Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1935-10-12
Montana
Ring Tales
BY JOE L. MARKHAM
Chairman Montana State Athletic Commission

other would try TO land. only n h.
cleverly blocked. While both were fas
and clever Gardner was the more scIen.
4 ttfic. For three rounds Fitzgerald wa,
able to stop the stiff 1abs, vicious IN
/ percuts and Short-arm iolts Of Gardner
and that made the Brooklyn boy con.
fident. But he could not land effect
lively. Many times he found the face
and body, but the blow did no dam
age.
Fitzgerald previously had been good
enough to go 20 rounds with Jimmy
Brit and secure a 10-round draw with
Joe Cans.
In the fourth and fifth rounds
Gardner was all over Fitzgerald whose
playground display Of cleverness van
ished.
Gardner Floors Opponent
The undoing Of Fitzgerald began in
the fourth round, when ne stopped a
stiff jolt with his mouth chat drew
blood. Gardner followed by sending
one home to the chin and Fitzgerald
went down, taking q count Of six. Gone
was the Fitzgerald smile. AS he got to
his feet, Gardner was on top of him.
raining lefts and rights, driving the
Brooklyn boy to the ropes. In an ex-
change, Gardner landed a right cross
TO the jaw and Fitz collapsed to the
floor. Dune Macdonald had counted
to five when the gong sounded the end
Of the round.
Fitzgerald's seconds worked valiantly
over him during the intermission and
he appeared to be out Of the clouds as
he danced to the center Of the ring
as the bell sounded.
The Fatal Fifth
Gardner left his seat, assuming a de-
Hberate attitude. He landed hard
blow to the pit of his opponents stom- |
ach; they clinched and again the
bread basket" of Fitz was bombarded. |
Fitzgerald certainly felt the sting Of |
those body blows An exchange of light |
blows was followed by a right to Gard l
ner's body, but Jimmy did not seem a /
bit worried. F1tz was throwing every |
thing he had, but left himself open to |
terrific right uppercut TO the jaw, and
went down for count of nine. He was
In pain. AS he got up Gardner sent
another stiff Jolt to the jaw. Fftz COW
cred up, intent only on stopping the
blows Of Jimmy. The latter
connected with jab to the head, but
Il was brushed aside, and then Gardner
Let fly a short, swift, hard right to the
chin and Fitzgerald again hit the
boards, staying down for count Of
eight.
He managed to get on his feet only to
stagger around. Gardner refused to
take advantage Of his weakened OPP
ponent and big Jim Jeffords, one of
Willie's seconds, hoped into the ring
and carried the Brooklyn boy to his
corner. Fitz struggled to free himself,
but Dune Macdonald had already rails
ed Gardner's hand. Jimmy went over
10 Fitzgerald's corner and wrung the
right hand Of the defeated battler, and
this by kissing FItz on the
cheek.
MIR. Cohen Reminisces
In talking about the fight q few
lays ago with Abe Cohen, the genial
Abe remarked that he considered him
Ien the champion of announcers In
hose days and even Billy Jordan and
Toe HUMPHREYS were jealous Of his
sarly-day reputation. In fact, Abe
admits he was the Graham MacNameel
Il the West In those days.
Abe stated, too, that there were twol
eatures of the Gardner Fitzgerald
light, though the papers only heralded
me. They were ID the technical
Knockout by Gardner, and Cd the an
bouncing by Abe Cohen, and If he
7ere asked an opinion, be would put
Us vocal performances as the real rea-
On Why several thoasand people packed
be Silver Bow arena (Butte) on q mid
un1mer night 81 years ago.