Bobby Fitzsimmons v.s James Corbett (1897 fight)

[Marchegiano]

- -First full length feature film ever recorded, a dandy vs brute force before Ali/Frazier ever became an item.

Wyatt Earp provided the guns to protect Corbett interests with Bat Masterson the time keeper.

Phantom punch KO.

International blockbuster that created the impetus for the first movie theaters!

You'd think Hollywood and History would pay better homage, but nope. Too busy producing modern shinola for fans to eat up.

I think, in general, Hollywood does little with the history of films because it highlights their pirate beginnings and they are currently pretty full force against piracy.

This one was an Edison film right? Best for them to not popularize how they ripped Tom off during an era when they're crying because little Jimbo knows how to download Harry Potter or whatever the ****....my guess

I am no fan of Wyatt Earp he was by most accounts a thief and bully but . . .

No! Fitz's blow to Sailor Tom landed low. -- A day after the fight a team of six doctors, three chosen from each camp (along with a host of other onlookers LOL) examined Tom Sharkey's balls and unanimously concluded that the blow was a foul.

The newspaper who had attacked Earp's credibility (the owner had a big bet on Fitz) retracted its negative statements and apologized to Earp, the bank released the purse check, and even Fitzsimmons admitted that the punch must have been low and withdrew he protest.

According to one ringside account the blow didn't knock Sharkey out, he fainted dead away.

To take the 'Fitzsimmons shift' to the balls must be a horrifying experience, Corbett got lucky he merely got hit under the heart.

That is very interesting.

You know, I like to argue in favor of the champions cut from the record books but I usually drop Sharkey because the way that story is presented. Or at least used to be, it has been a while and I did not check the wiki.

In like 2012 everyone knew Earp threw that fight, it was fixed, so on. So I figured the one man in the Maher-Fitzs-Sharkey-Corbett-Fitzs string of fights who was illegitimate was Sharkey and don't hardly argue in his favor. However, he won that fight didn't he?

That's a hell of a foul and Tom would be far from the first champ to win the title on fouls.



Youse might find it interesting to know Fitzs decided every HW title fight that way. Well, I don't know about the debut he defended against or the Jeffries fight, but, Maher was taken out by the solar plexus, Sharkey wins because he went low, then Corbett too goes down to the solar plexus punch.

I think it's interesting because by the time Corbett-Fitzs happened Jim definitely should have known Bob's going to the body hard.