BOXING.
.-* (By Mercdet.)
: Great interest has been evinced on this side regarding the Cripps-t'nholz contest.on; November' 10. It was generally conceded;! that, ■in matching, up with the ex-champion/ middleweight, -the Boer was, colloquially '. lipeaking, "biting off more than he could chow," but the ease with'which ho has , disposed of bigger men opposed- tohim. (and George Jbhns, the welter champion in particular), left α-measure of doubt ns to whether his peculiar.methodSj atid 'excessive durability: would not ) see -.- him through, .■'■•'"■ ':; . /■;.' ' ; . ~''.' -."■ '".,'•'-'• -■'. "Bob" Fitzsimmons, Timaru's most famous export,- is back in Sydney. Ho came in-the train of Jlr. H.-D. M'lntosh, under whoso auspices he will show in Australia. His.mtehtibns are set forth in tlio. subjoined'interview,/appearing in a Sydriby ■ exchange, from which At will be sef;n' thatetime has not dealt hardly;,with "our Bob." '■..'■ /■■::/;■';. ..;.-.'. i '.'Yes," said: "Bob' , - Fitzsiinmons,; "it is- 20 years since I left j Australia for America, and .into- the intervening time I have crowded a : number of exciting- events. , I: was to have travelled:. with Jiiu Hall through Australia, England,- and America, : but after, I. had the position Ithon held the arrangement fell through. Then a Mr. Griffiths, for. whom 1 worked;-shoeing horses, introduced me to.Tom Jhmds, r who was■''chief : steward, cf .the.-Zea-. landia, and this; started my American , career, aiid "1' have nevor looked back; , I-won over .£IOO,OOO. in prizes,-in 13 years, and have .two big": homes- in ; America'.-.,■ -When \-1 :.'met 'Mr; M'lntosh in London I wasshomng.with imy . \vife in ■ -'A 'Man's a Man for'. A'-' That,';. and 'was :getting. J2250. a- week; .. Th,is show ibrings. :in : /some ball-punching. "...(Hr<-. Mintbsh /herb .interjected, "He is. considered/the best ball-ipunoner-in the world.") •'■ "I:, am," .continued iFitzsimmons,;"returning" to -.tho ring, ■ and;.;will 'faceOLarig on Boxing Day α-t. the; Stadhim." '.Questioned -as .to ■ the: effect the /'result of.l the. .;Johnson•Bμrns contest had upon/tho colbured ! population -in -America, the. reply was that • the 'greatest - jubilation was shown.»■ "It would : hptjr ■ continued. Fitzsimmons, ..'-in my opinion,' ;give;the coloured people' in America- a feeling: ! of:-superiority over tho ,Avh.jtc, ! .DCcauso,:pf the fact ■ that J. J. Jeffries hitherto undefeated has i challenged l '-Johnson,' bat- if/Jeffries' ,be' defeated;' ;then there' is/nb doubt .'whatever that the result will -lead to racial unrest. ;I, have ,'had no difficulty in my contests; , 'the people • are. 'nil Fitzsimmous,' because;,! beat Corbett .after he had made a draw with Jackson after 'going CO rounds:" As to the Jeffriesjohrison contest, 'Fitzsimmons said 1 that ho thought < Johnson l would be scared at the outset; then •ho woftld considerably punish Jeffries,; but the • latter '■wquld :wim/ Speaking, of-his,'own measurements, :he ; said ho , was > 6ft. lin. •in ■Kis; shoes, sft. : 'lljin. withpiit' them; that' hq ,tipppa.\tho .beam a.t'l2st. 2lb'.'in'his'-'clotheß; , and'in the.ring. never, battled over list!-lib. in' liis life.V '■;.. , ///:.// -..: '■■■ •:-■/■'/■''*':','/ ■■■■■•--■
-; [When Fitzsimmons beat Corbett .in/their memorablo contest for the championship, tho ■JNoiy'.'. Zoalander scaled 15G|lb.—llst. 2Ub.—as teainst-his ; adversary's 1871bl—13st. : slb'.:Mercury.J ; /.;.'; ■.■.■/-./; : -;.,-,\\ '' / ■;.,.': ' Apropos of FitzsimmonsV remarks .on the Johnson-Jeffries match,: Corbett has also been interviewed in, London, and< bas something to :say, on the same 1 subject: / Says■ the ex-eham-,pioi: Johnson there is not a real .class heavy-weight on.either sidoof the water to-day. Compare this with , 10 or 15 years ago when we .had snch tip-toppers as John L. Sul. hvan, Jake Kilrain, Frank Slavin, Peter Jackson, Jim Jeffries,. Bob Fitzsimmons, Jem Hall; Joe Choynski, and a few others whoso names' yon.will readily-retell." "You think-Johnson is a real good-man?" was asked., ;"I do," urihesitafingljr'replied':Corbett.'"Ho is'much tho best man in the' business at' present." ' "But what about Jim Jeffries? Do you think he and Johnson .will,;come.together?" "Jefferies is the ; greatest heavy-weight that .ever lived;, , and I feel certain that he will' meet: Johnson, as hesays." "Thore : seems some doubt'on .this side about the contest coming off," remarked; tlie interviewer, /"^ou- may take'it from me,"-said-Corbett impressively;- "that it will come off, for:I saw Jeffries just before leaving the' States, and;he assured.me that he would.certainly go into the ring with Johnson. And I don't think ■Jeffries would tell me that straight if he wag not certain o'nthe matter. How-do I think it will go?; It will bo.a great fight,, but if in; condition Jeffries is sure the; whip the black. Johnson, in my opinion, is the cleverer boxer .of the two, but when it comes to real fighting. I don't think Johnson will'be able to stand up against /Jeffries's tremendous, punishing pow\ers";■/';,/ .;■',//;'.'. ;;■/ . / .'.-". •■'■ ' -.■.-.. / / ■ .'Still '.another 'expert is to. the-front with an opinion on tho burning question of the-day; and this time the big black's 'chance/ is favoured. Thus bid-time Tommy Ryan, of the tLS.A.:."Don't think.because,Jeffries and ray. self, are on. bad .terms that I'am taking the Johnson end of the' argument." : I honestly be:lievb_ thp dingo will win. In the. first- place, Jeffries never mot a'man of his own'bulk, and inthe-negro ho-will-hook up-with a man.who is his equal , in poundage. Then Johnson is not only as clever as Corbett, but heis a punishing fighter, even if he. is not a kriocker-out. He has one punch,that will land Jeffries—the upV; percut. Hook to see 'Jeff' fight himself put; in ten rounds, and then go down from exhaustion, as did John L. Sullivan when he fought aim Corbett,"'; //.■-. : '.. .•..-. -/.'■/. .','.' : '-..' ' ' A question that is worrying the knowing onos in America is/ thai of Johnson's weight, which has been kept a "dark , - mystery. Against Burns he was billed at 13st.'41b.;hehas'since admitted to , list. 81b., and now we learn that "he hopes to reduce from 2261b. to 2101b. (15 stone) for the. Jeffries match.". -Like',-the fat boy jn Pickwick, Johnson seems to bo "swelling wis- , ibly.''"-/:-..,.,,. .--■;. : .- : ■ :/-■ : ■ ■'. ■ . "Billy" Elliott and "Dealer" Wells fight their j return match at the/Gaiety on Tuesday next. Ted Green arid Frank Fitzjohu'eomo together in the same" arena on November 31,' andKtz- ■ John has been matched against the winner of the Elliott-Wells bout for December, 13./ ' ; '.;. R. Middlowood, of Tasmania, Australasian middle-weight amateur'.champion,' has turned ;';'prb." '■ -/. ■■/,''; ;..-.. '■•■;.,''■-. "-■ .-• '■' ■'. If imitation,is the sincerest form of flattery, tho New Zealand Government should feolcomplimented over the action of theKidston istry in taking tho Dominion's boxing ■ logislatpn as a model for a new Bill, which, accord* ing to'tho "Keforee," was introduced in the Queensland Parliament and read the first time ' 6n-November 8. It is termed a Bill to consolidato and amend the law relating to tho ; powers and duties of officers of tho police force, and with respect to certain offences punishable 1 summarily, and for other purposes. Under the j hoading of miscellaneous tho regulation of box--1 ing is to-bo carried on under similar' condi- ■/ tione to .-those prevailing in New Zealand. I'ro--1 vision is inserted by which boxing contests can ' only bo/carried on under the'auspices of the •, club or associatioii whoso rules are'approved •:• by-the Governor-in-Conncil, and then only nn- >' :der a permit granted to the club;by tho police, i- Power is given to thbpolico' to' stop an uulaw- ■ ' jful-.coritc.se and arrest the offendors. /,-'■>. .'•'•'■ ■ ,:. -'Ji Clarke, the English welter-weight, who met !.', lieckie ; heie twice; during- the' past season, has i ;Bone':to:-Auetralia in;'search of matches... .';
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Bibliographic details
Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 669, 20 November 1909, Page 12
Word Count
1,150BOXING. Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 669, 20 November 1909, Page 12
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