The evening world. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1887-1931, 1908-10-02
Leach Cross and Willie Fitz-
gerald Promise to Put up
WhirlWind Battle In the
Bronx Tonight.

IT. HE Fairmont A. c., UP in Har-
lem, will be packed right to
- the rafters tonight. Inside
every seat will be taken. and outside
in the street big mob of fight en-
thusiasts will wait eagerly for news
from the ring.
For Leach Cross and Willie Fitz-
gerald are TO fight The Fighting
Harp's followers from all over town
will be there in a body. and from
on the east side Leach Cross's worship
pers will march in solid phalanx.
The enthusiasm over this particular
tight isn't aroused by the fight itself.
Cross and Fitzgerald will fight. of
course. But there are plenty OF other
youngsters around this town who can
light as well. or nearly as we'll, or bet
ter. 1t isn't the figh' that will set TWO
8owling factions dancing up and down
At tie rinEslde II is moro a r,,tter NJ
sectional feeling.
ON the east side they haven't had any,
th''iS great in the fighting line tor many
q long day. There have been near
SIisLLhps by the score, but never a one
makeup. the necessary touch that gives
man chance with real champion.
- loss, the east side thinks, has that
touch. undeveloped as yet. 1t is
true, but still showing enough TO
distinguish him from the others. Cross
has speed and n snappy punch. He has
willingly tackled all the hard ones
around town. and In a majority of
of the east siders think he has won a.!
of his scraps. but that is merely the
result Of a peculiar blindness 10 what
the other fellow does during the fight-a
blindness caused by an excess OF loyalty
to the IDOL as they call Cross up on
Grand street.
Two or three have outclassed him. but
not stopped his advance. He is improv-
ing, he is learning to tight without
packing into corner and dou...nG up
like a porcupine to avoid punishment
He fouGht more and ran away less the
last time he fought Fitzgerald than he
has In any of the other hard fights, and
atlhough he lost to a harder puncher he
made good showing.
A for the Fighting Harp" that
"A nickname alone is enough to show
q = why he is popular. He earned It
Fitzgerald only a few year. ago was as
near the lightweight championship as
any man gets without coping Cans
stopped him just in time. Then FitZ-
gerald began to slip back He has never
been as good since. and never will be as
good again unless a miracle happens,
but he can fight for all that. Fifty de-
lights in a slashins mlxup. The harder
they come the more he enjoys 1t. There
10 no shade OF yellow in the Fighting
Harp's" makeup. He is a genuine fight
Ing man, without fear OF INJURY or de-
feat. without exaggerated caution. with
nothing but the desire to get within
striking range, and then to strike.
rare order. What he lacks is condition.
A man who has trained on the amber
liquid under the suds for several years,
and alternated that with little Old
nnds 1t hard to get wind and speed and
endurance all working we'll together.
Fitzgerald. however, has been away 4.
strattord training with Bert keyes. who
is rough enough to make anybody work
He may be on edge again. and II ne ia
good b. 10 the dentist.
TOE CANS. Of baltimore would TX.
10 box Battling Nelson six rounds
in Philadelphia or New York.
think 4: can be stated positively that
Joes desire viii never be fulfilled
Cans knows that no can never bea,
Nelson over the long route. The Bat.
ting Dane is q genuine worlds cham,
p,on when time cuts no figure AMI hc
can set to work deliberately to wear
his man down and beat him by degrees
But Nelson never claimed to be Erea'
boxer, He Isn't a snowy fighter. He's
plugEer. II Bat We're to i!gAt Cans Z
chances with that tile. Cans w1u4C
know that he stood IN no danger o
being knocked out by Nelson In 81;
rounds. He wouldn't fear TO cut Ioos,
himself because six rounds wouldn
weaken him. He'd simply san into IN
Dane and Try furiously TO beat his heat
on as quickly as he could. FiEhtln;
like thar Cans might possibly beat Mel
con down for the ten count.
WUINY you, l don't say he could-o
MI even that he'd have bettini
ASA chance. But he might succeed
Jimmy Britt put Nelson down for min
seconds in the fifth round Of their sec
ond night. and Nelson vas helples, IA
the last half minute OF tho round
And the Dane is wise Why n
wouldn't consider $4,000 for his end i
: slx,,round Philadelphia fight wbe
Jack McGulgan Offered II. Nelson Ia
a couple Of hundred thousand dollar,
thatl he likes that Championship I'M.
and he's going 10 defend il in the FAN
KIND OF IlgAts that won IL for HIN
mean the long distance affairs. aD
stter ell championship fights should /
uhn, IN mat way. TO finish woul