The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-12-19
Corbett Sets Trap for Fitzsimmons
But Fell Victim to Own Scheming
BY JAMES J. CoRBETT
(Copyr.Eht, 1917. by King Features Syndicate Inc)

. Editors Note. This IS the thir-
ly-eighth chapter Of a series Of ar
icIes by Jim Corbett which deal with
The career Of Bob ITitzs'mmons. Few
men knew FTtz IS Corhett knew him
and SO these stories reveal some in
CldenGs in the life Of Fitzsimmons
hat never before have been printed.
The next chapter will appear toulor-
yow.)
Often tfrnes Il happens that when
man tries 10 trick another he him
elf falls a victim 10 his own scheln-
ing That is exactly What happened
10 me IN the fourteenth round OF my
tght with Bob F>i}ssimmons--fhe
nattle that lost me the heavyweight
championship Of the world
ThrouFhout tho 8Fht Sob I'm his
forts 20 floor rle. had been making
4ome terrific swings for my Jaw.
Times without number I had ducRed
hem easily or had backed away.
frequently the impetus or Boh's
swing WIS so great that . wnlrled
him all the way around Naturally,
when he would swing hack Irto posi-
ion, he would be or his balance fer
moment or two. Eat I never was
5bie TO land a solid blow on his law
Il Fach an opporturA moment more
y because by 6uckiue or s1d~-step-
ping had moved myself out OF
range.
Ae the Thirteenth round ended, and
= went 70 nv corner / decided upon
r. proeam OF future action. ! planned
II the very arst opportunity 10 trteE
Bob into making one ~ those vicious
swrir-g and then. iustes q Of backing
away as usual. 7 would Just pull back +.
nav head and the upper part Of nay ,
BODY with nv feet holding their posi- :
tlon and thus ne waiting for &oB I
when he completed she swing
Then tire gong banged that called .
1E into action for tbe fourteenth /
round
Fftz opened tie fourteenth round (
ny rushing me and 7 got in hagd I
eft on the mouth. Fitz rushed again (
and once more hit him on the /
mouth ritz led for my body with /
The ear with his right We fell into !
q cisrch At the hreak-away Bob |
"a ndAd twice ~ite as isrt and swung |
* right to the head.
ard then the climax,
Many persons have often stated !
hat Fitz beat me by landing punch /
-ollewing T. doubIe shift No descrip- .
ion of the fight ever was IN greater /
rrror than that / doubt n some or
he men who have claimed that PITT !
made "A double shift know exactly I
what II means. TO execute double
shtf1 II would he necessary first for
men to set himself then To shift and (
hen to shift again. Can anyone
imagine that this trick Of 81 double /
5hfft have been worked on me IN nay
prime? / was fast in those days;
allied by some the fastest heavy
6 eight of that or any other time"
SO you can see now absurd II ia for
anyone 10 say that Fttz beat me with
? blow that followed a mythical
shift
The nnisf came about IN this way
After Bob he'd landed a light right
handler 10 my cheek ne SET himself
for a vicious right hand ewing for
ne jaw Right there decided 70
rick him AZ tho very second that
{ saw his f7st coming ] made UP my
mind that this was to ne tho time
when wouldn't hack away but mere
~ would shift BACK the upper pa RI
~ my BODY and my head, thug avoid
ting the swing. planning TO catch Bob
70 he came whlrling around after
missing, But my plans went wrong
because Bob's right hand swing start
ed from n wrong angle ana ne reatiE-
cd # the lustant that IL started.
The right hand swing hadn't NOV
"a any more than three inches when
Rah tried 70 pun Il back~~and eyc-
coed "A. Luck was with BOB. II rnis'
original direction had been good he
would have tet the blow swing Fat
II wasn't And he drew 4 back and
a. ne did 70 he saw me- with my
head pulled back ana Thy stomach
sticking out before him,
There vas Bob's opportunity-a.nd
he seized IL He ala not have time
TO make 2 long swing so he shot
EFF which didn't travel more than
eight snches into the pit Of my ston-
a ch / was standing in such WAY
that when the blow landed II ex-
PEELED all thu sir from my IunEs and.
easping and near STANDARDIZATION,