WINNING A WAGER.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume I, Issue 92, 25 May 1914, Page 2

WINNING A WAGER.

t V AMATEUR AND PROFESSIONAL.

George Mitchell, the Bradford amateur boxer—&nd Nephew of the Liberal Ghi.ef Whip—who .some time ■ ago. made a,.wager with a'friend that 1 he would stand up against . Carpentier' (the French light heavy-weight . ; champion) longer than Bombardier Wells, succeeded in winning his bet, despite,being counted ~out''"iii.'tW' first round after boxing Imin 35sec. . How he won his bet at a small boxing club in the Latin quarter, of Paris, before an elite crowd of .150 sportsmen and Sportswomen, ; is thus : told 1 by the Plans' correspondent; of' ; ,. ; './the. •"Sporting Chronicle 'Ai; & ; • ••' TAST AND PtJRIOUS:' ' As he had: promised, Carpentier from the outset set himself furiously to work, with • the intention of winning as rapidly as; possible. He lashed Put a heavy left swing which eaiight his opponent on the ribs, following; up with a hard right to the jaw. Mitchell attempted to make use of the ring, but the Frenchman:*was too quick; and' another right dropped the Englishman. He rose at the count of ten," but thcSpmaii was allowed to go on. . .'

Mitchell rushed blindly at Carpentier, and fierce amateur .having a rare slog. his opponent. Another -left ,an d .right reached home, and Mitchell went to the boards for "nine." 7 - 1

Desehamps (Carpentier's manager) told Carpentier to take things more coolly, and when the Englishman rose Georges .feinted smartly, getting home a. semi-swing to the jaw and scoring another knock-down. Mitchell, demonstrating extraordinary pluck, rose at the eighth secpnd, but a right uppercut sent him down again. The English boxef was all at sea, and his second threw up the towel. The men, however, were in the Frenchman's corner, and Carpentier's back was turned towards 'Mitchell's second. He therefore did not see the towql, and as the English, boxer hung on He lashed out a left upper-cut to the jaw, and the plucky sportsman went down again. He was rapidly taken to his corner, and, on learning that he had lasted lmin 3'ssec, he laughed with joy. He had won his bet, and deserved to, for he had received serious punishment. - His face was sorely battered, both eyes were damaged, and a tooth or two-had disappeared. Carpentier shook him by the hand, and they then departed, to the bar exchanging their impressions. Five-ounce gloves were used, and J. T. Hulls refereed. Mr Mitchell, sen., witnessed the match. A CHEERFUL SPORTSMAN.

When he returned to London next day, with two lovely black eyes, Mitchell was in the best of spirits. Had he won he could not have been more cheerful. Tall and burly, Mitchell is a typical Yorkshireman, and as soon as he alighted from the boat train he began to talk about the fight. He is 6ft 3in in height, and towered above the crowd which surrounded him and bombarded him with questions. '' What about the fight?'' someone asked. Mitchell laughed as lie pointed to his black eyes, and replied with a chuckle: '' They 're the fight—the beginning and the end." "Were you satisfied with the fight?" queried a reporter. "I was. s very well satisfied with it," Mitchell answered in a cheerful fashion, which indicated how little his 95 seconds of rough treatment troubled him. '' I did no' worse than I expected to do. 1 did what I was hoping to do — stand up longer against Carpentier than Bombardier Wells managed to." Mitchell was able to analyse the short, sharp contest. At the beginning Carpentier came towards me with his right hand outstretched, and I did not know whether he wanted to shake , hands with me. I thought it was his idea, but he came with the left across my ribs and then he got me clean on the point. That was what started me off. I managed to get in one swing, and once or twice got to close quarters with him, but lie broke away. It is not every beaten boxer who would be so enthusiastic about his opponent. I think he is

__i • i; . ; ■ ■■ " if- ■ a marvel, and I always did think so,# Mitchell said. He observed that he had not heaja from his father, but, he added, "I exf pect I shall hear from him pretty quicker when I get home. I don 't think I shaj| box again." H 1 ' Are you not going to meet French amateur champion ?'' asked $' representative. ; , . H "No, I am not,he replied 'with d$j termination.■. y ':yV ; f 4 \ v ! - Mr Hudson, "a member. of the partji from Bradford, said: "It?was a • gdod* sporting fight, aiid We were-perf f ectly satisfied. Carpentier was magnrj ficent. Mitchell was unlucky just at thjgi start. He lasted just about as long as I expected. 'Hei hit* £&rp6ntie!r on<k veryi • hard, and if some of his blows had goti home they would have nearly killed the French boxer." t Mr Hudson denied that there was anj| betting on the fight. "There was not" a halfpenny on it," he declared., i.j