BOXING.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIII, Issue 215, 7 September 1912, Page 16

BOXING.

The latest fist-waver to come from-the American side to Australia was something in the nature of a joke. He was Tom McCarthy, who reached Sydney by the Ventura recently, accompanied by his trainer and an enthusiastic supporter who has followed him from Los Angeles. McCarthy is an American, born in Chicago, where he commenced ac a boxer five years ago under the tutelage ol Harry Gilmore. McCarthy blew into the newspaper offices in Sydney, and made for himeelf a short-lived reputation as a Pacific Coast welter-weight, who had "knocked out several men of note." Hugh Jlclntosh pave him a chance against Tom O'Brien at the matinee •boxing exhibition at the Stadium last Thursday (August 22), but tho "Pacific Coast welter-weight" proved to be a jest. He has neither physique nor pace, and though his right sometimes looks as if it had a punch in it, he could make no jroojd showing. MoCarthy talks still about finding some of the best lightweights over here as his opponents, but after his preliminary display he hats not much chance of serious engagements in good class boxing in Australia.

Paul Til has Tieen in Sydney some weeks. ]lc i< the advance guard of a perfect swarm of French boxers whom Hugh I). Mclntosh U importing. Four of these sailed from Marseilles last week. They arc: Bernstein, a light-weight; Audotiy, a welter-weight: Balsa c and Tniffier, who arc also welters. Itnlsae. Ie a direct descendant of Jlouore do Balsa c, the. famous French author. TruflicT was an eleventh-hour substitution. Originally (irassi was to have come here, but just before the boat mailed lip was unfortunate enough to go under to TrulTicr in a final contest on French soil, and as a result Monsieur Leon See crossed flrassi off the list, and put in Tniflie.r instead. Jean Poesy, the famous French lightweight, io another of the Parisian boxers who have been engaged for Australia. His passage has been '.ooked from Marseilles for September 18. At the present "time there are being conducted at the. Sydney Stadium a series of eliminating tests to discover the best of the Australian men. Boxing in Australia is not at as high a level at present a-s it lias been in the past, and two of the most important men in the Commonwealth are Dave Smith (middleweight champion) and Ilughie Mehegan (light-weight champion) ; both happen to be in England. Then are, however, plenty of other men. to provide opponents for imported talent. All that is needed is that the best of them should be picked out. no that the men from overseas wHI not have to be pul against tiny lemons. As iin envoy from Mr Mclntoeh, Mr W. .1. ('. Kelly has just lift Sydney for the L'nited States. lie is one of the! most popular sports in Australia, and knows the boxing game from end to end. He. has been entrusted by Mr Mclntosh, after the. consent of the directors of the firm had been obtained, with the. task of collecting boxers in the States for the Stadium. In addition to Johnson, Jeanetto and Burnts, he is on the lookout for good men generally, and is empowered to offer good terms to any boxers whom he thinks would be of use in Sydney. The well-known American .'porting journalist. Otto Floto, wrote in the "Denver Posi"' of June 22nd: —'Speaking of Burn*, do you know that the world never gave him credit for being the really gn-at fighter that he was? lor his weight and inches his equal never entered the roped arena. At least, that's my way of figuring it. When you stop and consider the tough battle he gave. Jack Johnson in Australia when he; weighed but Ifililbs.. it makes you rather wonder how he managed to ! last as long its he did. There isn't another man anywhere near that weight who could even make John.»on extend himself. Personally, I have always been strong fqr Burns. First, we are good friends, and, secondly. 00 per cent of: those writing about him had no idea whatsoever of his fighting ability. They einiply bellowed echoes of others who. for some reason, fancied or otherwise, saw lit to roast Tommy. I want to still go on record as saying that, pound for pound and inch for inch, lie was the greatest man that ever held the heavyweight title."' Dave Smith, middle-weight, boxing champion of Australia, who was In have boxed Private Palmer— the vanquisher of Harry Lewis —at the Liverpool Stadium on July 2."i. in his first contest in Kngland, has been compelled to cancel that, ami sill other engagements, owing to a serious accident that lie sustained on Friday evening (says the "Daily Express" of Monday, July 'in) : A telegram was sent by Smith to the ''Express" representative yesterday, stating that he had cut his foot very badly, severing some of the sinews, and that he will be unable to box for months. Since his arrivn.l in England Smith has been the guest of Mr James Ric.kabby at the latter's riverside home, Thames Ditton, and as during his sojourn there he was wont to spend his mornings amusing himself as an amateur gardener, it is presumed that the accident was sustained while co occupying himself. Smith, by his gentlemanly comportment ami sportsmanlike behaviour has made many friends in Kngland. and they will regret to read of his misfortune. The Stadium management was apprised on Saturday of the accident, and are now seeking a substitute for the Australian. The Salter's absence from the ring on that night will prove a disappointment jo .scores of boxing" patrons, as many from Ixindon and Birmingham intended going to Liverpool to see the bout.