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Clipping from The Ballarat Independent - April 1897....Reports cover bouts held over the first weeks of March....Later that month Corrie Sanders went to Perth, WA to box two exhibitions he had previously contracted for....After an easy 4-rd go with fellow South Afrikan Tom Ball he was surprised to find an in-the-pink Bob Fitzsimmons who proceeded to box his ears off and win the crowd's decision at the end of four very fast rounds....Fitzsimmons then challenged the big South Afrikan to defend his Empire title right there or in two months time at Sydney Stadium....In a report in The Referee it was revealed that Billy McColl had had Sanders nearly out in the fourth round when the timekeeper mistakenly rang the bell early cutting the round short by nearly 30 seconds....At Sydney's Gaiety Athletic Hall ringsiders witnessed a much improved form in the work of 20-yr old Sid Russell as he dismantled Bill Costello of nearby King's Cross forcing a stoppage inside five rounds....