Bob Fitzsimmons was a tall, lanky and explosive middleweight puncher. He was boxing’s first triple-crown champion gaining the world’s middleweight (1891-1897), light-heavyweight (1903-1905) and heavyweight (1897-1899) crowns during a career that spanned a long 34 years. His record was 55-8-16 7 ND with 48 knockouts, although he claimed to have as many as 300 fights all unrecorded.
Despite being no more than a middleweight he carried a heavyweight’s upper body build and a heavyweight’s strong punch. He was experienced and clever. As an excellent feinter he knew how to draw his opponent’s into his deadly blows. He was steadfast, patient and had excellent accuracy in striking vital points.
Early ring historian Sandy Griswold said in the Dec 24, 1904 National Police Gazette, “He knows all the vulnerable spots of the human anatomy as well as the most erudite surgeon in the business and has a greater variety of effective blows than any fighter who ever lived.”
There is no question that Fitzsimmons had a heavyweights punching power. In 1893, he knocked out seven men in one night and accomplished the feat in under nineteen rounds. All men weighed over 200 pounds. One stood 6-7 and weighed in at 240 pounds. The fact that a middleweight could knock out a man the size of Lennox Lewis demonstrates his worth as a hitter. Fitzsimmons actually defeated top heavyweight contenders Peter Maher, Gus Ruhlin and Tom Sharkey all by knockout.
Nat Fleischer, founder of The Ring Magazine, regarded Fitzsimmons as the greatest pound for pound knockout puncher in boxing history. He also considered Fitz as the best-left hooker, and the best body puncher among heavyweights. […]
