BOXING.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 223, 13 June 1908, Page 9

BOXING.

~ (By Mercery.) ' COMING EVENTS. June 10 and 11.—Otago Championships.' June 16 and If. —Wellington Championships. July I.—Christchurch Championships. July 3.—Gosling-Gault Match (Opera House). ' September Tourney (Opera House).

It should be unnecessary' to remind local patrons of tho "fistic art" that tho Wellington Amateur championships are billed for next Tuesday and Wednesday. From what can be gathered tho Wellington representatives will havo' to get very busy if tlioy the various titles to- remain in- the city. The invasion of outsiders is numerically strong, and several, of tho men have reputations that havo preceded them. Olio of theso is Cottrill, a West Coaster, who is credited with several good performances in tho Old Country. Other boxers who have appeared here under tho_ same conditions as regards English oxporienco are Godfrey and Elliot, and if Cottrill oan approach tho standard attained by theso he should bo worth seeing. Crawford, the Manawatu feather, is also known here as a clover and aggressive fighter, who will mako things very warm for his opponents in his class. As regards tho wrestling nothing much can bo said. Being tho first competition of tho kind, tho bouts will be practically botweon novices; but judging from tho form shown by such of tho entrants as I have seen practising the sport will be keen and.willing, if not particularly scientific. Even if Tim Tracy is not ablo to meet " Gnat" Williams this month at Napier as reported, owing to the non-registration of ; tho Hawke's Bay Association, his immediate future has been provided for by tho Northern (Auckland) centre, which body has arranged a 'match for him with llossj of Auckland. Tho go " is set down for July 15, and tho omolumont therefor is a purse of £50, the winner to take £35. A match of interest to Now Zealanders has been made in rMclbourne botwecn Jim Griffin, ex-middlc-woight chamnion of (he Dominion, and Edward Williams, who has long hold tho title o*f middle-weight champion of Australia. By tho time this appears, tho disturbance will bo over, as it was to havo occurred on Monday night last, and next week I hone to be able to p;ivc details and a win for the Maoniander. In ad^

dition to the title a purso of £150 .hangs on tho verdict, which has to'he given at tho end of tho twentieth round, always' pl'ovided, of. course, that tho men survivo that distance. ■ -■ What must be considered $ie biggest thing in boxing annals in Australia for years has been brought to a succossful climax by a syndicate of "sports" iii . Sydney... This ,is , tho. engagement of world's,'"., champion. Tommy Burns for an Australian tour.. To-secure-tho signing of tho agreement it was necessary to make a deposit cf_ £20U0 with tile editor of the "Referee," which,sum has now been duly paid'in, and a cable has been rocoiyod from the champion expressing his intention of making the trip. It-now remains for Australia to unearth a fighter- able to make a decent showing against tho Canadian, and this is where tho shoe,will pinch. The present heavy-weight -'top notclier" in Australia is Bill Laing, and although ho has disposed of all opposition to his claims with e»?e, this is 110 criterion of his ability to.extend tho world's host, as poor Squires discovered to his, and tho Commonwealth's cost. Apropos of Squires, a cable from London dated May 24 stated that he had been matched for a return match with Burns in Pa-ris on Juno 13. Should ho make good 1 in this, his second attempt, it is likely that ho will accompany his late opponent,'in wliioh case another meeting between tho two on his own ground would provo a great draw. It is hopeless to expect, however, that ho will do more than put up a good fight in the return match, and under the circumstances it is extremely probable .that Burns will not oxort himself too far to prevent him doing so. '• It is G°od news to hear that Mr. Corbett ( Amateur" of _ the Sydney "Referee") ha 3 been, able to bring about the proposed meeting between Godfrey and Ted Green of Sydney. The latter is only a bantam, and it was feared that tho discrepancy in weights would go against tho match, but Green has evidently considered the handicap not unsur-mount-able. From what has been seen of Godfrey, anyone who can give him about tenpounds of weight ill, and a good go, must- be a warm proposition indeed, and this i 3 ■exactly what Green is. ■ In has class he ha 3 been practically invincible, and has won- bat-, tlosagainst enormous odus time and again.' Ho is a hard, aggressive fighter all the time and clever withal, and will mako Godfrey show us his very best to avoid defeat. Tho Association's thanks are due to Mr. Corbett for clinching the match, which - will most likely take plage during-tlio September tourney. > ~-... connection with a previous paragraph, Mr. Jaeger, secretary to the' Hawko's BayAmateur Boxing Association, has informed mo that- bo has obtained, an assurance from Mr. M'Villy, Chairman.'of 'the' Wellington Amateur Boxing Association; that' everything is in due order for - making -tho projected meeting at Hawke's Bay on June 15, subject to the administration of the Wellington governing body. The'mating, as "advertised, will accordingly tako' pkco on that date.