Choynski-Fitzsimmons

[Ambling Alp]

Fitzsimmons had Choynski in big trouble when the police stopped their 1894 fight. Boxrec has Choynski-Fitzsimmons as a 5 round TKO win for Fitzsimmons. Some sources list it as a draw; others a 5th round TKO.

Any idea why some sources say this was a draw? (Some of the same sources consider Johnson's defense against Flynn a TKO)

Does boxrec have a policy that these types of fights are always a TKO, or are there reasons in certain cases why it wouldn't be?

[Senya13]

It was officially declared a draw, of course. And should be listed as such.

[Ambling Alp]

By offically, I am guessing that you mean by the referee. Does seem an odd result considering it was a fight that stopped in the middle of a round. A no-contest seems to make more sense.
It is a simialr situation to Johnson-Flynn. Johnson was dominating until the police jumped in. I checked three record books and they all had different results.
One had it as a 9 round stoppage, one as a WD ,which I guess means a 9 round decision. Another even has it as a KO, which makes no sense at all.

I was also wondering if one of the editors could explain how Boxrec decides to record this strange fights.

[Senya13]

Yes, by the referee. It was insisted by Fitzsimmons himself prior to the bout to have it declared a draw in case of police interference. The same way some later Boston bouts (in early 1900's) should be listed as draws, but some editors choose to list them as newspaper decisions, which is plain wrong, in my opinion. Regardless if one of the fighters had all the best of the bout, if there was an agreement, the official decisions were draws in case both were on their feet at the end.

[Senya13]

As for Johnson-Flynn, should have been listed as a W-PTS9, as that was the referee's decision, in accordance with the agreement.