BOXING.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 544, 26 June 1909, Page 12

BOXING.

•';■"■:,::•;;■.■<.!..■ ■■'IBr-llßiicoßit.)'■;■■!'.■,■:'■:■' ;'::,. :■;■"':>:'. ": FIXTURES :■-■'■'-• .June 29.—Tracy v. Jack Griffon (Palmerßton ,;r North); : - ' :'■ / ; July 22 and 23A-N.Z. Amateur Champion- \ ~ i'. ships (Dunedin). , •,■'-. July .28—Tracy v. Bob. Turacr (Hastings). Jul}v29.—Wellington B.A. Tourney (Clark v. ...'. Leckie),-Town Hall. ' '. VMorcury? acknowledges receipt of a complimentary ticket for the Horowhenua B.A. tournoy on Wednesday last. Ho regrets that ho was unable to avail himsolf of it. American sporting files to hand contain much matter, of interest anont the .JeffriesJohnson match. The "great American public" appears to bo getting rather tired of the "Rathlecn-Mavduniecii attitude adopted by Jeffries _ in his preparation to.-meet''the black, and it has been demanding, in a loud determined voice, that '''.'the big fellow will come down to figures, and namo a date. The "Referee's" special correspondent 3avs that Jeffrie's has signed a statement to triis offect: "Some time in July I will be ready to sign up for a fight within five months of .'thin'date.of signing. If Johnson will meet me then and talk business, well and good; but I do not think ho wonts to moot mo in

tho nng." Ho goes on to say: "I think tha sports critics drove Jim to this. When several weeks ago he announced he would surely most Johnson some day, and intimated that it would probably be late in 1910, wo tore looso at Jim to a roan, Tho public took up .the cry, and after a week or so Jeffries began to feci that ho would have to say something more definite if he didn't wish to bo sent to Coventry." Ex-champion J. J. Corbott has also bad his'little say in tho matter. Writing to the "Chicago Sunday Tribune" be says:— "I have come out on several occasions since Jeff, announced his intention to fight John-S son, and Baid that the boilermaker would win. In fact, I have been more pronounced in my predictions thau any fight writer in America, and it is beCauso I know that Jeff., if in anything like; his old shape, will not only bo able to protect himself against Johnson's j attack,'but will be successful in reaching the vulnerable points on Johnson's body and face. Johnson has no crouch, arid he stands up and depends upon bis. shiftv and awkward cleverness to worry his opponent into openings. Johnson strikes his blows in an entirely different : manner than Jeff., and starts many of them much like a side arm pitcher In uppercutting alone might John-, son have a shade on Jeff. And if Johnson hits Jeff, effectively at all it will have to be by means of the nppercut route. And the chances are.about 10 to 1 that Jeff, will land his death-like blow before Johnson knows what has happened. Jeff, is "always careful,.no,matter whom ho is fighting. On the other hand, his;opponont will grow tired and a bit oareless when ho finds that blow after blow directed at. Jeff.'s head and heart do no damago; aSjthcy never land squarely, because of the crouching position of.v the boilermaker. Johnson has nevor shown any wondorfuhwallop. He may; havo one stored away in his right or.left' arm 'some place saving it up for the suprome test of his life. Jeffy.it is known; has a punch in either hand and can land it, or always has landed it at'least once, in every fight ho has ever fought. Of course; the possibility of Johnson winning under these conditions is small, i Jeff, bo away I off- in shape and unable through, his superfluous weight to fight in the form and eamo manhej as he used to, i,hen Johnson would have a good chance to. win;" ' .."■,.■;.• ■ ■'.■■,■;.'.'•■.

After the vaunted "crouching position" of Burns, the. foregoing seems to be just a litilo bit stupid. ■_ duo to show in London in July, Johnson is bookedrby'Seymour Hioks for a season at tho same time, Corbett is also un-' der an engagement to a,London music-hall/ and, as; Britt are already there; London will'have: a formidable galaxy of champions and cx-champions , oh view among>her summer - att'rai'Hohs. '.'■■';. :

' Tj> a ? ' las ce niontcd his claim to: the world s championship; by decisively defeating Hugo. Kelly in one round at Sari Francisco' towards, the end of; last month;'' Another match between Papke andKetchell * talked of, and, if the latter can bring hinisH: down to, the middle-weight .limit again, th«iH is little doubt that the'two will come together sooner or later,: more especially so as it is considered extremely; unlikely that, the Ket-chell-Johnson match scheduled for October'l2 w\ll come to pass now that Jeffries has announced his intention of meeting Johnson. For the second time Billy Elliott was unlucky uv his, meeting with "Dealer" Wells on the night of June 15 in Sydney. .'After a desperate l battle, lasting the whole 20 rounds, tho referee'awarded the fight to Wells, a verdict with which the public disagreed. The "Referee" says that the contest was at least a draw ( and others go further and proclaim it a win for Elliott. .'-.'■". ■ Alf. Gaplt: has at last'■ "made good" on Australian'soil'.'>; On Juno 12 he met, and dofeated, one Roy Williams at the Gaiety in Sydnoy,.per medium of a knockout- in the fourth :round. ,■(' ■■^: v ?>",;■ :'