BOXING.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 598, 28 August 1909, Page 12

BOXING.

1 '£Bx Mbbcobt.) On Tom L663j who Recently exbitod eome curiosity in these . parts, by . challenging "Totnniy" BUMis,the "Refereo" has the fdllotving none too com plimentity; notice :ff "Nearly - twenty-five yeafs &§e, Tdrii lieesvirtually .won thohSavy-weiglit champibrtship of Australia by. bedting the long-since deoedsol SoUtll Melbourne .blacksmith,, Bill' Farrian> Perhaps two yfeafS later (September 25, 1888). Lees and Peter Jacksoli fought for the onatnpidri; belt of tip by Mr. L.: Foley,: and. which ia in niy posstfisjon to-day—and £200 . aaido, at the Void' •WBite Horse Gymiiaaiu'm in George Stffeetj' Sydney, arid Jackson won all tho, way in. tliirty rounds, throughout which Lees shewed remarkable sprinting ability for «a •"'fighter: Subsequently •Buiiib'B - praeflt: challenger journeyed to, London, aria met with success there, and afterwards figured, against American' boxers in the .United States., A few years' ago we heard of Lees in South Africa, where he'endeavdUhxl to airahge H match with Mike Williams,, Who was willing enough, but; the" public .treated', the' propdMl iis a' big jpkb. 3l:nad';'no iidea:'Lee«iWas ihithis section of tho globe till his ohallengo. appeared iu the press. It sounds to me like something from t!:e'grave." •• ■ • : i' ••••■ .

The contest at Brisbape between Arthur Cripps aiid 'Ed. ; attracted a Jarge crowd/ which witfiessoda-stirfjng battle;. All through, the going was voryeven,lx)th men boxing' tho defence, shown by Cripps being-quite,aS good ■as ,th<S : attack of Williams.- Tie affair,took placo oh a very hot morning;, in tho. Bnsbhiio Stadiuhi, anil Cripps suffered' somewhat, iovcrely from the effects of the heat. Otherwise, lie might liossiblyliaye .fever6cdt>ho decision! .'Erank Fitzjohn. tJi<>'. aleviif' little .feather-' i weight who delighted. everyone with his boxuig at the Australasian'Cllampioiiships in Wellington two yiwrs agd^ghibed'the verdict over, Dealor Wells in a'/ 20-r"oirtids bout/ in'. Sydney last week. During the. short time he ' has 1 been in .the pfttosionfll > Wfiksj l Pitzjohn' has numbered-anloßg- his victims,sudh clever exponents of tho game as Elliott,, Henley, and Wells.' ■. Tim Hegartyi who for many ycaf-s- hold .the feather-weight championship of : Australia, died of pneumonia ht Melbourne on August 16. Hegarty was born in- -Ireland i about 3§ yfiafs agb, .btlt oalMb ,t6. Außti-alid when a 1 : Eiifly'.ih' hlB youth jhe'learnt boxing from Yak FKxnl, tho yfigetttrianj iind later on became: associated -with tho late Andy Feholy, wlio miiiiaged his affairs during Hegarty's ■ successfulreign, defeating all the rberl of his j class.; Tim; invaded ' Amorica, where, ifoolishly giving away weight to boxers as clever .as he was beaten.by iTiirimp lirittj Kid' Lavigiio, and Riife Turner. Hegarty in -his,'day,-.was.regarded ( as an ; exceptionally, skilful "boxer, mid was probably the best at his/Weight Victoria ever;pro-, ducedi. .Ho .was: always 'master of Jack M'Gowah, and though, the men fo,ught,6ften, they always drew! well 1 and-provided'a! fine, contest. . Hegarty's.- last v two. .'contests; took place' at the' Cycloraiiia late in 1907,' when both • Frank .Thorn;. and Bob. ,&reenahields triumphed over, him/ ; .the contests going tiie full, journey'of 20: rounds each. A few months later Hegarty, who had been very weak for 6oiHb fconSidefflblfe . tinle, fdll, ill. and, gradually wasting . away, ho passed' awiij: aB. previbUsly • stated;, A taken up at the Cyfcloo-amaj to help the dying athlete, imtmilted', to,; close, .* oti £10. Hdgarty's ptliioipil Vibtorifesj w£r<> over Fred; Williams (twice); iJibi. Ailtnoiiy,! Abe Willi3j . Jiok-.' M'Crowah '(thrico), .Mick M'Carthv, 'Jack Cullon, "Jim. Hiscutt; ; -Paddy King,' Micko \Valsh, Ed... Jessopj Charley Frost, Billy Muftiliy, Billy : Williams) -Ncu Lowis, Aureliiis • Herrcriij and Kid■ Herman; tho last three battles' taking:; placo iti America. He drdw. with M'Gowitn (30 roUiids)) Cookeh Ttfeedidj Bbb TuflJCi'V, on,d Dick Cullen, aid .wlis bdateii; iii' Aiistrdliii/ by Ed. Jcssop, Bob Turtiety Thorn, ami GfSonSbields. ' : • . ■ 1