Rating Bob Fitzsimmons

[janitor]

I think that Fitzsimmons should also be considered for a position as a top 20 all time heavyweight.

I mean why not, pleanty of people have Corbett there?

[orriray59]

Thank you all for the suggestions and stuff posted. I appreciate it.

[Nightcrawler]

Originally Posted by janitor

I think that Fitzsimmons should also be considered for a position as a top 20 all time heavyweight.

I mean why not, pleanty of people have Corbett there?

Fair reasoning, if someone has corbett in top 20 (i dont know if i do but i doubt it) . What ate his top 5 heavyweight wins? im not all that familiar with his resume

[orriray59]

Originally Posted by Nightcrawler

Fair reasoning, if someone has corbett in top 20 (i dont know if i do but i doubt it) . What ate his top 5 heavyweight wins? im not all that familiar with his resume

I personally wouldn't include either Fitzsimmons or Corbett in my top 20, although I wouldn't care that much if they reared their heads in other lists.

[SuzieQ49]

That's because Corbett actually fought to a draw with the best fighter of the era Peter Jackson(unlike Fitz), beat John L Sullivan, jake kilrain, charlie mitchell, kid mccoy, prime joe choynski, and many others. Corbett was past his prime when he fought fitz. He still knocked him down(fitz had to illegally grab on the referee to avoid being counted out) and outboxed him with ease. Way past his prime on a 3 year layoff, he nearly defeated a prime James Jeffries.

[janitor]

Originally Posted by Nightcrawler

Fair reasoning, if someone has corbett in top 20 (i dont know if i do but i doubt it) . What ate his top 5 heavyweight wins? im not all that familiar with his resume

His top 5 wins based on significance at the time:

1. KO14 Jim Corbett. Lineal title win, so its a no brainer that this is #1.

2. DQ8 Tom Sharkey, Obviously it was a DQ, but we all know what realy happened. This was a fight for the vacant title, a bit like Klitschko Sanders.

3. KO1 Peter Maher. Maher was very highly regarded at the time, and this fight basicaly set him up as the only challenger for Corbett's crown.

4. KO6 Gus Ruhlin. Ruhlin was riding high and seen as the only serious chyallenger for Jeffries, then Fitz just destroyed him.

5. KO2 Tom Sharkey. Sharkey had lost to Ruhlin, but was still seen as the other key contender of the new generation. With this win, Fitz had wiped out the new wave of contenders, and turned the clock back.

It has to be noted that nobody apart from Corbett, gave him a particularly competitive fight, or lasted very long.

[Flea Man]

No.10 in my P4P list.

Born in England but didn't really consider himself a British fighter from what I've read and an American citizen at time of his greatest win. But yeah, if he is British then he's the GOAT.

[McGrain]

Even in the litany of destruction that Fitz rained down upon an entire era, Ruhlin sticks out for me as particularly destructive. Fitz took him apart, just took him right apart at the seams. They thought the guy might die.

I don't rate Fitz top 20 at HW but I bet if I was just rating champions, he would be in the top 20 champions. You can't buck what he did, era for era.

[Flea Man]

The second fight with Maher is without a doubt Fitz at his most destructive IMO.

The build-up to that fight is insane as well, what an event and what a result. Fitz essentially had a shoot out with the biggest puncher of his day, spotted him at least a stone and flattened him inside a round. Ridiculous.

[orriray59]

Wow, Fitzsimmons was some specimen then. Sounds like an amazing fighter from these accounts. Good article there McGrain, I really enjoyed it.
I was shocked to read about how badly Fitz beat Nonpareil. Tremendous boxer.

[McGrain]

Originally Posted by Flea Man

Ridiculous.

It is a bit.

Originally Posted by orriray59

Wow, Fitzsimmons was some specimen then. Sounds like an amazing fighter from these accounts. Good article there McGrain, I really enjoyed it.
I was shocked to read about how badly Fitz beat Nonpareil. Tremendous boxer.

Thanks. He utterly thrashed NP JD. JD had slipped but it was the manner of the defeat that was astonishing. He out-boxed boxers and out-fought fighters and out-punched punchers. He's basically impossible to overate.

[KernowWarrior]

Bob Fitzsimmons was the best British boxer ever, first 3 weight World Champion, first Brit to win the World Heavyweight title, rated p4p as a puncher.

He was a Cornishman so that makes him the best end of

[HOUDINI]

I remember reading an article written by Fitz concerning fighting black fighters. In his day a fighter would challenge the champion....not vise versa. He stated he never could understand why white champions like Sullivan drew the color line. The only reason he did not fight black fighters were than none challenged him to a fight.

[janitor]

Originally Posted by orriray59

I personally wouldn't include either Fitzsimmons or Corbett in my top 20, although I wouldn't care that much if they reared their heads in other lists.

I think of Corbett and Fitzsimmons as being comparable to Walcott and Charles in terms of heavyweight resume.

The similarity is that they were not dominant champions, but they were still good enough to beat the up and coming contenders of the next generation when they were themselves past their primes.

[PowerPuncher]

Roger Bannister wouldn't make my top British mile runners list so neither is Fitz