grCEgly in the tenth round. lie was
W. bbling IN the eleventh when all JEFF
had to do was 10 swing a right on the
old fellows jaw.
The fact that Fitz got 65 per cent.
and perhaps more OF the purse led To
the belief that he had bartered the title
for the money. with the belief that
when he got ready be could win il back
from the BOIlermaker The second
fight between the pair. which took
place ia san Francisco in 1902.
strengthened the belief that the old
man was not trying In the first engage
ment
At Coney Island Fitz was appear
emily unable 10 land on Jen. then
4 novice
JeRries stood Punishment.
But three years later. when JEFF
was a seasoned ringster Fitz gave
him a terrible beating The old man
lii the champion on the jaw forty
times, cut his face up, and doubtless
would have put him away in the end
had his hands net given out. Then JEFF
although badly disfgured, sailed in
and scored "a Knockout
Everybody al the ringside noted the
ease with which Fitz hit Jeffries and
commented on the fact that JEFF was
untouched In the first battle. Fitz has
tried 10 explain his poor work in the
first by declaring that he must have
been drugged. but there was no evil
dence TO support the assertion. Ii was
"A most remarkable exhibition by Fitz
was that first hght. unlike any Of his
! preceding battles. and looked very
much like q fixed affair
Jack Dempsey was hot favorite
over Fitzsimmons when they met for the
middie-weight title in New Orleans in
1891. Dempsey had shown such
CleveTness and ring generalship. and
so little was known Of Fitz at that
/ time 1t was not believed the NOnpareil
could lose. His supporters put their
money down on him and had the pain
/ of seeing him beaten from start "a
1 finish
Another upset was that when
frankie Neil went over to London tc
! fight Joe Bowker for the bantam cham
I plonship. In America everybody who
/ followed pugilism believed that Neil
would settle BoWkeT in short order
and the only reason the Americans did
not lose a lot of money was because
they could not get 10 the ringside OF
the National Sporting Club. where the
battle took place. There We're few
Americans at the fight and they lost
heavily. Bowker proved TO be sur
prise party. He was clever. and had a
jab that made NeiTs face look out OF
plumb. Neil was deCisively beaten. and
from that time the stock of the little
fellows in England took an upward
jump.
The Englishmen were badly fooled
when Pedlar Palmer came across to
meet MCGOveTn in 1899 They thought
Palmer. who was clever. but not a
| hard hitter was a sure winner. But
/ McGOVern dotted on clever men and
| thrashed Palmer in a round. There
were many Americans who thought
Palmer had chance. and the cluster