The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1914-12-02
Anniversary of Freckled
 Fitz's First Defeat

California fans will never again witness such a contest of pugilistic g1adiatoTs as was staged in San Fran cisco just eighteen years ago to-day boxing law isn't the only obstacle not by a long shotl Statutes may be repealed, but nature is not likely ever again to fashion such a 1ong-Iegged, freckled, knockneed,s broad shoulder ed, red- -haire@ human fighting cock as Bob F1tzsimmens, From thesviegv- point of beauty, it Is to be hoped that she won't, for Ruby Robert WAS never highly ornamental But fight
 well. pound. for pound, the world is never likely to sec his equal
 Tom Sharkey, the sailor bold, was Fitz&S opponent onS that historic ocea- sion. The mariner was something Of a. scrapper himself, not quite so tall as Bob, but much heavier. Fitzsina-
 mons, having cleaned up all the n1id- d1eweights, was then a. candidate for heavyweight honors. Save Jim Cor bett, the champion, Sharkey was the next man to oppose him. The former seafacer was in his prime. He had fought a. four-round draw with Cor bett a few, months before, and he had knocked out Joe Choynsd and many other good heavyweights. He had never been whipped. and in the opin- ion 1f his adm lfrers, the man 5 born Of woman wasn't alive who could lower his colors.
 The arkey-Fitzsimmons session was highly important, since it was generally understood that Jim Cor bett would be forced to meet the vic tor. The fans turned in $21,00O at. the gate. The purse was SIG, ,OO0,# and both men were so suprerne1y con- ddeht that they agreed to a winner take-au distribution
 Freckled F1tz also had -an unbrok- en string of victories, save for that fake fight in Australias when he aaid down to Jim Hall. later he stopped Hall in four rounds at New Orleans After his fight with Dan Creedon, an other Australian, in the Crescent City in 1894. Fitz announced his entrance into the heavyw eight ranks, as a cona- petitor for the title He started pro ceedings by putting Peter Maher to sleep in the first round at Langtry, Tex ,~earIy in 1896.
 Then came the decisive battle with Sharkey-and Ruby Robert lost. For eight rounds FftzsfnTnons bombard- ed the big sailor fore and aft Al though Tom was not lacking in clev- erness.ss he was only a punching bag for nimbIe Bob. F1tz was already doping out schemes for investing the ten thousand while sending the safI- or spraWling with sledgehaInner body blows, when the referee Wyatt Earp, stopped the slaughter and awarded the VleG0ry to Sharkey on a foul. A lot of people present, gifted with Aood eyesightp openly declared that there wasn't any fouEthat 1t was only a hgment of the imagination. But the referee said there was, and that set tied 1t, and che records show the re- suit as Fitz's first defeat.
 But if SharIey got the decision, Fftz got the glory and he was universally declared to be the man to fight Cor bett for the title .sGentIeman Jiran wasn't particularly anxious to rest conclusions with Ruby Robert, but public opinion forced him to it, and in 1897. at Carson City. the great bat tie was staged, with what results the wise reader wots Of After losing his 'utlezto the giant ,Jefri ies, F1tzsi inmons fought Sharkey again, at Coney Isl- and and knocked him out in the sec ond round After that battle with FTtz in San Francisco. Sharkey whip ped Jim Cors5ett, and in two Iona battles with Jeff came near holding his own with the big bear