BOB FITZSIMMONS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19527, 9 July 1925, Page 5

808 FITZSIMMONS.

AN AMERICAN EULOGY. Bob Fitzsimmons was one of tho greatest mrrtors of ring craft tho world has over known. Bob was born 'in Uolston, Cornwall, and moved with his family ’o New Zealand when only a year old. As he grew up he was apprenticed to a horseshoer. Ho became a tall, lanky boy and handling a hammer gave him a pair of wrists and forearms that were to make him famous (writes Robert Edgren in tho San Francisco Chronicle). While a smithy young Bob became interested in boxing, and fought several finish fights with loco) champions, London Prize Ring Rules. Each time ho had to ask the boas for half a day off. When his name began to appear in the sporting columns ns winner of fights he denied that ho was tho Bob Fitzsimmons mentioned, for fear of losing his job In 1890 Fitzsimmons heard that there was real money to be had for fighting in America, He saved wp his passage, partly paying his way by peeling potatoes for the ship’s cook, and landed in San Francisco with a couple of shillings and his spare clothes wrapped in a small bundle. From that time on Fitzsimmons’s climb was rapid. Ho wandered into one of San Francisco’s boxing clubs looking for a chance to fight, offering to meet any middle-weight of heavyweight, * Bob’s appearance wasn't impressive. He was 6ft tall, had wide, square shoulders and long arms, with tho smallest waist and skinniest legs ever soon on a fighter. When tho club gave him a tiyaut to see if ho could box at all Bob borrowed a pair of full-length tights and wrapped cloth round his legs to pad them out, and ervon at that drew a laugh from tho spectators. But he showed some sign of ability. In the club at the time was one Billy M’Carthy, a promising heavyweight. Fitzsimmons offered to fight M’Carthy, and was given a chance, although the club officials were afraid Fitz wouldn’t stand np long enough to keep the show from being a fizzle. When Bob stripped and stepped from his corner, swaying and ungainly on his skinny knock-kneed legs, with his innocent and simple expression, the crowd began to laugh and beg M’Carthy not to kill him. ’ But when the fight started the spectators had tho jolt of their lives. Fitzsimmons scuffled along to within hitting range and then his long arms began to pump in blows from every side until M’Carthy went reeling back. He knocked M'Carthv out in nine rounds. Next day all San Francisco was talking about the lanky freak lighter from Australia, and Fitz bad no more trouble getting attention. His first movo after being paid off was characteristic. He wont down town and bought a frookcoafc and a silk hat. Peeling potatoes one day—wearing api Ik. Ha-t in© nest. That ivaa Bob’s idea of prosperity. At this time Fitzsimmons weighed 147 pounds. Going to Now Orleans, then America’s fighting centre, he knocked out Arthur Upham. and in January, 1891. knocked out the great Nonpareil, Jack Dempsey, and won tho world’s middleweight championship. From that lime on Fitzsimmons knocked out and heavyweights one after another. Ho finished Peter Maher. Jim Hall, Dan Croedon, and a score of others. In a second fight with Maher ho knocked him out m the first round. Maher was one of the hardest hitters in tho world. Ho dropped Fitz with the first punch, and was so amazed when Fitz got up that ho lost heart entirely. I wasn t fighting a man—l was fighting tho devil hum self” said Maher afterwards. Fitzsimmons knocked out Toni Sharkey in Son Francisco, and Wyatt Earp, the famous gunfightcr of frontier days, who refereed, gave Sharkey the decision on u alleged foul. Fitzsimmons lost tho 10,000 dollars purse, but Sharkey didn’t get it. Hia manager flipped it away a* the race track before Sharkey could find him after the fight. Sharkey lost a couple of days lyincr in bed at the old Winchester Hotel, recovering from the solar plexug blow Fitz landed. „ , T i On March 17, 1897, at Carson. Nevada, Fitzsimmons knocked out Jim Oorbcit in 14 rounds, winning tho world’s heavy-weight championship. Ho weighed loss than 1551 b in that fight which made knocking out the heavy-weight title holder rather a remarkable feat, A couple of years later Bob, who had enjoyed a champions privilege of cleaning up with theatrical engagements, was knocked out in 11 rounds of desperate fighting by the young giant, Jim Jeffries. In a come-back next year ho knocked out Jim Daly, Ed Dunkhorst, Gus Rulilin, and Tom Sharkey, m a total of 11 rounds of fighting, Ha dared Jeffries to meet him a week later, but Fitzsimmons later in San Francisco broke both his hands in giving Jeffries a terrific mauling, and was knocked out in the eighth ronnd when ho could no longer hit to drive Jeffries back. The next year, at the age of 41, Bob Fitzsimmons won his third world’s championship by defeating Georgs Gardner in 20 rounds for the light-heavy-weight title. He lost this crown a couple of years later bo Jack O’Brien, collapsing in his chair after the thirteenth rcruntl through tho exertion of chasing O’Brien around tho ring, Bob’s fighting spirit never slackened, bat his fighting heart was worn out. Ho fought his last ring battle a six-round nodccision bout, with K. O. Sweeney, in 1914, at tho ago of 62, and wanted to go on fighting, but boxing commissions were coming into fashion, and they established an age limit that barred old Bob. Four years later Bob caught rtneumonia from standing in a draught in the wings of _ a theatre, after a boxing exhibition, and died. ’There never has boon Bob Fitzsimmons’s equal in the ring for ring craft, cold, omotionlos" courage, and tremendous hitting jx>wot.