Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-10-17

been discussed thousands CT times by the
boxing enthusiasts of this country. Some
have limited it was q prearranged affair.
others that Fitz stopped and 1t has
even been claimed that Fitzsimmons ad-
mitted that ne laid down because he
needed the money. Be that as it may,
none of his fights in this country would
give grounds for any such charges. He
has surely fought on the level while on
American SOIL, has won every time he
could. and as for gameness. few men
have given more convincing proofs that
they possessed true fighting courage
than he.
Il ts
In New Orleans. the first time he fought
Maher. Paythur hung q haymaker on his
chin early in the fight that almost made
Maher tickets worth a hundred cents on
the dollar. Fgtz had an imaginary view
Of every star in the heavens, and foxy
Joe Choynski, who. with Jimmy Carroll
and Alex. Greggians, was behind him.
did lot Of scheming and quick thinking
to stave of defeat for his man. He sue
ceeded. Tired and groggy as Fitz was. he
came back and won. To win after
being almost out requires two things
generalship and gameness In generous
pienitude. The following year. in the same
town, FitZ hooked up with Jim Hail.
For three rounds Hall gave him as artis-
tic a trimming as one man could give
another. Martin Julian, who was manag-
ing him. admitted at the time that lit
looked awfuily bad for Bob in the third
and early in the fourth Hall seemed to
have his number and was peppering him
at will And yet, although he was being
severely punished, Fftz made game
rally in the fourth and put a right swing
to Halls chin that sent him to the Oster-
moor as cold as wedge. A man with q
faint heart never could have done it.
Hall was not a novice by any means, and
besides being a clever, hard-h:tting boxer
of the first flight. he had scored one vic
tory over Fitz. They say that once you
knock a man out it is easy to do it the
second time. That is once the theory
broke in the middle and would not stand
up. Hall had stopped Fitz in Australia
In four rounds so not to be outdone In
poIiteness by his fellOw-cOuntryman, FitZ
returned the compliment at New Orleans.
and in the same number OF rounds.
A year later in Boston Fits courage
was put to even a more severe test. He
was boxing Joe Choynski at the Boston
Theater There are many who believe to
this day that Choynski could hit as hard
as anybody in ring history-Jeffries. Ma
her, Fitzsimmons or anybody else noted
for hard punching. Fitz himself Is one
who entertains this belief. and it is not
without grounds. Joe had an awkward
punch that was used by few boxers.
hard to block and of terrible force. He
had the knack of dropping it down when
least expected. and 1t generally had the
label turn Off the gas" pasted Oh it when
1t landed fairly.
1t was full-arm, downward swing
with the right for the nose or jaw.
generally a counter He would wait
for you to lead for his face VITA n
straight left or left hook. preferably
the latter. He would let you go along
few times. when suddenly. down 1T
would come with all his strength plumb
over your left lead and the right which
you might have crooked on your chest
using as a guard. AS the blow descend
ed, and with great speed, the guard wa S
of no avail. The only dra wback to the
punch was that he couldn't time 1t we'll
or judge distance carefully with it. be-
cause it was what would be called a
wild" punch. Oftentimes it landed
On the forehead or on top OF the head.
and its effectiveness was lost. He drop
ped one on Fitz's jaw in the first round
and 1t almost finished him. This was
the time Bob said he thought the roof
of the building caved in on him. He
weathered the storm. and by the time
the fifth round rolled around, when the
police interfered, Fitz was winning
TIC 0CSioAou 6iFch ny tcISTce CapI.
Bill Daily was draw. At Carson City
Corbett had FitZ in bad way several
times. but he won out in the fourteenth.
Nobody who saw Fitz box Rubin at
the Garden ever will forget the first
round. Gus hammered him all around
the ring and had him so bad at bell
time that Bob couldn't protect himself
Both arms were hanging helplessly at
his side He looked so to shot In
this round. In the second Bob came up
smiling. fiddled awhile and then put L
left shift to Ruhlin's stomach that
dropped him and practically won the
fight. In the third, fourth and ffth he
had everything his own way, and In the
sixth he knocked Gus out. Anybody
who says F;tz wasn't thoroughly game
doesn't know what he is talking about.