Bob Fitzsimmons

Robert James Fitzsimmons was a professional boxer from Cornwall, England.

He was a pioneering athlete in the history of combat sports. Fitzsimmons was the first person to win world titles in three different weight divisions. These divisions were middleweight, light heavyweight, and heavyweight. He was a man of many nicknames, including "Ruby Robert" and "The Freckled Wonder." He took great pride in his physical appearance and lack of scars. To hide the difference between his torso and his legs, he wore heavy woollen underwear in the ring.

His physical strength was built through hard manual labor. After moving to Timaru, New Zealand, Fitzsimmons worked many different jobs. He was a butcher's delivery boy, a carriage painter, and a decorator. He also worked as a striker at an iron foundry. Most importantly, he served as an apprentice at his family's blacksmith forge.

This work helped develop his upper body, specifically his arms and shoulders. He combined this strength with a technical style learned from the bare-knuckle fighter Jem Mace. This style used short, accurate, and powerful punches.

Fitzsimmons began his amateur career in New Zealand during the early 1880s. In 1880, he entered a tournament hosted by Jem Mace. He knocked out four opponents to win the lightweight title. In 1881, he won the middleweight championship by knocking out five opponents. He then moved to Australia to begin his professional career in 1883. In Australia, he fought 28 definite professional matches. He even won a fight after his opponent broke his hand and could not continue.

His move to the United States led to his first major world title. On January 14, 1891, in New Orleans, he defeated Jack Dempsey. Fitzsimmons knocked Dempsey down at least 13 times during the match. He won the World Middleweight Championship by knocking Dempsey out in the 13th round.

Fitzsimmons later vacated this title to compete in the heavyweight division. His career included many intense bouts, including a controversial match against Tom Sharkey in San Francisco. In that fight, the referee, Wyatt Earp, ruled a low blow had occurred. This ruling was met with loud boos from the crowd.

One of his most significant achievements occurred in 1897.

On March 17, Fitzsimmons fought Jim Corbett in Carson City, Nevada. Corbett was the recognized World Heavyweight Champion and weighed 17 pounds more than Fitzsimmons. Fitzsimmons won the title by knocking Corbett out in the 14th round. He used his famous "solar plexus punch," which was an uppercut aimed under the heart. This match was also a landmark in media history. It was the first time a full boxing match was recorded. This recording became the world's first feature film.

Fitzsimmons continued to break records throughout his long career. In November 1903, he defeated George Gardiner to win the light heavyweight title. This made him the first boxer to hold titles in three weight classes. At age 40, he became the oldest champion in history. This specific record lasted for many decades until George Foreman won a heavyweight title in 1994. He remained active in the sport for many years, even fighting much younger opponents like Jack Johnson in 1907.

Today, the legacy of Bob Fitzsimmons is preserved in sports history. He is ranked No. 8 on The Ring magazine's list of the 100 greatest punchers. The magazine's founder, Nat Fleischer, ranked him as the third greatest heavyweight ever. Fitzsimmons is also recognized in The Guinness Book of World Records. He is noted as the lightest heavyweight champion, weighing only 167 pounds when he won the title.

His life connects the era of bare-knuckle fighting to the modern age of professional championship boxing.