BOXING.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 615, 18 September 1909, Page 12

BOXING.

; ~ ; * ■ . ;.■.■■ . . , IBy MnncnnT.) _, 'FIXTURES. ' '..'.' . ' Sept 25.—Wellington ' Physical % Training School Tourney. Sept. 30.—Wellington B.A. Tourney, Clarke' v. Leckie (Opera House). Sept. 25. —Australasian Championships (Sydney). ■ ' ■'.■ \. .■■■■.. Nov. 1.—W.8.A, Tourney (Opera House). Tho New Zealand team in quest of fame and championships at tho Australasian amateur meeting in Sydney this month were to have left for the front yesterday, ( under command of Mr. W. G. Atack, and, unless something unforeseen has occurred in the meantime, tho following representatives are now on the way to tho scene of the fray:—W. H. Wenand, Wellington, bantam-weight i J. Hegarty, Timaru, feather-weight; Finnerly,. Southland, light-weight j G. Watchorn, Wellington, welterweight;, and M. Ryan, Southland, heavyweight.. •■' ' . ,'■ •..■•■■■■ It. is hard at this distance to gauge the chances of our 'representatives, but . tho strength-of the combination would appear to bo in its'lighter division. Both Wenand and Hcgarty arc stiff propositions in their classes, and the letter's chance of landing , an Australnsian championship appears to be the best of the lot. Wonaud has a hard man to beat in W. Robertson, of Ballarat. Watchorn is bound to fight well, and has a way of rising to tho occasion , that, at times, surprises even those who know him best, but absence - of- reliablp information as to the opposition renders discourses as to results nicre guesswork. Of the class in the middle and heavy divisions more is known, and the knowledge does not incline one to think any more of our mon s chances in these departments. Tho biggest stumbling-blocks to their success will most likely bo E. Pullaloye (Victoria) and Midwood (Tasmania), both of whom have proved themselves to ! bo more than usually dangeroit6. Fullalovo will compete in the middle-weight class'and Midwood in both the middlo andlho heavy, divisions. ■■.■.-. :-'■'.:. ', ~ ; , The. local; association has arranged thrco attractive bouts, as preliminaries for the ClarkeLeckie contest on September SO. Iggulden, of Kaiwarra, • and Hovill, of. Palhierston. Northboth of whom are well and favourably known locally—are to-clash'in a bantam-weight bout. Malbney.'a one-time West.Coast.champion, will meet Turner, the'recent winner in his class , at last week's Horowhenua."ehampionship tourney, in a light-weight bout, and a' "go" between Murphy, the Wellington provincial middle-weight champion, : who performed, so well against Morris, of .Levin,- at the recent Unholz-Traoy tourney, and G. Butcher, winner -of tKo raidtftt^toight'i,titlb I ,(JfilHa.\fkß'fli:'Bay at. HMnls :onlßßiltoii#c. Bi!ttllV c9il.6M;ttt?: first pa'rfr'df .tha3pn(gr.ai)iiiwi7»'( n'A ■ .''Jt' l'~ - .- "Bob - ? ; Turner. has been matched,-to meet , "Bob" Humniings, of H.M..5.: Prometheus, in Auckland, on Septoraber 20; Hummings will be remqmbored as the "Jack Tar" who so do-, cisively '' disposed of "Alf.". Gault in: Sydney earlier, in the year.. . • ■-.. :■■'■. "Jimmy" Britt, world's ex-champion,- and "Johnny" Summers, latest aspirant for tho title in tho light division, boxed their "rubber" bout in London'on July 31. They had already met twice previously, and the score was one all. but, on this, tho third, , occasion, the little' Englishman emphatically endorsed his claim .for world's honours. The affair caused great excitement in London. .-.- ■■■-..• .. . A band of enthusiasts in Wanganui has taken upon itself the .burden: of resuscitating' tho noble art', in that town, and aii association, to be afiliatcd to the body :in Wellington, has been formed, with tho following officials:— Committee, Messrs. Jas.' Robertson, , . ; Quigloy, Harold, Swan, and'H. W. Cooper;-secretary and treasurer, Mr'. L. Atkinson; vice-presidents, Mr. C. Cohen and Dr. Wall.. An endeavour is to.bo made to induce tho Rev. J. LI. Dove, headmaster of the college, to accept office as Sresido.it, but tho appointment is held over uring .his absence from Wanganui. Judging from the personnel of the executive, the movement is ' in the right hands, and should meet with well-deserved success.-.Mr.. Cohen is a well-known lawyer,, Dr. Wall is an old Wellington College boy, and an ex-football representative forward, Mr, ' H. W. Cooper is well known hero in rowing circles ns a former official of the Star Boating Club, Mr. Jas/Bobortsou is the local manager of Messrs. Dalgety and Co;, the lion, secretary is an' architect, ami is a brother-in-law of Mr. W. G. i Atack, lion, secretary of the' New Zealand Boxing Association, and tlio other gentlemen are all citizens of credit and repute. Tho Johnson-Jeffries affair seems to have ar-' rived at its nearest approach to finality, so far. Jeffries has gons to Karlsbad to take tho waters, and generally, get fit. On his way through Now York ho placed a deposit of 5000- 1 dollars with the "Evening World" as'evidence of his bona fides. Said Jeffries: "I have posted this sum to show my friends that I am in earnest in my declaration that I am willing to defend the title of heavy-weight champion.- I only stipulate that tho articles shall provido for from forty to ono hundred rounds, and that tho contest must be , before'-the"club offering the largest, purse. Also, ■. when .the articles are'signed, it shall be agreed that an additional forfeit of 5000 dollars be-put np with the st&ke-holdor, and tho sum of 10,000 dollars shall go as a side bet.". ..' .' : Of courso this has not been ■ received in 'America without the usual Yankee press'wet blankot of doubt and-derision. It is nailed in isomo quartors as simply an advertising manoeuvre, and altogether excited quite a lot of argument pro anu con. The old story of Joffries's condition, or lack thereof, seems to bo at tho back of tho sceptics' doubts aud fears; against which the- following■ bulletin from an expert, one Dr. Cooke, has been" made public:— Says the doctor! "I ,havo visited Jeffries twice, and have, made examinations of him both before and after his exhibitions. : I give it as my opinion that he is in fine condition, and-can go into tho,ring with a mouth's training and do himself full justice.; I do ho lias gono back any. If ho has dissipated, there is no ovidenco of it. Frank Gotch is the only' I eyer met who , is so eyonly developed. Jeffries is not flabby. His , waist measurement is 38.7, while his cnest measurement i 5,45.3 inches, just about the right proportion. His lungs are sound, his heart action is normal/ his.pulso good and steady. The only thing I find to bo the matter with him is not a'serious defect. His noso was broken sorao years ago while training by a blow from his opponent's elbow.' Consequently ho doos not breatho through his nose easily, but breathes with his mouth slightly open. This makes him seem to puff and wheeze, when exercising." "Johnson affects to be pessimistic in'tho matter—or perhaps'it is that the wish is father to the thought. On receipt of the intelligence the dusky ono is reported to have said: "That means nothing. Jeff, will throw all kinds of obstacles in tho way of a fight. For ono thing, he'will-demand the lionfs share of the money, and I will never stand for that. There must be a winner's end when. I. sign up." '-,'•'■ The San'Francisco."Examiner" publishes nn outside opinion from W. W.Naughton, whoso "say-so" on theso mattors is gonerally there or thereabouts. It is to jtho following offect:— "The boilermakcr, true to' his promiso of months ago, has placed JEIOOO in safo keeping in Now York, mid has dared Jack Johnson to torn the scratch. What is moro to the purpose, Jeffries says ho will bo ready ■ for th 6 test within • fivo months, which, ns championship affairs go, is not long for a fight-hungry world to bo'kept waiting; Of course, nmny irords will be spoken and many hairs split before final n'rranfremolits. for the grentest ovent of the prize ring havo been completed, but tho meeting is inevitable unless one of tho rivals funks cold-bloodedly. There may,': bo a split over tho financial feature of the big undcrtaking. There may bo n difference of opinion us to whoro tbo ovont shall takp place. But if both mm aro onger for tan fray, there is no

> ohanco of a hitch that cannot bo overcome i If ono of tho gladiators should develop a cast ■ of cold feet,' woo betide him. Ever since thai r "affair in far Australia there has been a do- ■ wand for a Jeffries-Johnson contest, and now 1 that the outlook is promising, tho public will ) work itself into a fine .frenzy over the pross pect. If either man backslides, his namo will - smell in the.nostrils of sporting men for gen. - orations to come." It is now Johnson's move. Tho last English .mail stated that "Siil Rue- . sell,' tho Australian , heavy-weight, had boon r matched with Sam. M'Vea, the contest to be f held in Paris during tho first week in Sep. ' ; tember. • . \ .