Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1914-06-05
BOB FTTzsIMNONS
SAYS HIS SON
Will BE CHAMP.
By ROBERT Ep6REN.

err than Jeffries, says his father.
my boy Bobby is the coming heavy
weight champion of the world" said
Bob Fitzsimmons positively, hammer
ing his right fist on the palm of his
extended left hand.
Not only that" Bob continued,
but he's going to be the greatest
champion we ever had 1t may sound
queer to people who don't snow him,
but I'd be willing to match him against
johnson or Gunboat Smith for his first
fight in the ring. I'd bet every nickel
have neither one of them could lay
a glove on him in four rounds and
what do you think of that?"
Il think" said /. that 1t would be
exceedingly foolish to match the boy
against a topnotc. fighter until he
has worked his way up. You know
as well as do that no champion ever
reached the top without lot OF ex-
perience and lot OF hard fights"
This one WILL said Fitz. quickly.
"Jeffries didn't have many fights be-
fore he was champion. and my boy is
going to be bigger and more powerful
than Jeffries and twice as fast as Cor
bett. and he's going to know all know
about fighting.
Why" argued Fitz. "fle was bred to
be a champion. His mother was the
greatest woman acrobat that ever
lived. and some people think was the
greatest fighter. If there's anything
in heredity he ought to have. all my
fighting instinct and his mothers
gracefulness and round muscles and
strength. never wanted him TO be
fighter, and ] never taught him how
to box. One day a couple OF Years
ago heard that he had fought a big
iron worker who had been knocking
cut a lot of fighters in short fights.
Bobby gave him bad beating closed
his eyes and beat him UP at little
club down in Jersey until they stopped
the bout. 80.
Put on the Gloves. H.
so took him out in the barn and
had him put on the gloves. thought
I'd teach hiE. lesson. And the first
thing he did was to pop one over on
my nose and made me see stars. He
was Quick as lightning j rushed In
and .slugged. but he fought back and
gave me as good as I gave him. And
he was only 16. s:s, g. g.
What struck me was that he knew
a lot about boxing, and I'd never
shown him a thing. He had boxed
around a little with the boys, bat
hadn't gone through more than three
or four regular fights. It was just
heredity. $780,. -.s-...
He's game. We always fight when
we have the gloves on. One time l
thought he was getting too good an
opinion of himself. and put over a
right hook. 1t landed just like the
blow knocked Creeden with. and
Creedon was out four and half hours.
Of course, I'm not as fast as when
fought Creedon, but can hit just as
hard. Bobby was shaken up and "a
little wobbly. but came back at me.
A couple of hours later we we're walk.
ing down the street, when Bobby said:
Pop
What asked.
Why, pop, what's happened? I
just saw you. Last time I saw you
we were boxing. 3
I16 udu -U6cH ddHbu ny JudB UtBEu
for couple of hours. and had Just
come out of it. I made up my mind
that he was game"
Its just this way continued Fitz.
HE wants to fight and i won't have
him fight yet. He's just Is years old.
He could start now and beat every
white hope I've seen. from Smith
down. but won't let him Wait till
he gets his full growth. He's going
to have it on Jeffries and with what
he'll know nobody will have chance
with him. He has plenty of time.
Now, at Is, he's better man than
| ever was in my life. He's an inch
taller-6 feet l. He weights 20j
pounds stripped, and | was only 1853
when / was champion. He has two
and half inches more reach thar I
have-7S inches. His chest is ~ and
his waist 50. He has 17-inch biceps-
as big as Jeff's-and 11h forearm,
1914 neck and a 26-inch thigh He's
bigger than me in every way, and
twice as fast as | ever was. When
he's 20 he'll weight $40 pounds strip
ped. Jeffs weight, and when he be-
gins fighting everybody'll forget that
I was ever on earth. Come up and
see him box me this week and you'll
know I'm not dreaming"