BOXING.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 229, 20 June 1908, Page 9

BOXING.

COMING EVENTS. July i I.—Christehurch Championships. July 3.—Gosling-Gault match (Opera Houbo). •July 13. —Tracy-Ross match (Auckland). August. — Nov/ Zealand Championships (Christchurch). September.-—Godfrey-Green match (Opera House)., Of course, tho big event" of the local pugilistic world during the week was tho Wellington Provincial championship totirney at tho Opera Houso. One looks back on the meeting with mixed feelings. Shortly, from & managerial Viewpoint, it was thoroughly successful, and from the boxing standpoint it was not. Tho support accorded by tho public was very gratifying; the stago management was quito up to standard as regards tho.absence of delay botween tho bouts; and, what' was the most pleasing factor of all, tho number of contestants afforded ample proof that the sport is being taken up with enthusiasm ill the city, whilo tho vim and determination with which each and every boot was fought speaks much for " grit" of tho young New Zealander. . Against all this must bo put a few defects in the management. generally, and' tho ln~Me lack of scientific boxing displayed. \l uh regard to the former point, the programmes were numerically insufficient for the audience, and would have been of mora value had they shown tho centres represented by tho contestants. Another thing that would liavo made matters more satisfactory to the front of tho house would have : been a blackboard on which tho names and weights could have been stated for each bout, as it was it was not always possible to catch the names when announced. f These are small matters that may bo easily set right next time, but the lack of attractive vri . SClel }tific boxing is a bigger blot. "Whether'it is that the instruction given at", tho various schools is to blame; or whether it 13 that .the short three round bout is responsible for the slogging round-arm "stoushing methods adopted in nearly every con- ■ test, I am not prepared to say, but the fact remains that the hit, stop, and got away reaturo of tho game was conspicuous by its absence. Certainly tho intention and the endeavour to hit were there in abundance, > but as for tho stopping and getting away— v*e.l, the least said the bettor. One yearned for tho good old straight left that is tho most useful tool in a boxer's outfit. It is admitted that as an aggressive measure tho straight left is not in it with-the jolt or. swing, but as a means. of defence and a scorer of points it is invaluable. Moreover,. . t i 1 5 >oi ," fforIi department seemed sadly neglected, henco all the'clinches and wrestling ■ that marred . the entertainment. Young ivutner certainly showed symptoms of a grounding in this important branch, bnt overdid it, and Crawford, of Manawatu, exhibited >. a pretty sido step on occasion, but beyond this thore was none. Of course, there is'ono extenuating feature that must not be overlooked, and that is that, most of the men engaged wero making their maiden appeaianco m public, and perhaps through; nervousness- ?' n d. stago fright, did not' do themselves justice.

Coming to tho men themselves the Manawatu contingent comprised a useful, welltrained lot, who were unfortunate in onlv acquiring oiie championship, the lightweight. Tho winner of this, Watchhorn,, was undoubtedly tho hero of tho meeting, and his win was deservedly a popular one. On tho first night ho had a hard go with Leavy, which he won on a foul with something in hand, and on the Eecond night was unlucky enough' to run up against a stiff proposition in. tho semi-final 'in tho _ person of Gibbons, of Petono, who gave him rather a sovero gruelling before l>eing disposed of on points. In tho .final he met Parry, , of _ Wellington, and; won through tho judicious use of an effectivo left hook, and a happy knack of never, losing his head m a rough-up. Their heavy representative gave little chance for criticism, as ho lost on a foul after a very brief appearance, but what little form hfrdid show should have secured him' tho title, -in', the light of later events, had ho not lost his head and run up against the referee. Crawford, the up-country feather, has shown here to better advantage, but put up a good "go," though not quite good enough, and Shields, the "bantam," formed the. losing half of tho best bout of the meeting, ana is a game lad indeed. Of tho other visitors Porter, of Blenheim, was the best. • Of the local _ men I _ liked Kerr (bantam) and Lcckie. (middle-weight), of Tracy's and Lane's schools respectively, tho best. The former is perhaps tho only performer to whom the. previous remarks about the "straight" left does not apply, and his footf work and timing .wero right above the average; Unfortunately, his generalship was not up to-the mark, and ho lost his claims to championship honours by strikjhg his op. ponent after driving him on to his knees m the final bout, when holding an excellent •winning position. Leckio only made one ap.paarance, against -Brown, a coloured" boxer,who put up. a. very plucky, good-humoured battle against heavy odds, bub showed himself to bo a clean hard, hitter, possessed of a forceful but f(eo stylo. A good exhibition was lost through'his opponent scratch-' ing in the final. _ The winner of the welter title, Devitt, has the making of a good man concealed in tho hard punch and gameness that ' woe him his victory, while. Hale, the newheavychampion, has the punch and the gameness, but was otherwise disappointing. ■ In closing theso remarks on the meeting,I must say that in consideration of tlio number of "knock outs," and the ,: stoush"' abovo montioned, that was so much in evidence, it is worth the Association's while to consider tho question of reverting to tho big eight-ounce glove for future oontests, at all events, for classes above the featherweight division., •

Congratulations to Tim Tracy on his win in Napier from "Gnat" Williams. Eeports < to hand indicate thai Williams put up a far ; liettcr fight that on either of the two occasions on which Tracy linn defeated him, anil that honours were fairly easy up ,to tha twelfth round. Thenco, however, Tim commenced to draw away, and in tho fourteenth send liis man down for seven seconds with a body punch.. In the .fifteenth Williams was' the recipient of a left jolt, followed by a right hook to tho oar, and was counted out: 'Nows to ha"d from Melbourne this week . advises that Jim Griffin, erstwhile amateur . middleweight champion of New Zealand, de- ' fmtod Bel. Williams last Monday. Tha Maorilander got all over his man ,and_ secured the verdict and .. the middleweight, title of Australia in sis rounds.