Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1911-04-09
FEW FIGHTERS ABOVE THIRTY
Majority Of Present Day Pugilists Are
But Mere Youngsters.
RUBY ROBERT" HAS SET RECORD
FitEsimmons BeEan FiEhtinE at the
AEe Of Thirty-Five and Held the
heavyweight Championship
for Five Years.

Heavyweight Championship
for rive Years.
NEW YORK April S--There was only
one Ruby Robert FItzsimmons. only one
gawky blacksmith, who at the age OF IS,
went out and won a worlds championship
and for five years successfully defended IT,
Old Bob set a record that will probably
stand for all time in the archives OF
fistiana. Fitz was the Nine. Bernhard Of
fightdom Age did not leave any defects
upon him. and he was fighting great bat
ties when other men we're past the me-
ridian Of their years. The freckled kangaroo
established a goal that fighters Of the
present day will never be able to touch.
! There are few old glove hammers in the
game today. The rusty arms OF antiquity
have evidently been consigned to their
proper plsce-the junSman's backyard. Ago
cuts small figure with the exponent Of the
manly art of pummeling. Youth is kine
and mans proficiency Is not gagged by his
years. because all the children OF the god
OF nsucuffs are pretty eaultably matched
in this regard. In the hit-and-get-away
| game Of today man past 30 is rated as
being on the decline of his powers He is
looked upon in ring circles the same an
octcgenarian. Such man has no chance
Of ever ascending to the title although
one does hold one now-Jsck Johnson But
Jack is an exception.
Only six fighters who are now making
their living by sticking gloves into an
opponents features are over 30 years OF
age. They are Jack Johnson, Sam Lang
ford, Cyclone Johnny Thompson, Mike and
Jack Twins sullivan. and Jim Flynn. Only
three are S0--Jem Drlscoll. Joe Jeanette
Nh a.
big army Of pugtlists who are now promi-
nent in the sporting world. together with a
still greater army of unknowns, are below
the 9O-yesr mark.
ThOmpsOn the Eldest.
OF those past the Acknowledged period OF
decadence Cyclone Johnny Thompson is the
eldest Sycamore. Ill. was the birthplace
OF the cyclonic one thirty-five years ago.
He is the oldest active fighter in the ring
today, but he did not begin fighting nearly
as early as many of his competitors. He
has been in active conflict only nine years
A queer angle is connected with Thomp,
sons history. A lightweight until he was
past 80 years he made only brief stay in
the welterweight class, and now at the
age OF IS he Is pronounced a middleweighi
} and is regarded as one of the stronges,
contenders for the title.
Next to Thompson in the order OF age Is
the champion, Johnson. The negro has
participated in the joys and sorrows OF
mundane existence for thirty-three years
Jacks birthday occurred Friday, and, &C
cording to reports from the coast. he wal
holding down the position OF whitewashel
in California Jail at the time. johnson
has come the closest Of any fighter to tn,
wonderful record hung up by Bob Fitz
simmons. He was almost 81 years of ag,
when he defeated Tommy Burns at Sydney
and won the title. and he was IN his thirty
third year when he defeated Jim Jeffries
The two antiquated bald-headed twini
from Cambridge-Mike and Jack Sullivan
rank next in order. Jack has been stop
ping cross-counters and moving his hands
in faultless rhythm for nearly thirteeI
years, while Mike has been emulating hi
| larger brother for the last ten years jim
Flynn, the Pueblo fireman. is 70 years o
age and the fight game has known him 70
1 the last nine years. Joe Jeanette is 3
years OF age and is still very active in RIM
affairs He is now starting on another o
his foreign invasions This half dozen o
mitt artists complete the list OF "millers'
$ over one score and ten years
Z Atten IL Twenty-EiEht.
A peculiar feature of this age question
among pugilists is that practically ever.
J. member Of the lighter divisions-ali below
9 the welterweight class-are below 30 years
e Jem Driscoll and Rudy Unhulz are the onl!
5 prominent fighters who confess to 30 years
:. and none OF the six above that is In tn
{ lighter classes. Abe Attel1. the champion
: OF the featherweight division. celebrate,
d his twenty eighth birthday on February 2
& last, Just twelve days after Hugo Kelly ha,
t reached the same mark. Johnny Coulon
the bantam champion. was % years Of ag
: on February ~ OF the present year. TIL
Q ages of other prominent pugilsts, according
r TO their nearest birthday are as follows
d Battling Nelson. %; owen Moran, 26 WIFI
e Lewis, q; Harry Lewis. "a: Dave Deshler
r %; Jimmie Walsh, %; Tommy Murphy, 26
n fDick Hyland, %; Billy Papke, %; Lev
x Powell Is; Freddie Welsh, %; Monte Attell
! 26; Al Kaufman %; Digger Stanley g.
! Ad Wolgast, the present lightweight
a champion, celebrated his twenty-thir,
y birthday last month, and Packey McFar
. land generally regarded as the cIeveres
: performer in the ring today. was % on No
), vember / last year Pal Moore is tn
: youngest OF the real celebrities now in IN
!, game, and he will celebrate his nineteenth
birthday during the present year. Rv IA
= the biggest part OF the small army O
y prominent fighters now before the publ
ranges from 20 to % years of age In thi
VI list may be included Knockout Brown
'e One Round Hogan. frankie Burns, Youn
u Wagner. Tommy Houck. Young Samm
X Smith and many others who have come
. the front during the last two years. Stan
ley Ketchel, the former middleweiRh
2 gehampion, had just passed his twenty-thir
he milestone when he met his untimeIy deaf
70 last fall.
It - ,,,v,,,, =, $500. -, -,