Omaha daily bee., 1914-01-04
BOB FITZ BEGS FOR CHANCE
Famous Robert Seeks Opportunity TO
Show Up the White Hopes.
PAST THE HALE CENTURY MARX
Ex-Champ, NotwitbstandinE, Feels
that he Cen show the Young
steru of To-day some
brand New staff.
ny w. w. NAUGHToN.

ofAAN IT ENNAANlAo1gs sAhs AAhil SUI
prises are sprung in connection witt
pugilism from time to time. but tn
news that the lure Of the roped an
rosined platform has unsettled veterai
Bob Fitzsimmons comes pretty near be
ing the premier sensation of the yea
Just closed
The pity of Il Is that FitzsImmon
seems to be terribly in earnest about II
In his plea to be given a chance to show
what he can do, he does not claim tina
he is as good as ever, or even advanc,
the argument that he feels he has on,
good fight left in him.
He simply reasons that the present day
heavies are a bunch of incapables anC
legs for an opportunity to show that h,
is not undertaking them.
What causes me to lay special stresi
on Fitzslmmons' earnestncss In thii
connection Is the fact that while Other
''exempts' among the big fellows have
spoken from time TO time OF getting bach
in the game they always weakened and
made denials when they saw the things
they said in print
This thing OF feeling an itch to tread
the boards again after years Of retire.
ment Is a disease and Il disappears very
quickly when the fellow afflicted with
Il sees that he has become mark OF
curiosity to tho public and mark OF
ridicule for the critics.
II you don't believe me. ask Jim JEFF.
fries. Tom sharkey and few others.
Tracing Bob backward.
EitT IL rsitI, "A.
Oldest ex-champion OF the world in cap
tivity. his senior being John L. sullivan.
Bob has passed the half century mark
and recalling his earlier exploits. even
in America, smacks OF looking back into
another life.
The writer saw him In his first bout
In this country. That was when he
whipped Billy McCarty at the California
club, San Francisco. about twenty-three
years ago. ! saw him win tho middle.
weight championship from Jack Demp-
eey at New Orleans and the heavyweight
championship from Jim Corbett at Car
son. I saw him lose his heavywelght
title to Jeffries. and saw him In the
return match In San Francisco saw
him box Gus Rubin at Madison square
and even at that time--it was thirteen
years ago-I noticed how bunRlinsiy he
splashed around in the opening round.
He went back 20 his corner and said 10
George Dawson, who was behind him:
Il don't know what's the matter. I
seem 10 have forgotten all / knew"
You'll be better when you get warmed
up" said Dawson encouragingiy and
sure enough Bob Immediately improved
round by round until he laid Rubin low
with his famous shift in the sixth.
I saw him two weeks later with Tom
shArkey at coney Island That tina nop
prvfited by his previous experience. ana
uiu ms warming up in his dressing room
Dotore entering the ring. And sharkey
TASTED about round and a ralf. ~
remember that Bob, flushed with sue
cess leaned over the ropes and beckoncd
vigorously to Jim Jefferles TO come up
and be challenged. but Jim merely
laughed and shook his head. =. N
After another few years saw Bob
step twenty spiritleHs rounds with George
Gardner In San Francisco and said "a
myself right then. NY what a iarnant. /.
able falling away" n
Two years later, II was in 1906. A a,
Fitzsimnons slide from his chair m !
state OF coma after completing thirteen
rounds with Jack O'Brien, and Il occurred
70 me then that II would be a rood thing
u there were a law debarrlng puEiiists
from Following their vocation when thew
were manifestly ON the down grade.
saddest Picture OF All. r<
it has been the writer's lot TO witness
several such fights. One was when Peter
jackson crumbled In front OF Jim Jef.
iries and another when Frank Slayin.
one OF the most rugged and effective
ilehters OF his day. lurehed ana reeled
this way and that under the Influence q,
punches administered by Joe Butler. n
negro heavyweight.
But the saddest thing saw IN ,h.,
iine was merely a photograph O, such a
sceanee In far-away Australia, II denlotsd
Bob Fitzsimmons flat on his hack IN A.,
strong glare of the antipodean sun his
features as strongly marked ms those -,
a dead Indian on a bier. and ovar h,r,
.ne iorm or Bill Lang. a man who has
psen heked by the rag, tag ana bob.taiI
OF hstiana the world around.
Is not TO reason with a man who
as determined as FYtEsimmions ana
VINO points to the fact that he h prS.
Il right mat no
ne asking the New York boxing
so,'lIhissioners to give him a chance 20
snow that he knows what he Is tal.,ns
apout and II may be an opening viii hS
mace tor him In such case Il win he
nl,srest'ng to watch how he acquits him.