Why Did Fitz Do So MUch Better 2nd Time Around?

Bob Fitzsimmons defended his heavyweight title aginst Jim Jeffries on the 9th of September 1899.

Fitz had not fought for 2 years, it went 11 rds with Jeffries being altogether too strong and durable for the Cornishman.

Fitz was down in the second round,and his wife left her seat, and the stadium at the end of the round. Fitz was unable to land cleanly with his patented body shots as Jeffries, fighting in a crouch never gave him a target
.Fitz did better in the next finding the range with a left that split Jeffries eyebrow open. Reports say Fitz was the better man in the sixth and seventh rounds.

Jeffries was using his size and weight advantages effectively in the clinches and referee George Siler permitted things to take their course.
Fitz was still landing shots but tiring and Jeffries punches began to hurt him appreciably more than vice versa.
Jeffries had big eighth,ninth rounds ,and in the tenth Fitz was floored again from a left to the chin, he was up at seven . left and right to the head had him down again,up at five he escaped defeat by ducking and diving,till the bell rang.
Jeffries came out for the eleventh meaning business, Fitz tried a couple of leads , but they were arm punches with no sting in them.Jeffries ignored them and smashed two big rights to the heart that sent Fitz tottering backwards, a left to the face , had Fitz on ***** street,a right followed by a left finished the job.
Jeffries was the champion.
It would be three years before they met again.Fitz , nearly 40 was again coming off a two years lay off .
This time Fitz improved tremendously on his previous performance.

Fitz signed to fight champion Jeffries over 20 rds at the San Francisco Aren on July 25th 1902 in California , Jeffries home state.
was Fitz's,his quick left leads gaining him the points advantage.

In the second Jeffries quickened his pace, but a succession of lefts and an uppercut bloodied Jeffries nose and won Fitz the round, but Jeffries landed a big left to the body that visibly hurt the older man.

Fitz had a big third round,landing frequently on Jeffries face and opening cuts on it.Fitz also hurt Jeffries with a left to the head and a big body shot that made him grunt.
Jeff coming forward, landed a big left to the head and Fitz was glad to hold on.
Out for the fourth , Jeffries showed the signs of the punishment he had shipped, he had a deep gash under his right eye and a heavy nose bleed.
Jeffries was making the fight but Fitz evaded his big shots with clever footwork and his quicker hands kept him in contention.Close round.

Jeffries opened the fifth with three hard punches that landed before Fitz could slip away. he follwed this up with a big left to the body, but Fitz responded with afierce two handed attack.
Fitz was looking good with his evasive footwork and quick flurries , but another big punch to the midsection slowed him,and he looked tired as he walked to his corner at the end of the round.Jeffries round .

Jeffries upped the pace in the sixth ,wo big lefts but Fitz had the better of the exchanges landing well to the head a big right hand from Jeffries thudded home to the heart,and Fitz wilted,giving ground. Jeffries round.

Fitz was a back tracking target in the seventh,as jeff tried to work the body,and Fitz clinched when they were close. Fitz was talking to Jeffries in close, but the noise mufled his words to the audience. Jeffries took a big smash on his nose and weathered a combination from Fitz,but though Jeffries face was a mask of blood he kept inexorably rolling fowards . Fitz started the eighth well three left to Jeff's bloody face found the mark, but a huge smash to the stomach made Fitz mouth open in a gasp. and he backpedalled he fired back at Jeffries , but there was now nothing in his punches.
Fitz dropped his hands, spoke to Jeffries,Jeffries fired big right hand,but it was short, then he swung with his left , but Fitz ducked it. A left hook to the belly and a right to the chin finished it.

Question.

How was Fitz now three years older, able to so dramatically improve on his first performance?
Before anyone says Fitz's hands were loaded, it is recorded that Jeffries examined his hand wraps carefully in the ring prior to the start of the contest.

Fitz was out drinking the night before he fought Jeffries the first time,William Muldoon half carried him home.
Fitz said he underestimated Jeffries in their first fight was this the explanation ?
After the second fight Fitz gave a dressing room interview.

" I fought the best I could and the best man won. He is a great fighter,and had I been awarded the championship I should have given it straight back to him for he is the only man capable of defending it.
After receiving that heavy body blow in the eighth I knew I was gone. I asked Jeff to keep away, but he was intent on finishing me,and I hadn't the power to stop him.

Look at my hands .the knuckles of both are pushed right back and broken ,smashed on his chin.He is as strong as an ox and his blows hurt me considerably especially those wicked left to my body.
I have had trouble with my hands in all my contests , but I have done them in now trying to knock out Jeffries".

Fitz went on to ascribe his first defeat to Jeffries as him being drugged but I give no credence to that .

So how come Fitz was so much better second time around when he was nearly forty years old,and Jeffries was improved ?

 

1. Your first point is correct, by and large.
2.Your second is dicredited because A.Jeffries carefully examined the hand wraps prior to the start of the fight, he also had his brother Jack watching Fitz's corner while he gloved up.B. Jeffries was cut in their first fight, over the left eyebrow and bled from the nose.Jeffries was marked up badly in several fights.
3.Ive read several reports of both fights ,and never encountered one that suggested Jeffries was in a daze in either bout.

Fitz claimed he was drugged before the first fight, I discount that.

What might not be common knowledge is that Fitz was accused of faking the second fight because he was seen to drop his hands and speak to Jeffries just prior to the finish,ringside spectators swore that he said "hit me Jeff , hit me and get it over", the reason for his being his hands were so smashed he could no longer defend himself. The hand injuries are true but there was so much noise and pandemonium at ringside it is highly doubtful anyone could have heard what Fitz said.
Jeffries received $14,346 and Fitz$,9,564.
The referee $500

 

If this is true , I wonder what the result might have been if Fitz had entered the ring the first time around ,as focused and ready as he was for their second encounter? He would have been three years younger and Jeffries would have been three years shorter in ring experience.

 

Fair enough, but this applied to Jeffries too did it not? Plus Fitz was nearly 40 second time around and Jeffries had another 6 fights under his belt against such as Sharkey, Corbett ,and Ruhlin.

Jeffries undoubtedly had improved whereas Fitz certainly did not get any better, once he reached 37.

 

Similar to Laing v Jones?

 

Jeffries manager learned BEFORE hand that Fitz was going to tamper with his gloves?
Yeah he told him, as you would.
Brady would be only too willing to let Jeffries go into a fight against a terrifically hard hitting man who also had his wraps doctored. Sounds infinitely plausible.atsch
Fitz threw his gloves into the crowd because he did not intend to fight again, if Jeffries or Brady wanted to examine them why didnt they try and acquire them?

And why if they had some suspicion they were doctored ,did they not object before the fight began?
The supposition that Jeffries was chilled about Fitz bashing him with doctored wraps is as believable as tales of Jeffries running 15 miles with a bull moose on his shoulders.

As The interview with Fitz shows he suffered with bad hands for years, as many big punchers do.
Jeffries examined Fitz's taped hand in the ring and his brother Jack watched as Fitz gloved up.

I have never seen an admission by any of Fitz's corner that his gloves were tampered with, please produce one.

Neither did Fitz ever admit to doing same.
Johnson finished his career unmarked , he had three gold teeth dislodged in his fight with Willard which he promptly swallowed .
Please produce a report that mentions he was cut in a fight.

Ditto Corbett.

Jeffries was cut against Choynski,cut against Sharkey ,marked up by Corbett and cut in both Fitz fights, he also had his nose broken three times.
Jeffries was cut over his eye in the first Fitz fight.
Waiting on proof to back your claims.:deal