AUSTRALIAN TRAINER, 73, CLAIMS BALL PUNCHING TITLE

Press, Volume XCIII, Issue 28002, 23 June 1956, Page 3

AUSTRALIAN TRAINER, 73, CLAIMS BALL PUNCHING TITLE

A N Australian boxing trainer, 73 I year old Bob Pernot, claims for I himself the title “champion ball puncher of the world” and is ready at any time to meet a challenge. Finding no science in such feats as tapping a single punching ball for more than six days without pause, Pernot adds variety and science by punching six balls continuously for eight hours. For 38 years he has followed his uncommon sport—ever since his first introduction to the punch-ball in American lumber camps. Today he still puts on such exhibitions as punching two balls, one on the floor and the other strung

from the ceiling, for remarkable lengths of time or, while blind-folded, punching a ball for 15 minutes without missing. The world record for endurance ball-punching is 178 hours but, aays Pernot. today record-breakers are allowed to sit on stools or lie down. When he punched three balls for 61 hours in 1920 he was on his feet all the time and, in contrast to the

penduluta swinging punches of today, he used his head, elbows and fists to give a “highly scientific exhibition." After World War I he gave many popular exhibitions to the troops in England and at Aidershot in 1918 he raised the world record from 36 hours to 38 hours—with the assistance of the battalion band which was ordered out bv the colonel to keep him awake stirring military music when he tired. In two years he had increased i that time to 61 hours—using three I balls. In 1953 at Sydney at the age of 70 . Pernot kept three balls moving for nine hours to strengthen his already ! practically unassailable claim to the | wprld champion ball punching title.