BOXING.

Press, Volume LVIII, Issue 17609, 11 November 1922, Page 6

BOXING.

BECKETT-SIKI FIGHT. BARBED IN BEITAIN.

(By Cable—Pre» Association—Copyright.) (Australian and N.Z. Cable Association) v LONDON, November 9. The Home Secretary has notified the promoters of the Beckett-SiM fight that he cannot permit the contest within the United Kingdom. The authorities held that in contests between men of colour and white men the temperaments of the contestants are incompatible, and that, considering there are a large number of men of colour in the British Empire, such contests are against the highest national interests, and tend to rouse passions which it is inadvisable to stimulate. The Home Office relies on the precedent established when the Johnson-Welta fight was contemplated in 1911. THE AGGRESSIVE STTCT. LONDON, November 9. SiM's exuberance of spirits is likely to bring him into trouble. His lutest exploit, which, according to the Paris correspondent of the "Evening News," may result in his suspension by the French Boxing Federation, occurred a.t the conclusion of a fight for the French middle-weight championship. When Prumier in the eleventh round defeated th« holder of the title, Balzac, by a knock-out. Siki immediately jumped into the ring and endeavoured to strike Prumier's manager. The police had to quell the disturbance, and Siki was ejected amid the hooting of the spectators. STTCT SUSPENDED. (Received November 10th, 6.5 p.m.) PARIS, November 9. Siki has been, suspended for nine months and deprived of the lightweight championr ship. BOXING AND CLIMATE. BURNS'S PATLTJRE IN ENGLA2JD. LONDON, October 28. ■ The boxing correspondent of the "Observer" expressed surprise at the obliteration of jb'rank Uurns, the Australian boxer, at the hf.nds of Pagers, and says that though ltogers was known as a fornudabio customer, who had forged ateadily ahead since ho won his belt at the ring, it w«b btlieved that even if Burns vere beaten his evasiveness and toughness would at least carry him through 20 rounds. "Burns did light a skilful battle against Rogers," says the ''but his resistance lell away under the £ng|johman» attacks until it couid hardly b-- reaii-ed that it was the same man who held) himself up so stubbornly for eleven rounds of fierce bombardment by Lewis. "Possibly the climate, which has had much to do with tho deterioration of Lloyd and Cook, similarly afLcted him. The English climate undoubtedly adversely affects Australians, and, conversely, European boxers generally improve in boxing power, stamina, and physical development in Australia." KING CELEBRITY DEAD VANCOUVER, October 28. Sam Fitzpatrick, a noted manager of boxing champions, is dead. He piloted Jack Johnson to the championship, and is reputed to have won and lost several fortunes. He was born in Australia. Sam Fitzpatftok was one of the best known of tho old-time boxing managers, and was prominently associated with both the negro champions Peter Jackson and Jack Johnson, to whom he acted as manager. He was born in Maitlaud over IGO years ago, and went to America in the early days. In the United States he afterwards handled many fighters. He was endeavouring to make arrangements l for a return to his native land at the time of his death. McQUARRIE-McCLEARY CONTEST The trouble which has arisen over the McCleary—McQuarrie boxing contest for the heavyweight championship of New Zealand, was further discussed by the Otago Boxing Association on Thursday evening. It will be remembered (says the "Otago Daily Times 1 '; that at the end of the eleventh round there was a doubt whether McQuarrie would go on with the rigni. He, however, elected to do 60, and Jiuocked ALcCieary out in the thirteenth rounu, and was awarded the fight by ino reieiee \al.t <J. Jxiimaruu;. McOleary men appeared lo the Olajjo .baiting against me aecibion, ana stated liM lie nud won at the end oi the eleventh roimu, bui Uie uppuui was dismissed, as it was hem tna.t iue reieree s decision was rinai. McUieary iujjl appealed lome iNew x>oxmg Council, which ruled the fight a "no contest, una oiueieu an equal division of me au»e money. j.iie utugo .oOAing jiaouumuon lutuerapua 'wrote to uie council stating that it had no jurisdiction over the matter, and asking it to recohbiuer its decision, ihe council reined that it would reopen the case provided the two contestants were agreeaoie., Jj'inmiy the Ulago lioxing Association repued, lorwaidmg the loi.owing resolution 'unut as iue association ia advised and believes that the council had no jutisciiction to entertain the appeal of McGleaiy, it cannot agree »to waive its objection even Bbouid the contestants agree to do so." To the laat letter oi Ine Otago Association Mr W. G-. Atack, secretary of the N.Z. .boxing Council wrote as fonows: "jluo couacii vouid point out that your association requested the council to reconsider its decision in Ihe Mcdeary—McQuarrie contest. This the council agreed to do. i\ow your association apparently objects to the council doing what your association asked the council to do, end the council agreed to do. Correspondence was received liom 'McCleary stating that he was willing to have the case reopened. No leply was received from McQuarrie, and it was decided to give him until .November Bth to state his views." The chairman (Mr T. Gillies) said that it was hard.y necessary for him to recapitulate all that had alreauy been said in reference to the dispute. It might be sufficient for him to say, in reply to the councils letter, that all the Otago Association asked was that, in view of the legal opinions it had received—which set out that toe council had no jurisdiction in considering McCleary's appeal as it was on a question of iact—the council c-hou.d reconsider its decision. The association had not asked that the council should reopen the case, but that it should reconsider its decision. The object of their association was to provide a course whereby the council could letire from the untenable position it had previously taken up, without loss of prestige to itself. The association knew of no similar case in which a central council would reverse the decision of an affi.iateu association on a question of fact unless on very strong grounds, and those grounds the association hud not yet become acquainteu with. Ho felt that the council had cost a direct reflection on their association—had practically accused it of not being competent to control its own tournaments. _uch interference with the functions of a promoting body was, under the circumstances, a menace to all associations' efforts in keeping the sport clean. He regretted the present unfortunate position, and felt convinced that had it not been for the amount of wagering that had taken place no trouble would hr.ve arisen. If interests inimical to the projer 1 conduct of the sport by an association and i its officials could exert influence in the direction of having decisions reversed, thun j good-bye to the proper control of amateur | associations. The trouble lay between the I council end the association, and he could not understand why the council should ask for the consent of McQuarrit and McCleary before reconsidering the trouble, as the refusal of either of them would leave rhe matter no further advanced. He hoped that the council would see its way to retire from the untenable position it had taken up. It was decided to leave the question of sending a reply to the council in the hands of the chairman and the secretary. Mr W. G. Atack, secretary of the New Zealand Boxing Association, wrote stating that according to tlie statements by the manager and of the team which took part in the Australasian championships, "McDonald should have been returned the winner at the -end of the fourth, round. McDonald certainly seams to have suffered from a wrong decision, just at Hatton dm lest year. However, one has to take the good with the bad, and accept the official decisions with a proper sporting spirit." The chairman dryly remarked that he hoped that Mr Atack would apply opinion about "official decisions" to the New Zealand Boxing Council. It was decided, in view of the position which had arisen over the McCleary McQuarrie contest, that th» proposed fight between McQuarrie and 'Wnitaker for the heavy-weight championship be postponed in the meantime.