BOXING.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XVIII, Issue 1035, 6 January 1910, Page 13

BOXING.

THE FITZSIMMONS-LANG FIGHT. VETERAN’S PLUCKY STAND. Further particulars are now to hand of the heavy-weight contest between veteran Bob Fitzsimmons and Bill . Lang for the championship of Australia on December 27, which ended in a victory for the Melbourne pugilist in the twelfth round. A purse of £3,000 was offered by the promoters of the fight, the winner to take 60 per cent and the loser 40. The contest took place at the Sydney Stadium, and attracted a crowd of some 12,000 persons. Fitzsimmons, as ne entered the ring, weighed list. 21b., and his height was sft. 11% in. His competitor, Lang, besides being about 18 years younger than his opponent, who is 47 years old, was 13st. 5% lb. and 6ft. high. Fitzsimmons’ seconds were Tommy Burns, Pat O’Keefe, P. Bourke, R. Unholz, and G, Unholz. Lang’s seconds were Harry Nathan, Ernie Lang, Bob Bryant, “ Dutch ” Hickman, and Mick Dunn. Early in the morning the betting was strongly in favour of Lang as much as 5 to 2 being offered. Later, however, there was a revulsion of feeling in favor of Fitzsimmons, bringing the odds down to 5 to 4, though they went back to 2 to 1. The men entered the ring at 20 minutes to 11. Fitzsimmons taking the corner near the gasometer, which was occupied by Johnson in the fight with Burns a year ago. There was not very much advantage in it, however, as the sun was almost directly overhead. During the first round each man was plainly watching the other to get his measure and neither took any chances. Half-way through the round Fitzsimmons slipped and went to the boards. He was up again, however, in a second, only to receive a straight left in the mouth as soon as he rose. Shortly afterwards he got even with a solid left on Lang’s ribs. Almost immediately succeeding that he received two more straight lefts in the mouth which made him look thoughtful. The second round was devoid of any exciting incidents. Fitzsimmons fought cleverly, and finished up the round with a sharp uppercut on Lang’s jaw which made the Melbourne man a bit rocky. The pair mixed matters in the third, some solid blows being exchanged and the Melbourne boxer had slightly the better of the round. The fourth round proved a good deal in Fitzsimmons’ favour, the veteran scoring repeatedly with his right. Fitzsimmons was loudly applauded for his clever tactics in the fifth round, but Lang led when the men returned to corners.

Round six and seven saw Fitzsimmons tiring, and Lang went in to win but was baffled by the veteran’s cleverness in escaping punishment. The eighth round provided a bit of sensation. Both stood up to it, and exchanged swings, and Fitz ” took a heavy one on the jaw. It shook him up considerably, and Lang drove in to finish, but was again cleverly foiled, and received half-a-dozen sharp reminders that the old man was still dangerous.

Shortly after the opening of the ninth round Fitzsimmons scored first on the left side of Lang’s head, and the champion returned a left punch Which drove blood from the elder man’s cheek. This was the first claret to flow. After a lively set-to Fitzsim-

mons, who seemed like sinking to the boards, pulled himself together, and planted several blows on Lang’s face, which ’ stopped the Australian champion’s advantage, and brought matters somewhat even again. Lang got to work with a will in the tenth and eleventh rounds but though he delivered some smashing blows, he fetched the air several times as the result of Fitz’s clever dodging.

The twelfth and last round saw the veteran weak while the younger man had a good reserve of energy. Lang’s right eye was showing traces of the punching as he rushed Fitzsimmons through the ropes, but caught his opponent by the arm, and saved him from falling through, an act which earned for him an enthusiastic cheer. A little later Fitzsimmons showed his gratitude by landing twice heavily on Lang’s face with his right glove.

It was the conclusion of the veteran’s attack. Lang, cool, collected, determined, stood in and rained a shower of blows on to the head of his rival. Fitzsimmons was tired, very tired; he had been bumping against a man two-stone heavier and much stronger than himself for 12 strenuous rounds, and he could not avoid the storm. Right and left the Australian plugged in, till a crashing blow caught. “ Fitz.” on the side of the jaw, and he toppled slowly over, and lay stretched half outside the ropes. There were cries of “He’s out!” but the crowd was wrong. The ex-world-beater struggled gamely up at the call of nine seconds, and stood totteringly before Lang. Then followed a rather remarkable exhibition. The younger man was more excited than at any other period of the contest. He tried to administer the coup-de-grace, but it was a full minute before he could get the right measure, and bring the wearied Cornishman down for the final count. Superintendent Mitchell sprang on to the platform as the seconds were being counted off, and held up his hand, in signal to stop the fight, but it had finished, and Lang was acclaimed the victor. There were cheers, loud and long, as “Bob” was helped back to his corner, and more applause when a few moments later he stood up, and smiled cheerfully at the camera men directing their fire on him. Save for a “mouse” under the right eye, he looked little the worse for his losing battle. Lang, as strong almost as when he began, was more marked about the face. He, too, was warmly cheered, and congratulated upon his victory. THE CHAMPION INTERVIEWED. Interviewed immediately after the fight Lang used words of praise when speaking of the man whom he had just conquered, “I consider Fitzsimmons is a wonderful old man,” said the champion. “He is an extremely hard man to hit, and if I had kept my head up as some of the crowd wanted me to do I would have been knocked out. You cannot take any chances with a fighter like Fitzsimmons. He is one of the fairest boxers I have met, and he fought a good fight for an old man.” The Australian said he was always confident of winning. Asked as to his future engagements, he said he had to meet Squires again on January 12, and if he beat Squires he expected he would go to America, but before he went he would like to meet Tommy Burns again. The interview was interrupted at this stage by cheering, and a few moments later Fitzsimmons, looking much fresher than Lang, made his way into the latter’s room. “ How are you, Bill? Are you hurt?” Fitzsimmons asked. “ No,” was the response, then the two men shook hands once again. They were on the best of terms. “ You fought a great fight,” said Lang to his opponent of a few minutes ago. “ I am too old now. I found it out in my training, when I could not run as I used to.” THE DEFEATED MAN SPEAKS. “ A gentlemanly fight, sir,” was Fitzsimmons’ comment, when asked how he felt. And,” he added, “ I feel all right.” “He’s a good strong fellow,” continued Fitzsimmons, “and with a little improvement he’s going to be a won-

der. He’s as nice a young chap as I ever met. There were no remarks fin the ,ring—not even any ‘kidding’. That’s the way I' think men should fight. I don’t think the seconds should be allowed to make remarks either. Of course, there was nothing of that sort this morning.” “Will you fight again?” he was asked. . “No; it’s my last fight—the last of 370 battles,” said the ex-world’s champion. “ And up till that day,” he added in tones of pride, “I was only beaten fairly once.” “ By whom was that?” “By Jeffries.” “ Yes,” he continued, reflectively, I’ve been fighting 3 2 years,, and I’ve fought 370 battles. I realise now that youth must win. Age has told its tale. I didn’t realise it until I was training for this fight. Then it dawned upon me. I couldn’t run like I used to, and I felt that I couldn’t spar like I used to. And in the ring that morning I could not punch like I used to. There’s no doubt about it. It’s age. I can’t fight any more.” “But you put up a good contest.” “I thought I was a winner about the sixth round,” continued Fitzsimmons, “but there was no strength in my punch.” TOMMY BURNS’ OPINION. “It was a good fight,” said Tommy Burns, “and I believe that if the decision had been given before the knock-out Fitz would have won. “Up to the twelfth round I think the older man was leading on points. Look at the number of his punches which missed. Every time a man misses with one of those punches it’s a point against him, you know*. And three of Lang’s punches missed to one of Fitzsimmons’.” “Do you think Lang is improving in skill?” asked the reporter. “Yes, all the time. He has learned a lot since I met him in Melbourne last year.” “Are you likely to fight him again?” Burns laughed. “Oh, if he wants to, I’ll think about it,” he said. WHY THE POLICE INTERFERED. Police Superintendent Mitchell, who was in charge of the arrangements for the preservation of order, was asked for his impression of the contest. “It was very orderly—very orderly indeed,” he said. “The arrangements were well made, and they worked smoothly, being carried through without the slightest hitch.” “You go into the ring to stop the men, did you not?” “Yes; but just then Fitzsimmons went down and was counted out.” “What was your reason for stopping it?” “Simply because one of the men was exhausted. Youth had told its tale, and I could see that the elder man was absolutely tired out. There was no disfigurement on either of the contestants. It was simply exhaustion. Everybody admired Fitzsimmons’ pluck, but his strength had gone.”