Fitzsimmons vs NP Dempsey

Janitor started a thread on this fight and post a truckload of newspaper clippings.

http://www.eastsideboxing.com/forum/showthread.php?t=142953

In the end, Fitz was simply too strong and powerful for Dempsey.

 

Pollack's 'In the Ring with Bob Fitzsimmons' has great coverage of this fight.

Dempsey took a terrible beating, and Fitzsimmons was glad when it was over.

I remember one comment (cited in Pollack) to the effect that Dempsey showed a form that would have enabled him to beat any other man in his weight class, yet was completely out-classed by Fitzsimmons. The fight established Fitzsimmons as a fistic phenom.

 

The Bob Fitzimmons who Kod Jack Dempsey, in 1891, was 28 years old then, and was in his fistic prime...Fitz at that middleweight match very well might have been the greatest fighter that ever lived...Hereafter the Dempsey ko Fitzimmons,was forced to tackle the best heavyweights of the time,and still flattened most of them,such as Maher Gus Fuhlin Tom Sharkey,Corbett,etc,and spotting themup to 50 lbs.....All this when he was past his peak...Fitz was unique ,for he had pipe stem legs,no waist ,massive chest and shoulders,and arms that was once described ,as coming from a cable car...Thus his tremendous punching power on a 160 lb frame......

 

Brilliant thread. Any more articles or write ups on this bout?

 

This bout is actually legendary and has been well written about over the years so in no way “forgotten” or “overlooked”.

 

The Times-Democrat (New Orleans, Louisiana) 15 Jan 1891, Thu Page 6
James J. Corbett, the heavy-weight, immediately after the fight repaired to the St. Charles Hotel, where he was seen by a reporter of The Times-Democrat, and when asked: "I authorized my back two hours before the fight to bet £2000 even on Fitzsimmons, he to take half and I take half. Since I saw Fitzsimmons fight McCarthy I placed him as the greatest middleweight of the world. He is strong, long in the reach, clever, in fact very clever, and his wind is first class. Dempsey was overmatched, and if the truth was known he could not have weighd over 142 or 143 pounds. Fitzsimmons is a clever fighter in his class, they don't make them any better, and to-night he could have won without a handler. He has every requirement that goes to make a fighter, and above all is a gentleman in the ring. I am sorry to see Dempsey licked, but he died game. Fitzsimmons was very considerate and could have put him out in the fifth round. It seemed to me as if he wanted to give the people a show for their money, and no one can deny that he is a general and a gentleman in the ring and at the same time a clever fighter."