BOXING.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIX, Issue 57, 23 February 1918, Page 14

BOXING.

Recently untimely interuptions front the gallery at a Sydney theatre so unnerved Miss Kathleen MacDonell that she fainted. This incident prompts a critic to recall an incident at Sydney which had a different termination. It is recorded that on one occasion, when the late John L. Sullivan, the famous pugilist, was playing in "The Village Blacksmith," someone in the gallery cock-crowed. "John L." was not the fainting sort; he merely strode to the footlights, and remarked to the offender: "Cut that out, or I'll come up and put a tail on you, my pippin."

An interesting short sketch of the career of the late Bob Fitzsimmons is given b ythe sporting editor of the "News of the World," London:—

Fitzsimmons was a wild, though lovable character, who became the greatest fighter of the greatest era for pugilists in the history of the ring. So far as our knowledge permits us to know, he was the greatest pugilist of all time, and perhaps we will never see another like him. Moderately clever as a boxer during a score of years before age was demanding its toll, no man could live in the same ring with him, and he beat" middle-weights and heavy-weights alike. Born at Helston, Cornwall, in 1862, he went as a child with his parents to New Zealand, and there began . his fighting career whten appoaching his twenties. His father being a blacksmith, Bob at a very early age was introduced to the sledge and anvil, and it was due to his daily toil that he developed the wonder* ful chest, shoulders, and arms that he possessed, as well as the driving force behind his wonderful punch. He met with a few defeats in the beginning, particularly at the hands of Jim Hall, which Fitz always maintained was faked; but after he landed in San Francisco: his career was never tarnished with suspicion. His first leap into fame came when he beat Jack Dempsey for the middleweight championship at New Orleans on January 14, 1891, but the performance that made Fitzsimmons' name ring throughout the world was hi 3 sensational defeat of .-"Gentleman Jim" Corbett at Carson City'on March 17, 1897. All th« physical advantages were with Corbett, and-.for the greater part of the battle' Corbett was the master of Fitz, whose battered contenance told of the frequency and power of Corbett's punches. But ho gamer man than Fitz ever stood up, and he took it all with unflinching courage, awaiting the opportunity to pull off a' coup. Within live feet of Fitzfs corner sat the fighter's wife. Fitzsimmons has himelf recorded that in one of the rounds Corbett. looked at Mrs FitzsimmOns and laughed, but she retorted, "You cannot whip him!" She proved a good prophet, too. When a terrible left-hander sent Fits to the boards in round six, and it looked all. up with "Lanky Bob," Mrs Fitzsimmons came forward to the ringside, and, above the turmoil, her voice rang out, "Bob, Bob, get up!" Fitz did get up, and battled on doggedly. He was still there at the end of twelve" rounds, and, battered though he was, he •still maintained "his strength and punching 'power. "Remember, Bob, the thirteenth is your lucky round. Do not let him whip you,"- said Mrs Fitzsimmons, as the battle was resumed. Fitz did not get the desired opportunity in that round, but the fourteenth saw the finish. Deacribing the. winning'punch Fitzsimmons .wrote: "Corbett was fighting a little wild, and made a swing, which I side-stepped. In— flash I saw a clean opening on his -stomach, and came in with a left-hand shift on his wind; then, without changing the position of my feet, shot the same'hand against his jaw, thus giving him the identical blows which I administered to Sharkey in San Francisco. There was no way for him to get up in ten seconds. I was sure I had done the trick." Fitz lost the heavy-weight title to big Jim Jeffries at Coney Island on June 8, 1899, being beaten in eleven rounds by the young giant of lost. Perhaps the finest achievement Fitz ever accomplished was when, on August 10, 1900, he knocked out big Gus Ruhlin in six rounds at New York, after a gruelling bout, and a fortnight later beat Tom Sharkey in two rounds. Sharkey had twice previously stayed the limit (20 and 25 rounds) with Jeffries, who had only earned a draw with Ruhlin when they met over 20 rounds in 1597. His last real contest was with Bill Lang at Sydney in 1910. One of Fit*r*a notable feats was when, at Chicago World's Fair, he knocked out seven opponents one after the other, and not one of them weighed less than 14st 71b. An amusing story is told of one of Fits* Simmons' contests. His opponent, Dunkhorst, known as the "human freight car," was knocked out in the second roujhdi When he came to he asked, "How many ■were killed?" How many killed?'-* a second asked, somewhat perplexed, "When the roof fell in," said Dunkhorst,

AQUATICS.

SWIMMING,

Commenting on the win of C. Low over G. Orchard in the 220 yds trial swims,for representation at Wanganui in the intermediate class championship, the Christchurch "Sun" says: "The indications were that had he been pressed harder Low would have put up even better time . than the 2.56 which he registered. A prediction of what will occur at Wanganui is hazardous, for at the moment there are whispers of big breakers ahead; but this much at least can be said—that if Low does not win this event for Canterbury it will not be for want of putting up a splendid swim, nor for lack, of driving anybody in front of him fast enough ' to make the winner deserving of the hon* our. The same may be said of Orchard, who is expected to swim a better furlong in Wanganui than he did in the trial here. Canterbury should be well content with its 220 yds representation. Both Low and Orchard are exceptional swimmers for juniors; if they have superiors in their class in New Zealand, then it means that the sport in New Zealand i» making a big stride forward. Therefore we may be philosophic enough to be pleased both ways." The writer proceed! to describe a fine finish in the 880 yds race, in which Orchard just beat Low in 14.9 3-5, and again comments: " 'The boy who beats them will deserve to win/ w_ the remark made by one observer after the trial, and certainly if they are beaten their conqueror should be smashing NewZealand records before many seasons elapse. Auckland appears to be the only centre which may put in a boy to trouble them. It is stated that Hogg) the Napier boy, who should have won the 440 yds junior event, and didn't, last year, has improved, but whether or not he haa improved sufficiently for the task that will be set him if he swims in this race remains to be seen. At any rate, Canterbury should be well content to take it« chance with two such good bpva.''-