THE FIGHT FOR TEE CHAMPIONSHIP.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIV, Issue 10425, 24 April 1897, Page 2 (Supplement)

THE FIGHT FOR TEE CHAMPIONSHIP.

FITZSIMMONS V. CORBETT. FITZSIMMONS WINS. Tee American papers by the mail steamer are filled with accounts of the great prize fight for the championship between Corbett and Fitzsimmons. We give the following abstract:—

Cakson, March Before the fight began Referee Siler called both men to the centre and made a little speech to them. He said: "Gentlemen,—l suppose you thoroughly understand my interpretation of the rules, and that you will not violate them." Both answered in the affirmative, and Siler then said : " Hitting with the head in chancery will not be allowed, and will be foul. Failure to comply with this provision by either principal will result in the disqualification of the offender." Ha also cautioned both men not to use the elbow. Then Siler called the men to the centre and instructed them to shake hands. Corbett held out Ins hand; but Fitz very properly said: "I refuse to shake hands."

First Round.—They stood looking at each other straight in the eye. Both feinted and side-stepped. They continued for a moment, and Fitz finally crowded Corbett into a corner and lot go his left. Corbett ducked, and Fitz rushed against the ropes. Corbett in the next rally scored with the left lightly on the nose, quickly following with a stiff left on the body. Fitz did some feinting with the right, trying hard to land on Corbett's jaw, but the California!) was wary. In the next attack Corbett let out bis left, half-swing fashion, catching Fitz hard with the left on the eye. Both men landed letts. After a clinch Fitz tried to sneak his right over on the breakaway, but Corbett was on the more, and laughed. Both fell short with left leads for the body, and then Corbett landed a hard right over the heart just as the bell sounded. Fitz winked and Corbett laughed. Second Kound.—Bothansweredpromptly, Fitz forcing the issue, and swinging his right for tho jaw and missing. They clinched for several seconds, and Corbett tried for an uppercut, but was short. Corbett stopped a left swing for the jaw. In the next rally Corbett swung his left on Fitz' left eye, and a moment later poked his left straight on Fitz nose. Fitz rushed a swinging right and left, and chased Corbett around, but Corbett stopped both blows with his arms and smiled. Corbett landed lightly with the left twice on the nose. Following up his advantage he struck Fitz twice heavily with the left in the stomach, escaping with a counter. In the next attack Corbett slipped and left himself open, but Fitz was not quick enough to take advantage of the opportunity, and Corbett lost nothing. They were sparring when the bell sounded.

Sixth Round, — Fitz was mad clear through when he responded. He rushed Corbett, and tried to scare with the right, bat failed, a clinch following. Then Fitz did considerable wrestling, and the crowd cried Foul Then Corbett came at his man viciously, smashing him with right and left on the jaw, making Fitz unsteady on his feet. A straight left on the nose made the blood flow in streams. A righthander on the jaw staggered Fitz, and in order to avoid further punishment he dropped to bis knees, remaining down eight seconds. Corbett stood off waiting for him. When ho did get up Corbett promptly smashed him on the jaw with the left, following with the right on the jaw, staggering Fitz. A straight left on Fitz' damaged nose again brought the blood. This round was all in favour of Corbett, who seemed to have his opponent in great distress and guessing at the close. Fitz returned to his corner, distressed and worried. His seconds worked hard during the rest, and he answered the bell in good physical shape, but the smile was gone. Seventh Round. - Both men sparred cautiously for a time. Then Fitz let go right and left at Corbett, but Corbett stepped in close, avoiding the blows. Both then scored with lefts. Fitz seemed to have lost strength, and Corbett had no trouble in throwing him about in the two clinches that followed. Both swung lefts, but neither scored, standing off looking at each other for same moments. Corbett sent out his right straight from the shoulder, landing on Fitz' nasal organ, again bringing blood. Fitz was desperate, and tried to connect Corbett's jaw with his right, but failed. On the next) try, however, he succeeded in landing his right on the jaw. Fitz continued rushing wildly, and Corbett found no difficulty in keeping out of range. Corbett's generalship was superb, and elicited rousing applause. Corbett went to his corner smiling, while Fitz looked worried and tired.

Twelfth Round.—Fitzaimmons came out on the run, promptly swung for the jaw, missed, lost bis balance, and fell against the ropes, again giving Corbett an opportunity to place his right o nthe jaw, but he wasn't quick enough. Fitzsimmons continued rushing, and failed to land, Corbett countering some on Fitz' bloody mouth. Light sparring was followed by Corbett forcing Fitzsimmons to the ropes and land ing a right on the jaw, Fitzsimmons sparring at long range, and threatening to shoot his right for Corbett's jaw. Corbett then smashed Fitzsimmonß three times hard over the right eye, scratching the Australian. Once Fitzsimmons dropped both hands, and Corbett made a vicious attempt to score with his right, uppercut style, on the Australian's chin, but missed by quite a large margin. Corbett seemed the frostier of the two at the end of the round.

Thirteenth Round.— men came together on the first exchange, each scoring with a left on the jaw. Fitz, still the aggressor, chased the California!) around '•lie ring, swinging hard with both hands. Corbett showed excellent generalship, skilfully dodging, side-stepping, or stopping blows with the arms. Corbett then landed lightly with his left on the body and wade a right swing, but missed. Fitz, after a breakaway, retreated toward his corner and dropped both hands. Corbett attempted to land a knockout blow, but failed. Coming to the centre again, Fitz landed his let forcibly twice on the mouth. Later Corbett hit the Australian five times in succession on nose and mouth, bringing blood on each occasion, When they retired to their corners Fitz's face was covered with blood, while Corbett was unmarked.

Fourteenth Kound.— led first, shooting out a left, but was short. His next effort met with better results. Thoblow landed hard on Fitz' damaged nose. This he followed with another on the same point. The blows seemed to nettle Fitz, and he promptly came back at Jim, scoring with force on the jaw, and following it with two left swings on Corbett's jaw. He followed up tho advantage just guined cleverly. Rushing viciously at Corbett, he planted his leftwith fearful forcoio the pit of the stomach and followed it a right over the heart. Corbett placed his ban J over his body, and, with an expression of agony on his face, gunk writhing in .pain to the floor. There were cries of foul, but the blow was a perfectly fair one. It doubled Corbett up completely, and from that moment bis claims to the title of champion pugilist of V the world ceased to exist. After an effort that was pitiful in tho extreme, Corbett f finally struggled to his feet and in a dazed i-. sort of way made his way to the northwest ;; coiner ei.<i wanted to go on with the fight, but Fitz laughed «i him and friends sepat rated them. Later l.'orbctt's seconds made a claim of foul, which the referee refused to - allow. V ' A SPORTING CORRESPONDENT'S ACCOUNT OF '/ " ' THE DECISIVE BLOWS. The eventful series of blows that settled j the question of supremacy between those two men came with no surprise to any of us who had been watching the men at their work day after day for the last five weeks. It was in the fourteenth round. One g minute and twenty seconds of the time had tX'}\ elapsed," and honours were about evenly divided. Corbett, stepping to the centre of- the ring, clinched his opponent around S ' the back wtih both his arms, bearing down on the body, evidently with a desire to tire /■••the Australian out by his advantage in weight. .They separated in the centre of .S'.tbe ring/and Jim, confident in the knowIP ledge of his superior sparring ability, stood llji close to his opponent with his head thrown ifct back. It seemed to me as though he in. I®? tended to strike a straight left punch, when FiUsimmone, stepping in to the left and Si leising his opportunity, swung a terrible left-hand upper cut. It caught Corbett's stretched •'and j extended .body over the iplwo, and sent him staggering to the

ropes in the south-west corner. Fitz followed this up with a right swing over the heart, but there was no need for the second blow. Corbott, his face the picture of agony, his eyes starting out of his head, and his flesh shivering and white, as he fell to his right knee and clutched wildly at the ropes, tried twice to gain his feet, and both times sank backward. The expression of suffering seemed to grow more visible and intense every moment. Siler, waring Bob back with a motion of his hand, began to count the seconds. He had reached twelve—two over the fated number —before Jim rose to his feet, and even then the ex-champion, groaning in anguish, staggered back to the side of the ring once more, helplessly defeated. THE COMBATANTS ENTER THE RING. At a few minutes alter noon the crowd, seated on the rising timbers on the east side of the arena, set up a hoarse yell and down through the tunnel from his dressing-room came Fitzsimmons, with Martin Julian ahead of him carrying fans and towels. Bob was in his tights, with a gaudy, paleblue bathing robe thrown lightly over his shoulders. Following along in procession after him were Roeber, Hickey, and Stelzner, with their arms full of bottles, sponges, buckets, and other ring paraphernalia. The crowd all over the body of the amphitheatre took up the cry as they came along and passed through tho narrow passages leading around the boxes to the ring. Just before the Australian stepped up into his corner on the northwest side of the ropes, Mrs. Fitzsimmons, from her box against the press stand, cried, Here I am, dear I" waving the Star and Stripes in her hand to attract her husband's attention. Bob leaned over and kissed her heartily, immediately afterward jumping in a lively way up to his seat. Before the applause that heralded bis coming died out, there was another and louder yell which started from the other side of the arena. Corbett, bright and smiling and covered with a brown eiderdown dressing-gown, was the cause of the new demonstration. As he marched briskly through the mass of moving hands to his station fronting the kinetoscope, Billy Delaney, Charley White, McVey, and Woods clambered up into the ring after him and stood looking at one another and the crowd.

George Siler, the referee, was the noxt to enter the ring, Dr. Lee accompanying him to examine the gloves. After this was completed Billy Madden, placing his portly form against the ropes, addressed the audience: While this contest is taking place," ho said, or rather yelled, "you will please keep order, because if you make any noise or cause any excitement it will only interfere with the men, and besides there are ladies present." Madden then announced as officials for the battle, referee, George Siler; official timekeeper, William Muldoonj timekeeper for Corbett, Jimmy Colville; timekeeper for Fitzsimmons, Louis Houseman.

The master of ceremonies brought Siler forward, introduced him to the crowd, and then, catching Fitzsimmons by the arm, led him forward. Julian caught hold of the blue robe, and the Australian stood displayed in silk tights, with an American flag belt around his waist. At the sight of hs huge shoulders and his well-known features everybody gave him a hearty welcome, but the cheering was nothing to what went up when Madden brought Corbett to the centre of the ring and announced his name and titles. Jim seemed to be in magnificent condition as he stood stripped, with the sun pouring on his ample back, making his white face glisten, though his legs seemed ridiculously small, and made probably a greater contrast to the rest of his body than was shown in the figure of Fitzsimmons. WHAT FITZSIMMONS SAID. Fitzsimmons, in speaking of the fight, said: "In the sixth round the blood was interfering with my breathing, and I played as careful as I could, hanging on when possible to avoid punishment. I knew if I could stand that round I should win. I was in pretty bad shape for a little while, but after that I never had a doubt as to my winning, for Corbett's blows were growing slower and Blower every minute, while I did not feel any ill effects myself. When I bit him in the last round I was going to uppercut him with my left, but I saw him gradually sinking, and I restrained mysolf and walked away. I thought he would not be able to get up in time, so I walked to my corner knowing the fight was mine. "Corbett talks about a return fight,and says that he will follow me from town to town until I give him a return battle. I am 36 years of age, have fought more championship battles than any two men in ancient or modern ring annals, and shall retire. I will never fight again."

WOE OF TIIK VANQUISHED. Limp and beaten, Jumo< J. Corbetfc, the defeated champion, struggled along tho narrow passageway from the ring to his dressing-room. On one side of him was " Brother Harry," on the other Delaney. The rest of Uorbett's trainers followed in the rear. Joe Corbett, whose faco was seamed with sorrow, anil the father of the pugilist, took places in Jim's dressing-room and hid their misery in silence. It was like a funeral. Tho pugilist dragged himself to the conch prepared for him, and with a voice heavy with tears bewailed his misfortune. The fit of tempbr which he displayed in the ring after he recovered from the effects of Fitzsimmons' blow had passed off, and now Corbett gave himself up to despair and resignation. He rocked to and tro on his makeshift bed, and with a voice which betrayed the tears behind kept muttering, "James J., James J., where are you now?" That Corbett was prostrated by defeat, literally and figuratively, is only too true. The defeat by Fitzsimmons cut him to the heart, and he moaned in an agony of sorrow. "To be beaten when I had the fight. I was careless, and that is just what killed my chances. Oh, my God, I know I am that man's master. I was too ' fresh, 1 too confident, and did not take care of myself. It serves me right. I can licit him, and would have done so had I not been so oareless."

A friend who had gained admittance to the dressing-room, after shaking hands with Jim, burst into tears. Jim, by great force of will, restrained himself from a similar coarse, but his voice was exceedingly lachrymose. In the dingy and low-roofed room Corbett on the cot was then taken in hand by his trainers. They rubbed him thoroughly, not saying a word as they performed their work. The silence hung heavily on all, for they saw the face of the loser twitching in pain. His sufferings, mental and physical, wore intense. Though there was not a scratch on his body, he suffered severely from a terrible blow in the stomach. -Jim could not draw a full breath without agony for some time after the fight. The sensation of gasping for breath was new to him, and he said he could not understand it. When a close friend was about to leave him, Corbett again returned to his sorrow. " Oh, if I can only get another chance at him. I am his master, but Jim Corbett will now, I suppose, have to take to the woods. I was f&irly knocked out by an awful body blow."

When asked if he would fight again, Corbett said, morrow, if Fitz would give me a chance." Corbett will try and force another match, but fears that Fitz siminons will not afford him the opportunity.