BOXING.

Auckland Star, Volume L, Issue 254, 25 October 1919, Page 18

BOXING.

It is a fine thing (says "Snowy" Baker) to See a referee who knows the moment to interfere just when one man has had enough, and is becoming helpless. There is certainly one moment for action by the controller of a ring contest, and we have see at the Stadium on the last couple of Saturday nights that precise period chosen, a moment up to which one man had shown to be vastly superior to his opponent, and "fvas approaching th e time in which the beaten man would soon be helplessly at the mercy of the victor.

This is a horrible situation, arid it reminds one of the old Roman days when men slaves were put into the lions' dens to make play for the nobility. I feel sur e none of our boxing patrons of to-day have any desire to witness a well-beaten man getting a pummelling. While referees discharge their duties as is being done at present by the Stadium official, we may hope for good, clean contests, and 'Tf the promoter should not be able to always find the perfectly matched pair— "well; then, it is satisfying to know that We" 1 referee has the correct judgment to discriminate.

11l -When a man has really got a chance, and- when he has only got "Buckley's," •referees must naturally be vested with ai.good deal of discretionary power, for situations will always arise where cor-rect--and prompt judgment is wanted.

''/Snowy Baker, on ringside spectators, after another referee had been hooted: "It often occurs to mc while sitting at the'ringside -watching a contest, how absolutely one-eyed some people are. They apparently go with the set view of seeing their man win, and nobody else. They can never see him miss a punch, nor are they able to see the other man punch him. This makes one of the most disagreeable features of a referee's duty. It's a pretty tough job, even under the most ideal conditions." i