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1897 James J. Corbett vs. Robert Fitzsimmons Official Boxing Program
Blacksmith Robert Fitzsimmons wrestles the baton from the popular champion and opens a new era in the sport. Official program which pictures these blazing pugilists on the cover and which consists of 46 pages complete. String binding is tight and perfectly intact. Some cover fading. Back cover has a center fold. Front cover has three folds. Interior pages not creased. Not scored. Minor cover soiling. Clean interior. 5.5x8.5". Extremely rare, only the second we have had. History: On March 17, 1897, at an arena located on this site, Carson City played host to Nevada’s first World Championship prizefight, a fourteen-round thriller in which the reigning Heavyweight titleist, James J. “Gentleman Jim” Corbett, was dethroned by Robert Fitzsimmons. The Nevada Legislature had only recently legalized prizefighting and the match became the object of scathing criticism from the press and pulpit of other states, but fight fans arrived by the thousands. Promoter Dan Stuart put on a clean show and demonstrated that boxing need not be brutal or crooked. Corbett outfought the inferior, but game Fitzsimmons for much of the bout, but was felled in the 14th round by a hard punch to the solar plexus. Robert Fitzsimmons was the new World Heavyweight Champion. Offered here is an extremely rare, original, official program for this historic event.
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