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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... .';

Permanent link to this item

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/DOM19091120.2.78.4

Bibliographic details

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 669, 20 November 1909, Page 12

Word Count
1,150

BOXING. Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 669, 20 November 1909, Page 12

BOXING. Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 669, 20 November 1909, Page 12

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