Looking Back at Bob Fitzsimmons

By Donald “Braveheart” Stewart

Born in 1863, Robert James “Bob” Fitzsimmons, 61-8-4, 57 KO’s, arrived in a mid-Victorian world that is light years away from what we have now. It was a time of horse drawn carriages, harsh and hard realities, the literature of the times included the work of Dickens, James and Hardy and European politics was all about industrialisation and the menace of Luddites and anti-democratic sedition.

This British fighter we applaud and hold in such high esteem though was someone with a connection to the UK, but a highly surprising fact remains about him, leaving some to question not his greatness but his Britishness.

His career is not in doubt as Fitzsimmons was to become a three-weight world champion at a time when it was never easy to become a champion at one weight. From 1891 to 1897 he was the middleweight champion, 1897 to 1899 the heavyweight champ – both during the reign of Queen Victoria. His third spell at the top of the world came from 1903 to 1905 when he was crowned the light heavyweight champion; Victoria having departed her throne in 1901.

For some, this is the greatest ever British boxer to show their punching ability and durability in a career that spanned 31 years and saw an astonishing 61 victories, 59 by knockout out of 73 contests.

The threat to any claim of Britishness and being “one of ours” is simple.

Bob Fitzsimmons never fought in the UK.

Though born here, he was never to lace a glove or enter a ring in Britain, fighting entirely in Australia or in the United States.

During his career he acquired the nicknames, Ruby Robert and The Freckled Wonder, and fought some of the best of their time as he progressed from being a contender to a champion. His ability was helped with having one of the hardest punches in boxing history and he is still ranked number 8 by Ring Magazine in their list of the 100 greatest punchers.

Was his greatness written in the stars?

Were all of his achievements in his genes, and therefore predestined?

After all, his mother’s maiden name was Strongman, and she had 12 children; feeding times might well have been some struggle! Like his boxing career became, he was an early nomad. Born in the south west of England, to where the family had moved after leaving Ireland, his father was an Irishman in England to find work. In 1873 the family then gave up that fruitless search in England and took a 93 day journey by boat to new pastures and New Zealand; Bob was just 10 years old.

His amateur career was short and shrouded in some mystery – I am sure that records of fights that did not involve payment were hardly accurately kept anyway. It was, however in 1885 that he appears as a professional, not in New Zealand but in Australia! The nomad life continued…

His debut was when, it is believed, he managed to beat Joe Riddle, 2-3, 2KO’s, and the world got the beginnings of the guy who was now going to make such a mark in the boxing world. He remained in Australia for his first 42 professional fights with attendant controversy.

Remarkably there has been talk of him losing the Australian title through a fixed fight and winning a fight by knockout whilst still on the floor! He had been knocked to the canvas by Edward Rollins, 37-39- 16, 21 KO’s, who broke his hand and was unable to continue leaving the referee in the startling position of having to call the fight off and declaring the man on the ground the winner.

His learning for the fight game included studying the bare knuckle guys around him which allowed him to find his style. He added some caginess from the experienced professional guys and, now he was working in his family blacksmith’s forge, he developed power in those fearsome punches.

In 1890, he found himself in the USA and now he was onto world honors.

14th January 1891, world title 1 – New Orleans and he beats the original Jack Dempsey in the 13th – middleweight champion. He beat Dempsey up so much Fitzsimmons knocked him down and then carried him to his corner!

His extraordinary career then continued with an appearance in the dock for manslaughter in 1895 after his sparring partner, Con Riordan, left their public session unconscious and died after their spar; Fitzsimmons was acquitted.

In 1896, world title 2, was when he won the heavyweight championship and then lost it to Tom Sharkey, 37-7-6, 34 KO’s, with Wyatt Earp as the referee! Earp disqualified Fitzsimmons on the grounds he hit Sharkey whilst his opponent was on the ground; Fitzsimmons had been dominating. Sharkey left the ring in a perilous state.

Now established at heavyweight he regained the title in 1897 when he beat Jim Corbett, 11-4-3, 5 KO’s, after being sent to the floor himself in the 6th and then getting the win in the 14th by stoppage. It was the first fight to be filmed in its entirety AND the first prize fight ever to be reported on by a woman – Nellie Verrill.

Having been involved in exhibitions, writing and publishing a book, a spot of wrestling and making sure he could eat, Fitzsimmons got back on the trail of world titles in 1903 – world title 3 – and beat George Gardiner, 43-11-8, 30 KO’s, to take the light heavyweight title.

Setting new records, Fitzsimmons was the first boxer to win titles in three weight divisions and though he fought on, mainly at heavyweight until 1914, his record prior to his retirement bears testimony to a remarkable career.

He died of pneumonia in 1917, 3 years after leaving the ring for the last time and as we remember greats in the sport it is fascinating to visit such an era from which things changed so much and consider just where would he have been in the world of boxing today?

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