BOXING

Evening Post, Volume CVI, Issue 112, 17 November 1928, Page 23

BOXING

■r "AINCAS" ENGLISH CHAMPIONS TWO TITLES CHANGE HANDS YOUTH WILL BK SEI.VED Two titles have been fought for siuco last I wrote, .states Eugene Corri, the English correspondent ol: tho Christchurch "Star." It was very plain that Ernie Rice, the old light-weight champion', was going to find his long absence from the ring too great a handicap for him when he caino to moot I the healthy, strong, and cool-minded young Sam Steward, of Peckham. Ono I hesitates to write too strongly beforo such an attempt to "come back" as this, especially when the man making the attempt is such a genuine trier and dangerous hitter as Rice has always been. Moreover, it seems to me, after so many years watching the game, that every old champion is almost entitled to have his last ding, just to prove to his own satisfaction that his days of active participation are over. Rice knows now that his best days are gone. Otherwise, his fight with Steward must have ended in quite another way. Ho hit Steward more than once with a force reminiscent of the old days, and would, three or four years ago, havo followed u|i the advantage gained in decisive stylo. Steward, though ho has been boxing six years, is only twentytwo, and may therefore quite likely improve. In ranking him with the champions, I should put him in the same class as Johnny Cuthbert, Johnny Brown, Johnny Curley, and tho likegood, honest triers, not spectacular, and not possessing the little flare of genius which lit up iv such as Driscoll, Wilde, and Kid Lewis. There is no reason why Steward should not go forward, however. A man who can produce the snappy right to the jaw which put down so strong a fellow as Rico in the second round, and who can prod a man's head off with his left, has the material of a world-beater to work upon. That Steward also has physical strength and courage, Rice was also able to prove. Rice was entitled to his chance, and, although knocked out in the twelfth round, justified himself in taking it. But if thero is one lesson boxing has constantly taught through the last fifty years, it is that the man, in the nearthirties, who puts aside his gloves for tho space of two years, can never come back and conquer a youth with half tlio skiU and power formerly possessed by the veteran. A story not entirely dissimilar was told in Scotland, where Frank Moody was unexpectedly beaten by Alex' Ireland. Moody, who is getting on iv years, has kept as.closo in With the game as ho possibly could, and the vie-' tory on points of Ireland apparently caused a tremendous surprise to most people, who seemed to think that by "taking a line" through Moody's victory over Milligan, and. the lattor's superiority over Ireland, Moody must win. But Moody faced an entirely different proposition. He was against a boxer. Moreover, the Welshman had to make list 61b, and that, I think, is not his natural boxing weight to-day. Having to "get down to it" at the ago of about thirty was a big handicap. In this fight Moody made his usual American "bang." Scarcely had the fight got under weigh than he had Ireland on the iloor, just as he did with Milligan. But Ireland got up, and, being a boxer by instinct, propped him off. Moody tired first when it came to boxing pure and simple, and that is how the Scotsman jogged his way to a victory on points. The moral for Moody is to stick to his proper weight— cruiser-weight. When he fought Ted Moore at the National Sporting Club last season these two put up one of the most strenuous fights seen between cruiser-weights. There, was no question of Moody tiring then. The trouble is, I suppose, that there are few opponents at tho present timo among tho cruiserweight class. Ireland, tbey tell me, may make a match in Scotland with tho worldchampion Micky Walker, if the latter can be induced to conic. What chanco would Ireland stand? As in his fight against Moody, a better chance than did Milligan. There are many points of similarity in tho styles of Walker and Moody. They both set out to win by tho big punch rather than by tho scoring of points, and to both of them therefore an opponent of tho stylo of Milligan, without a really big punch and without adequate defence, is something of a "gift." To both, the cool boxer with a heavy, straight left, such as Ireland has, is a nuisance, not easily overcome. Walker, judging from results in America, is still in wonderful form. He carries a far bigger variety of punches than docs Moody, and has, I suppose, tho best left hook in tho world. I cannot persuade myself to believe that if Walker had his man on the floor, as did Moody last week, the fight would have lasted very much longer. A ruthless finisher is Walker. I was in Liverpool recently, to control tho match between Harry Corbett, the feather-weight champion, and Dom Volanto, a local boxer.. Volante decisively beat tho champion, and boxed so well that I shall watch his future with interest. His aggression completely took Corbett out of his stride. . "Corning Back." Battling Levinsky,. former light-heavy-weight champion, who went into retirmont on losing the title, has made a remarkable come-back. He is credited with having won forty-nine fights in forty-nine weeks. His latest win was ovor Herman Weiner, a good secondrate heavy-weight, of Baltimore. Another American who is essaying a comeback is big Jim Maloney, ono-time contender for the world's championship. But he fizzled out, and after some months' absence from the ring 'came out and won two fights in succession, the second one being against Jack do Slave, who. has met most of the big men. M'Alister Coming. The news that Billy M'Alister is to meet Johnny Lcckie in tho local ring next montli will be well received by the local fancy. M'Alister is the bantamweight champion of Australia, and is considered to be a clever performer. Ho was twice defeated recently by

Charlie Van Iteodon, the American, but ho had victories over Kid Locks, the Englishman. M'Alister is said to be a finished boxer without a matchwinning punch. He will be giving away weight to Leekie, who is said to be having difficulty in making 9st. Middleweight Title. Jim Broadfoot, the Auckland middleweight, is to meet Harry Casey at Palmerston North on. Boxing night for the middleweight championship, which is hold by Casey. May be the Next Champion. .Since Stribliug lost to Paul Berlenbach in ten rounds in New York in 1020 he appears to have bettered himself in every way (says an American writer). Ho is a faster, more scientific boxer, a harder hitter, and is said to bo taking more chances. Ho has a wealth of "colour," and may well go on to bigger things. In any event, Tex Kickard is said to be rather sweet on the gallant young Georgian as a heavyweight prospect, and he is certain to get opportunities galore in which to "do his stuff" during the winter months. Palmerston's Referee. Air. Geoff. Watchorn, who for several years has officiated as referee at competitions in Palmerston North, is reported as about to retire from the position. If true, this is to be regret* d, for good referees are none too p.intiful, and Mr. Watchorn was oue of tl.e best referees in the Dominion. He knew the game and had the confidence of competitors and the public. As a competitor he had a splendid record, amongst the honours gained being the welterweight championships of Australasia and New Zealand. England's Hope. The chances of Phil Scott, the English heavyweight champion, winning the world's championship are discussed by "Old Campaigner" in "All Sports Weekly." He says: '.'I am afraid that Scott has arrived too late. He has not grasped all his chances. In saying this I feel that it will bo taken that I have little or no faith in Scott. Frankly, I cannot see in him a fighter better'than Heeney. That Scott is a better boxer than the New Zealander I will allow, but unless I am mistaken, Phil Scott will never be able to withstand the punishment such as that meted out to Heeney. Scott, in the matter of resisting powers, is no phenomenon; neither do I think he has the instincts of a fighter to the same degree that Heeney has. If my deductions are sound it will be the comparative newcomer to the game who will be offered the next opportunity to try for the championship. The way to greatness is wide open to the young men of the world. There never was such a chance. The talk about Dempsey coming back is no more than a case of the wish being father to tlio thought. Dempsey has finished. Kearns and the rest of his kind will, I suspect, bo soon telling the world that they have the very man for Tunney. Already the different American managers are working overtime to produce another contest for Tunney's crown, and for the next few months we shall be/ snowed under with tall stories about this and that discovery. For our part I trust that the quest for a potential heavyweight champion will be prosecuted with renewed vigour. In some odd corner in Great Britain may be found what for long has been the missing link." A Mountain. An Italian heavyweight, Primo Camera, who stands 6ft lOin and weighs over 19st, is being given a try-out on tho Continent, in tho expectation that he will prove good enough to take to America for a cut at the heavyweight championship. So far he has won all his trial fights. French Enterprise. A French promoter has put up a purse of £2000— a record amount, it is said, for France —for a match between Izzy Schwartz, the American flyweight,whom the New York Commission recognises as the world's champion, and Emile Pladner, tho French flyweight champion. The contest is sot down for 3rd December. European Champion. It is rather a distressing fact (says "London Sporting Life") that not a single British boxer figures in tho list of European champions issued by the International Boxing Union, which governs the sport throughout tho Continent. It is true that Great Britain has boxers who have beaten several of the 1.8. U. champions, but that does not put us on the official map, so to speak. The Boxing Board of Control will have no more to do with the 1.8. U. The British Boxing Alliance, which has set tip in rivalry to the board, thinks otherwise. It has become affiliated, and in an effort to straighten out the European titles moro in accord with British views it will propose to the 1.8. U. that British champions be matched with 1.8. U. champions for the titles under 1.8. U. laws. Radford Departs. Norman Eadford, the English featherweight, has returned to Australia. Badford defeated Tommy Griffiths, in New Zealand, but lost three times to Johnny Lcckie. It is Badford's intention to have a few months' spell before returning to the ring. He considers that he is stale and believes that he needs a rest to regain form. Before leaving, Radford expressed his appreciation of the way he had been treated in New Zealand. Kindley's New Role. Harold Kindley, ex-New Zealand amateur lightweight champion, who has the distinction of having defeated Ted Morgan, tho present Olympic welterweight champion, is not now an active conpetitor in the ring, but he showed that he is still in good form when he took part in an exhibition at the military tournament, states the "Dunedin Star." Harold is now the instructor of boxing at the V.M.C.A., and ho also has a good school of his own. In his first year as au instructor he has the distinction of having brought out Johnny Richmond, who won tho New Zealand amateur flyweight title a ■month or two back. Million-dollar Purses Gone. Sir. Tex Rickard has issued a financial report to the stockholders of the Madison Square Garden Corporation, in which he states that tho era of mil-lion-dollar boxing purses is ended. With respect to tho loss over tho TunneyHeeney fight, "tho directors fool that the loss was not an unmixed evil," he said, "inasmuch as it'should result in a correction of the situation which has prevailed for the last few years wherein tho boxers' share of the receipts has

mounted to a point where profits to the promoters havo vanished. It should bo possible to arrango for future contests on a basis that will give greater protection to the promoter and greater opportunity to make reasonable earnings." Auckland's Next. Advice has been, received by tho Northern Boxing Association that Billy Harms, the South African middleweight, loft Sydney on Tuesday under contract to meet Tommy M'lnnes on 3rd December for a special purse of £200 and expenses. M'lnnes was married last week and left Sydney for Auckland by the Aorangi yesterday.