The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-12-15


Fitzsimmons are burned indelibIy in
my bfain--the sixth when I fioored
: the great Cornishman for the count
OF nine, and the fourteenth and final
round when punch into the pit of
my stomach made Bob the heavy
weight champion of the world.
More than twenty years have pass
ed since that cventful period, and
twenty years is a great stretch of
time, But my memory bridges it and
! / recall many of the incidents of each
and every round Of that contest. Yet
! because there IS so much interest now
( In the battle Itself. ! feel ii is a bet
| ter plan for me TO repeat the round
-by-round description that is contain
ed. in faded newspa per clipping
rather than trust to my memory. or
course. the sixth and the fourteenth
/ rounds were the big rounds--those
| whose every movement is n vivid mem
/ ory to me So in the telling of these
/ two sessions OF the battle I shall dis
| pense with the newspaper accounts
/ and tell the story as | know it hap
! pened.
! Round one--'At the tap of the
! gong both men rushed to the center
! OF the ring and spared for an open
! ing. Corbett, smiling, kept walking
around 40 as to keep the sun in the
Cornishman's eyes. Corbett backed
! away toward the ropes and Fitz fol-
/ lowed and made a violent left jab
T at him. Corbett ducked whereup-
on Fitz tried another left but 1t fall
ed. Fitz went in. Corbett than swung
left but missed the Cornishman's
chin. Fitz wrked Corbett back to the
ropes again and Jim grinned. Then
came slight exchange of left hard
ers. F'itz started a left but Corbett
ducked and caught his enemy with a
body blow They clinched. Fitz fol-
lowed Corbett. swung a left but Jim
ducked, Fit2 tried q left eross-cour-
! tered on the ear. Corbett then swung
left to the Cornishman's rib and fol-
lowed with a right hand blow above
the heart. Fitz tented at Corbett and
Corbett at once shot left to the
head, Corbett was fighting cautiously
Fit2 advanced and Corbett hit him
on the herd, Fitz hit Corbett on the
temple with his right. Fitz tried for
an opening but Eorbett caught him
with LETT body blow. They fell into
a cltnch. Coming out of II. there was
an exchange Of blows with Corbett
doing most of the landing. This was
followed NV another clinch and they
were hanging together as the gong
rang. The honors in the first round
NEat wi bttt =. i LF ApI i&iSflludtt IftC~
ed the fighting but failed to land
effectively The blow on Corhetts
temple was the only effective one
which Fitz had scored Fitz was
breathing heavily and was pale but
Corhetts breath was not distressed"
Round two-"Cnrbetty went brfhkly
TO the center OF the ring and tented
repea teddy with his left F1tz led,
there was a ciinCh and as thew came
out Of it Fitz hit Corhett right hand
err on the ear When they broke
away. Corhett backed Fitz into a corn
er and landed number of light blows.
Fttz then made two or three leads
| and worked his way out They met
/ in the center of the ring again and a
rapid exchange OF blows followed with
Corbett again lea ding in the num-
her landed. None OF the blows. how
ever, carried much weight. Both men
were going along carefully. Corhett
became aggressive toward the end Of
the round. broke through Fitz's guard
several times and landed rather eff
fhctipely T'fYey clfrrheS I'm CqESets's
-Tpruer9 As in most of the other
clinches Corhett whiled Fitz aound
so that the sun shone directly in the
ewes Of the Corn'shman and was jah-
bing iefts and rights 10 the Cornish
mans body az the hell rang"
Round thre e-''Corbett opened up
the third with stiff p1nch TO Fits
stomach which seemed to make the
Cornish r1an savage He went at Cor
hett with right and left hand swings
which however. did little damage.
Corhett caught F'itz with a LETT hand
er while hacking and Fftz swung a
right which Corbett took on the
shoulder Corhett then nut stiff
zen into Bob's stomach and swung
right which landed on tile Cornish
mans jaw. Fitz rushed and another
of the several clinche= followed. Fitz
landed "a right on f'orh~tt's cheek and
Jim retaliated WITH right to the
kidpevs. CnUhStt swung another left
Ia nder To me stomach and Fitz be-
gan TO art as II the blows were dis
fressinQ him FIR landed a riFht on
the ribs and Forhett hmm ediatelv /
came back with hard right TO Bob's
ribs A cltnch followed and rs they
came out Jim shot through two heavy
punches under 12ohs heart. Fftz tried
n left handler which missed Corbett's
chin and second later repeated IT. (
That blow landed but admit seem 10 I
effect Corhett Corbett blocked left !
hand lead for the body and then |
sma shed another blow to Fits |
stomach. At the gong banged. FitZ |
nushed his face close TO that of Cor |
belts and both men smiled at each /!
other Jim then placed his two gloves !
lightly on Fitzs faCe in bantertnH !
wcv and F'itz laughed and nodded /
his head
Round four--"Fitz opened with a !
feint. Jim drew back and then let fly !
with a left which caught Bob on the !
cheek Jim swung a right into Cor
hetts corner and landed left on |
the chin. Fitz made wild swing
with his right that threw him out OF
position and before he could get his
head IN Corbett landed n right on |
the Cornishmsn's ear. Fitz planted |
a left in Corhett's face. In the break /
away following clinch Corhett land |
cd on the Cornishman's cheek with |
a right F'itz made left lunse Tor |
Corhett's body missed, swung around /
and thew ci'nched. While hanging TO-
gether Corhett landed right on the I
ear. After the hreak-awav Fob came
in with a swinging left. but Jim neat I
him 10 the punch landing hard right
h@nder under the heart. Fitz looked |
very tired Corhett shot IN two stiff /
loft swings on Fits chin and F'tz .
FELL into a clinch. Corbett landed
left on the face and a right under the .