James J. Jeffries vs. Bob Armstrong

James J Jeffries 212 lbs beat Bob Armstrong 187 lbs by PTS in round 10 of 10

• Date: 1898-08-05
• Location: Lenox A.C., New York, New York, USA

"Jim Jeffries, the California heavyweight pugilist, came to grief at the Lenox Athletic Club last night. He broke an arm in his bout with Bob Armstrong, the colored pugilist, which prevented his meeting Steve O'Donnell later in the evening. Jeffries had undertaken to meet both Armstrong and O'Donnell, each in a 10-round bout, and had contracted to knock them out within that time. Armstrong was to be his first victim, and O'Donnell his second. But Mr. Jeffries's plans went aglee. Armstrong, who at best is not more than a third-rate fighter, surprised the spectators, as well as Mr. Jeffries, by giving an exhibition which, while not first-class, was nevertheless sufficiently interesting to keep Jeffries guessing. The Californian, in short, proved a disappointment to his friends and, while he landed several good body and face blows on Armstrong, he was slow and clumsy, and received not a little punishment in return. At the end of the stated tenth round, Armstrong was far from being knocked out. The explanation for this may be in the fact that, at the conclusion of the bout, it was announced that Jeffries' arm had been broken and that he would be unable to engage O'Donnell, as had been mentioned. Of course, the spectators were disappointed, and many were inclined to cast doubt on the accuracy of the report of the fractured arm. Some of the spectators say that if Armstrong had been properly handled, he would have defeated Jeffries."
New York Times - August 6, 1898

Some newspapers reported that Jeffries broke his left wrist, while others claimed that he broke his thumb.
Lawrence Daily World - August 6, 1898
The Evening Telegraph - August 6, 1898

At the conclusion of his fight with Bob Armstrong, Jeffries was to fight Steve O'Donnell after a twenty-minute break. Jeffries claimed that he injured his left hand in the first round, but was seen to use that hand often during the entire ten rounds.