FITZSIMMONS, Robert, Australian American pugilist: b. Helston, Cornwall, 4 June 1862; d. Chicago, — Oct. 1917. At the age of nine he migrated with his parents to New Zealand, and was settled as a blacksmith at Timaru when Jem Mace promoted a local heavyweight competition, which Fitzsimmons won. Within a year after his debut in the ring he was champion of New Zealand. A success- ful contest with Herbert Slade, the big Maori, who afterward fought Sullivan, induced the blacksmith to adopt fighting as a profession. He went to Australia, won various contests, and met his first defeat at the hands of Jem Hall for the middleweight title. He reversed this verdict three years later, when he knocked Hall out in four rounds at New Orleans. On his arrival at San Francisco Fitzsimmons was matched against Jack Dempsey for the middle weight championship•of the world. The Amer ican fell in the 13th round. Peter Maher, the Irish heavyweight, . was next beaten in 12 rounds. Except for a draw with Joe Choynski in Boston in June 1894 and a dubious "foul)) verdict against him in a fight with Tom Shar key in December 1896, Fitzsimmons enjoyed an uninterrupted series of victories for the next six years. On 17 March 1897 he defeated James J.
Corbett at Carson City and won the heavy weight title. He met the gigantic Jim Jeffries at the Coney Island Athletic Club on 9 June 1899 and was defeated. He determined to fight Jeffries again, meanwhile knocking out all who came before him, including Gus Ruhlin, "the Akron and Tom Sharkey. On 25 July 1902, when 40 years old, he again faced Jeffries, who was severely battered in the opening rounds and came near to defeat, but whose tre mendous strength and courage finally over came the veteran in the eighth round. Fitz simmons encountered—after several victories —another defeat in December 1905 by Jack O'Brien in 13 rounds. He made two more at tempts — against Jack Johnson in July 1907, and against Bill Lang, when 50 years of age. Fitz simmons flourished in the palmy days of the boxing ring; he held simultaneously the heavy, light-heavy and middleweight championships of the world. He never fought in England, his native country; though Australian by training, it was in the United States that he won most of his fame. He was a naturalized Amer ican citizen.