Rudy Robert Takes First Title

Bob “Rudy Robert” Fitzsimmons was an English boxer, who won the undisputed middleweight, heavyweight and light heavyweight world championships, at the turn of the 20th Century.  Often mistaken for an Australian because he started his boxing career there, Fitzsimmons traveled to the United States in 1890 to campaign for the middleweight championship.

Fitzsimmons stood just under 6 feet tall but weighed a relatively light 169 pounds at his heaviest.  Despite his lean build, Fitzsimmons is ranked 8th on Ring Magazine’s all-time list of most powerful punchers.

After winning his first four American bouts in 1890, Fitzsimmons challenged Jack Dempsey, the Nonpareil, for the middleweight championship.  The more well-known William “Jack” Dempsey, who was the World Heavyweight Champion in the 1920s, took his nickname from the middleweight Dempsey.

The title fight was scheduled for January 14, 1891 at the Olympic Club in New Orleans, Louisiana.  Professional boxing was still outlawed in many states, so promoters had to find sites, where it was legal or at least tolerated.

The match was conducted in a 24-foot ring giving both competitors plenty of room to move around.  Fitzsimmons weighed 150 pounds, while Dempsey weighed 147 pounds.  Dempsey was four inches shorter than the taller challenger.

The fight started at 9:00 p.m.  Dempsey was able to use the larger ring to avoid Fitzsimmons heavy blows in the first couple of rounds.  By the third round, Dempsey looked to be fatiguing from both his energetic ducking and the occasional heavy blows Fitzsimmons landed.

Dempsey’s only real offense for the first several rounds was some heavy body blows.  Dempsey threw heavy blows at Fitzsimmons but the height difference was causing Dempsey to miss often.  He had better success with his attacks to Fitz’s body.

Fitzsimmons continued hitting Dempsey in both the head and body with very heavy blows.  By the eighth round, Dempsey was bleeding profusely from several wounds on his face.

In the tenth round, Fitzsimmons knocked Dempsey down three times.  Only the bell saved Dempsey from a knockout.

Fitzsimmons was so impressed with Dempsey’s toughness, he begged him to stop fighting.  Fitzsimmons didn’t want to hurt him anymore.  Dempsey refused to quit though.

The eleventh round continued in the same way with Fitzsimmons knocking Dempsey down with a left to the head.  Dempsey regained his feet only to hit the canvas from a right handed body blow.  Dempsey’s corner was actually going to throw in the towel but the round ended before they could concede.  Dempsey told his corner he was going to continue fighting.

Fitzsimmons tried to shame Dempsey into quitting during the 12th round.  He allowed Dempsey to hit him in the body with several blows, which had no effect.  Fitzsimmons then knocked Dempsey to the floor with a left hand to the jaw.

Dempsey struggled back to his feet only to be sent back to the floor with a left to the body.  When Dempsey struggled back to his feet, Fitzsimmons smoothed out Dempsey’s hair with his glove and sat him down on the rope like setting a child down on a stool.  Dempsey was furious and had to be restrained by his corner as the bell sounded to end the round.

Despite the spark of anger to end the 12th round, Dempsey had nothing left as he walked to the center of the ring to start the 13th.  Dempsey immediately clinched to try to survive but Fitzsimmons pushed Dempsey off him.  A final left hand to the jaw mercifully ended the fight.  Dempsey, a fighter to the end, twice attempt to climb off the canvas but he had nothing left.

After the referee counted him out at ten, Fitzsimmons helped Dempsey to his corner.  Despite his loss, Dempsey impressed everyone with his fighting spirit.

Bob Fitzsimmons was now the new middleweight champion of the world.  Several years later, he would beat “Gentleman” Jim Corbett for the heavyweight title becoming the first middleweight champion to beat a heavyweight champion.  Fitzsimmons also won a purse of $16,000 for his bout with Dempsey.  Adjusted for inflation, this purse would be worth almost $458,000 in 2020.

Jack Dempsey, who may have already contracted tuberculosis, would die from the disease only four years later.  While he lost a one-sided bout to Fitzsimmons, Dempsey had won 62 of his first 65 bouts as a professional.  Prior to fighting Fitzsimmons, Dempsey was considered unbeatable.

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Sources: Buffalo Weekly Express, January 15, 1891 edition, p. 1 and officialdata.org inflation calculator.

 

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