BOXING.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 569, 26 July 1909, Page 2

BOXING.

THE NEW ZEALAND TOURNAMENT AND , CONFERENCE. ; ; Tl'o members of ; the : Auckland ' and "Wt.....igton teams, who , took ; part -, in last week's Now Zealand boxing >chainpionship tournament in Dunedin. ■ arrived back from the south i' by tho Maori. yostorday. Mr. W, Coffey, who - represented the "Wellington Centre,: stated to a Dominion reporter that the competitions did not compare favourably with the last two 01 threo championship tourneys,the bouts'gone-.', rally boing characterised by a maximum of forco and a ..minimum of science. .: There , woro, however, threo or four contestants," who die. tinguishod themselves in the ring.'notably Wilson (ligbt-woight), ■ of Canterbury; \\atchom (welter); of Wellington; Porter (feather), of Wellington; and ' Leckio (feather), of Otago., Ncill and Ross, of Auckland, were fairly good performers, but Manly, of Auckland, who wont down with a big rephtationj wbs a groat disappointment, falling a lot short of expectations. ■:. The beiit between Heggarty, winner' of the featherweight contest, and Porter, of Wellington, was a: very fairexposition of the and tho duel between Watclioni and Pombarthy, of Lyttelton. was well worth socingi :■ With regard to Wfeiuiand, of Wellington; thero'w&S no question that , ho was the, beet bantam'at the mooting, and but for the;unfortunate accident bo sustained in tho, somi-final with Campbell, in which he broke a' small bloodvessel in his forehead , in. a 'collision', wonJd have eonio out on top. ; Tbo selectors were evidently of that opinion,, as'they had appointed him to rcprespnt his-divisioA.at tho AustraJasian championships at Sydney in September. Pinnorty (who; won tho heavyweight championship) was a hard-hitting, forceful .boxor, whq would give bis opppnente a lot of trouble. '. Ryanj last year's weigit chanipiori, and Ruslitori both gave' disappointing exhibitions,- but it was said tbat the latter. was : below: form. '-The selectors oyidently made, allowances:for. they had picked him for .the: Now Zealand team. He\was a, man of heavy,calibre, of the type likely to do well in Australia, where, tho amateur ''heavies' , of past; years bad been ! lacking in stamina.: V.: "ni:} ; :; i^ ! ; w; r, ". Thoro was no ; that: the' mothoda of Heggarty, who won 'tlie '■ featlier contest, would not, : be tolerated' by several referees in tbo Nortli Island; : He was '?. ''rusher'' and a "bnttor," and used his shoulders too mucli. In Mr. Cplfey's opinion, 6. man with, j.a good: straight' "left".;, and quick; at foot? work, would soon find liis weak, points.' Hβ-. is "pretty sure tiiat his methods would not have been stood in.Wellington, Tho bout botween Smith, of Wellington, and> Newall cixsated roars of laughter, Uio'decision in favour of Smith gavo rise to: a demonstration. On the serond night, howeyori'Smith put up a.' sterling porformanod , .against Finnerty that, even. surprised his \ toain-taates. Cairns did ,hot '-.'bps '.up; to ; bis' Wellington form; •-.. ; !:'/:-''"• ";Vj-. ''■"■'■;•:■' >"■;''■■'-I"'- ■ : -'-- "'■:-'■' ■! The toumaincrit ■ attracted : big ■ audiences, ■ and 'a net profit of resulted; ;'. Half of that amount would go to the New/Zealand Council. * The generally were, good.. There 'woro instances wJiero improve-' monts 'could'havc been maddi-:'Twonty-tJiroo ,bouts wero,set down for.the first night,"and. itwas'l a.mi , , before the' show, endca. -Ifv.it had. not ;beon':.;for'. the .number, .'.of. early ','knocks-but," it, Would have beon 3 a.m. or 4 a.m. before the last bout was concluded, ?,Ihia was'- caused' chiefly" .by. tlid, tedious waits in., between tho 'bouts. ' The ; Wdlington' team was treated '■' ivith : tho-greatest : hospitality, , and ■ the ofiicials did all. they: \ could' fot "Visitors'. - ''■';■■'■•■''■.■■ -' ■■''. ■■': i: '■''.- : - ■ .:<' ■ • .-

j At':the conference, .which sat for six hours, many-.mttei's of", imnortanco' wero brougbt forward and dealt with, ch-iof amongst ': which' was. that centre government is to po maintained. : Another '.matter decided wai> that tlio headquarters .wore to be at Christchurch, :"or-.any other place decided' on.'bv;throsjfifths or the members of',the : council." The conference affirmed the 1 principlo ; of the limitation, ofi! by \ 6 votes to. 5. This was strongly objected to, by the Wellington ■ delegate, who maintained that iti wu purely- a .domestic question for each centre to consider, and if 50 resolutions wore passed: to tho sarno'-. effect; it would;' not■,' prevent oontres ■ making; , the best' pos-' siblo when good ■ attractions offered. 'Mr. Coffoy says Qiat, in view of the narrow majority and 'the amount of "BqueaJing" any .hard and fast laws on the subject would induce, it is not a matter likely to.be raised again. ■ ■ V:'' '.V.: ; ; ■ ■•. ' ':''■••■;.■; ' .■:•■ :."'■ All those selected to go ! to Australia had signified' thoir "acceptance witii'. , tho exception of •'Watchorn; the Palmorston North man. but it was boped that tho difficultice , that prevented j him accepting would bo removed. :' Mjr. W. G. Atack will probably bo appointed manager of tbo New Zealand team, and the. association's representative.. at" : the •conference in "September. ' ■ . ' ;;' ; ; .'■.,■. ." Mr. Coffey: says thai : a most noticeable fact at the. tourna.nicut was >iooqs&ity for the formation a'. Rofcrcios' Associafcion, so-Xag to; obtain nniform rulings itliroughout.New . Tho northern, contingent 'was at a disadvantage, with n strange' referee,, and tho same thing .applied to sotrfchorn •' men ■when they travel, each, referee having.his own little' peculiarities. ';' >'■ , J;.'l ' .': J. Clark'and his' trainerj H. : Riohards, returned: from Blcnihcim.on , Saturday, Clark will ; complete his training in .Wellington before meeting Lockio on , Thursday; in the Town .Hull: Whether',. ihbV;': wins or loses against'Lockio,-.Clark, oxprossos himself as willing to meet any nian in his class in the Dominion.- , : .' .':■;)■ P;-^-! : ■;.;■/.; : ".■;,'

B. Turner, of New South Wales, will meet T. Tracoy,' of Wellington, on Wednesday night at Hastings. Turner is willing to moot J. Cooper,'of England, Ost. 71b., ringside, give or take 21b, An effort is being made to arrange this matclj. . <

AUSTRALASIAN,CHAMPIONSHIPS.. (By Telegraph-Press Association.) ,Dunodln, July 24. The following team has boon seloctca to re. present New Zealand at tiio Australasian Amateur Boxing Championships in Sydney in September:—liantam, Meniiand' (Wellington) ; feather. Hegarty (Titnani); light, Fin* riorty (Southland) j 'wolteiy Watchorn (Wellington) : lioavy, Huston (Obago). Tho team is considered a strong ono. '.'.■• '-. : v..', Oripps and Jim Griffin will meet in ChristchurcJi on Aueust 24 to box; for, tho Australian championship. .v '; '■' •''., : . ...