MR ROBERT FITZSIMMONS.

Manawatu Standard, Volume 9160, Issue 9160, 9 March 1910, Page 5

MR ROBERT FITZSIMMONS.

THINKS JEFFRIES WILL BEAT JOHNSON.

AND LANG WILL BEAT BURNS.

Mr Robert Fitzsimrnons, pugilistic encyclopaedia, actor, journalist, farmer, and champion horseshoer of the world, was searching for a blacksmiths shop this morning when our representative happened across him. He wanted to make a horseshoe to leave as a. memento of his visit to this city, and it was while the grim-visaged warrior was possessing himself of his tools—which have been touring the world with him—that he dropped various pearls of pugilistic wisdom anent past, present, and future happenings in the world of which he was once boss, and now is the recognised """When' Jeffries said he'd fight that niiro-er he was fit," was the reply to what, of course, had to be the first question "Do I think he'll beat him.' Of course, I do. Jim had been training for twelve months before he made his announcement. He wanted to see if he could get into form before he would, challenge the champion. I think Jeftnes will beat Johnson, because Johnson has never been up against a man as big and strong as Jeffries; because Johnson had never met a man who would te.u into him like Jeffries, and he is scored; and because Johnson could never hurt Jeffries. But," said the veteran, n the Jfgger wins ho won't bo champion lor 24 hours He is hated m America, and Sore would be a race war. The ruggers would become unbearable. \ou don t k Tt W wS e po!nted out to the ox-champion ss-3 sLfflrs KHh£ that Jeffries could not possibly gct into s-Bt^r^bif^xst^: andf Jim would be in form when the tune

«"o Jritton lots lot the big paw" simmons '" he remarked proudly. 1 v<, Xo run correspondence columns in the New York papcre-advice to parents and physical culture," added the great man. "When I go back to America I'm going to start a physical culture course on my £m ut Jere/y for bankerß lawyer. They need it pretty badly, some or th^';hL e k aS L e a n ng d ;vill get over Burn, Tommy is in good form, but Lang has KnT'a lot lately. .I've teaching him WBen he met me he didn t hit Hie one good punch in the open. It was all in the clinches." Mr Fitzeimmons now began a rather terrifving exposition of the change he had wrought in the big Australian. "See "he said. "Lang always flinge his arms' about side-ways and his punches would all have passed over Tommy, head, but I taught him this one. The iolt in question wae delivered straight up with the whole body, at which Mr Fitzsimmons' interrogator shifted his chin to a safer distance. "You see this is the difference You swing a piece of four by two round and hit a man on the side of the head; it doesn't hurt him much. But you drive it into him end first, and you'll tear his head oft, which ie quite delightful American simile ! "I think Lang will win although Tommy is in good condition, lie s been training hard, for some time. "What about that fight of yours with Ed. Williams in Melbourne V" "Well, Tt may come off It all depends on the inducement Mr Mclntosh offers," was the reply. Chatting about other things en route to the blacksmith's shop, the ex-champion said he had left this land 27 yeare ago Didn't see much of it then; gave all his money to help hie mother. This remark naturally led to a query about the financial prospects of the ring. They re all right if you're on top over there, but there's a. lot of 'crook' fighting for the poor beggars who are « nde ,rneath. They don't fight to win. They fight as the'promoter tells them to . . ■ if Johnson wins the pictures won t be worth anything. The American public, won't look at a film in which a coloured man wins. In Texas they drew their guns and shot the screen to pieces when thev put the Burns Johnson picture on ! '"" My wife? She's the best finger "in the world. Anyway, she was the best singer in England and America. \ou mi«sed something if you didn't hear her. Mv three children are at home on my farm in Jereey. - .. ■ You didn t know I was the champion horseshocr ot the world?" This last rather pained query was delivered as the champions hi" shoulders filled the doorway of Mr W T Wood's blacksmith shop, and before manv seconds the sparks were Hying as ho produced in record time a- couple of neat shoes, mementoes of his visit to Palmerston.