BOXING.

NZ Truth, Issue 234, 18 December 1909, Page 8

BOXING.

JIM GRIFFIN AND JOE COSTA.

The New Zealander has Lost His Punch.

Settled m the Sixth Spasm.

The Jim Griffin-Joe Costa clash at the Sydney Gaiety Theatre on Tuesday evening week last is thus described by the Sydney "Sportsman" :— Jim Grifiin and Joe Costa provided the star- turn. Jim was esquired by Pat O'Keefc, Jack Athorn, Bill Athorn, and Johnny Moroney. Joe Costa's retinue consisted of Victor Lacey, Tom Doyle, Humphrey Sullivan and Dealer Wells. There was a lot of • argument regarding the appointment o! a referee. Jim Griffin took exception to Jim Barron, and Billy Williams took the chair of Judgment. No weights were announced. Right from the word "go."- the pace, was fierce. Livid of face, and with teeth set, Griffin waded m to. smash and sweep .Joe off the earth. But the cautious Joe, Hack moving, outboxed him, once smashing m a terrific punch on the jaw. Later Joe pressed, and Griffin slipped on to his knees on to the ropes. A tremendous amount of

cuddling and jolting m clinches took place. The second found Griffin fighting badly. He was all grunt and "whoosh," a nd very Mtle score. Jou began to pile up points. He began to lead now. Jim commenced to duck and hang on. There was very little punishment meted out. Thn third found . Joe ripping the right m hard on to the ribs. Miss, hit, and. clinch for a time, Joe smiling, Jim looking; deadly serious. Once Jim scored a hefty right to the. ribs, then another. But 'tis evident that Jim, like Bill Squires, has lost his punch. Joe continued to bombard him. During a melee Joe Kent a jolt to the dial and a loft to the body, and m breaking away from the clinch Jim's che-ck was painted scarlet with a trickle of blood from the lett optiic. Nearly all the time during the fourth ,Jim was "m trouble. But game as the. Griffin of old, he came m, scoring hard .to the ribs. There were moments when he shone out like the hard-fighting Jim of old, but the cleverness of Costa was too superior. Jim fairly charged over him like a bull m the fifth. The Maorirander now began to score, some of his punches landing on Joe's body with the sound .of a lump of dough dropped on a drum. Quiet for a time. Lots of miss, whack, ancL cuddle, Jim Griffin all the time blowing, like a steam engine or hissing like a snake. It was a rough, clinchful, uninteresting round. '•'Sportsman" must admit that it has .never daring Griffin's career seen him: fight so badly. He. fought like a man who had been hocussed, or else had forgotten all the tricks of toe game. It was wonderful. In the next round the end came with startling suddenness. After a moment's rough-up Joe attacked. He got Jim on the run and drove him back on to a post. There he shot, m a light left, swiftly followed by a right smash to the paint. There was nothing doing after? wards. Jim simply spun round, then fell, his skull crashing on to the floor with a sickening crack. Costa, now excited, •hopped around the ring. The referee counted the seconds, but Jim was hopelessly out. As he failed to rise at the count Joe leaped m the air like a joyful Red Indian. Jim Barron also smiled; It took a long time to bring Griffin round. Such is the kingdom of stoush..