BOXING.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVII, Issue 168, 15 July 1916, Page 16

BOXING.

A cable recently published eaid: — "Jimmy Wilde, the -well-known boxer, has been rejected by the army examiners as being medicaEy unfit." This was not through any ■weakness in mind or body of the man referred to. Such a fighter could not possibly be amiss physically, and one so clever and so resourceful as a boxer could not be short mentally. Wilde is England"s flyweight champion, and be has held that title for quite a long time. There never was a bantam weight, featherweight or boxer in any division like aim. An English sporting writer penned the following some months ago regarding the lad under notice:—'-Wells, Welsh and Wilde—the least of the three in size—is the greatest of these. Wilde strikes the lot of us dumb with amazement. We have to resort to exclamations in speaking of his boxing. Analyse him we cannot. His lightning speed, his perfectly timed blows, his gliding footwork, and the manner in which "those long pipe-shank arms of his drive his opponents back reeling and blowing, or cause them to measure their length on the floor, baffles expert and layman alike." Wilde is a married man with sons, to whom, 'tis stated, he would have to give away a stone or two.

Efforte have been made by the Aftercare Association, whose headquarters are in Sydney, to prevent what is termed " a bunch of fighters " coming from America ro engage in a series of boxing contests in Australia. But Mr. Mahon, Minister for External Affairs, has informed the Association that if the boxers are of European descent and in sound health no action can be taken under the Commonwealth immigration law to prevent them landing. In her letter asking that action might be taken against the boxers coming to Au6tra.Ua, Miss C. A. Baly, secretary of the Aftercare Association, expressed the confident hope that the Minister would use his wide powers to prevent this. "To take the lowest ground," Miss Baly wrote, " consider the large money these noble patriots will carry away from this country—money so eorely needed for the saving of Australia from necessity." Most leading boxers have their own special methods in preparing for a contest, and Llew Edwards, the English champion, is no exception. Edwards works under the experienced eye of Mr. George Bailleu, who has had a life-long experience in the management of boxers. Mr. Baillieu is a great believer in an athlete, or any one, for that matter, having only two meals a day, and both he and Edwards adopt it. When they rise between five and sis o'clock in the morning they have merely a cup of tea and a email piece of bread. At about 10 o'clock they have a solid meal, which lasts them until the evening dinner. " The ordinary man who rises early," says Mr. Baillieu, " has his cold shower, and then only two meals in the day, has a better chance of good health than the man who has three and even four Tnpala in about 12 or 14 houre." Then into his actual training Edwards introduces novelties, one of which is the headgear he wears while boxing. Mr. Baillieu does not allow Edwards to take any risks that might interfere with his engagements, or that might hamper him when he gets into the ring. For instance, it frequently happens that, while sparring, a boxer gets a cut over the eye, or injures his nose or mouth. The result ie that as soon as he gets into the ring he has a weak spot, which hie opponent quickly finds, and hits it throughout the contest. That Mr. Baillieu's methods agree with Edwards there can be no doubt, for the Englishman is always in good condition, and able to give full play to his fine boxing capabilities. Just now he ie boxing at the top of his form, and that he believes he -will win is emphasised by the fact that Mr. Baillieu has deposited £ 100 as a side - wager, and has expressed a willingness to increase it to any amount that McCoy might desire. "Tommy Burns, the New Orleans promoter, whom Jack Johnson defeated for the heavyweight championship, ig angling to bring Les D&rcy to this country for a series of boute in the near future," says an American newspaper. TJurns made many friends Tchen he was in Australia, and lw seems to think fchat it is possible to induce the Australian to make the trip. He declares that he is willing to offer Darcy a large sum for a series of matches, and take a chance that Darcy will not meet defeat and become mined as a drawing card until he has fulfilled his contract. "If Darcy comes here under such an arrangement it is certain that he will not be sent against the tough ones at the start. Of all the promoters Burns is the most careful. H« newer tako a chance when it comes to patting up a guarantee. As a boxes, Burns was game enough, as he proved when he risked a title and lost in the contest with Jack Johnson, but as a promoter, clnb manager, and so forth, he has a lot to learn."