BOXING.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 681, 4 December 1909, Page 12

BOXING.

, (By Msngr/nv.)

Things are,still'quiet in the pugilistic world. From America and England comes no word of any doings of importance, while in Australia

the condition is one of .the ' "calm-before-the-storm" species. ''Ih'times, of. peace, prepare-for war", is .evidently'the motto of Mr. H; D. M'lntosh, now the great panjandrum of Australian boxing, and the enterprising promoter is gathering his forces from near ancf, far; As is known, Fitzsimmons arrived, Summers is. on'.the water, i "Battling" Nelson -is due shortly, and'now' word has been, received .that '.- "Freddy" 'Welsh;, who recently defeated Sura-, ' mers, and .who is looked upon sure thing for the world's championship' when- he meets Nelson; has also been engaged. Another-heavy-: weight has been: added to the list, one "Ai" . Liebman;.a husky, young American boxer. .The vultures are indeed'gathering: to the {east.;-,-Meanwhile:.the veteran ■■ "Bob". Fitzsimmons is'being..boomed-in'.Sydney for. all; Mr.'Mlntosh is worth—and that is a great deal. His every movement is reported, he is booked for lectures'on .physical culture to the. Metropolis . tan Fire Brigade and Permanent Artillery, he gives shows in the Stadium, at which - Mrs. Fitzsimmons acts as hostess, and provides after-; : noon tea for ladies,,and.-generally he occupies: a : very prominent place in the public eye. . On, Saturday, ;last-he. .was; :lo make a serious entry, into':;business"(by.i'i!meetingi"four;. .Australian "Bill" 'Turner, and A, M'Lnglen, arid ..'it is. ; a. pretty'commentary on/the state of heavyweight, boxing: in; Australia that anfold-timer, nearly 50 years of age, should Bo'able to more -than hold, his own',: as-ho .doubtless'will be, I'with a quartette of the standing which- theso b6xera have locally. 1 '••".•. : " ".' -/.,.;,.,. - : Says' the "JSeferce" (but whether this is an.other "puff" par or not "Mercury"; is not pre; pared to' say)!: > "A boxing bout .between 'Bob' Fitzsimmons arid-'Tommy' Burns-at the. Stadium is more than a possibility of the near future; As a matter of. fact, it is. on, tho verge of being arranged, arid' 'Toriimy' started'- road work'yesterday."-;- ■ . ; ; ; • .. . •>■■ ' In the return match -between " Dealer." 'Wells arid; New, Zealand .ex-champion\.'^Billy "El:/ -liott.at the Gaiety, Sydney;. on November 23,' the,former.was!qgaiii successful iri.gotting tho decision'after.a closely fou'ght-dut battle.■■: ':■',' - ■ Writing.. to;!" Tho Amateur " of: tho; "Rcfereo," a correspondent described as "one;of the most prominent boxers in America 'who does not,wish.his name'.disclosed''.(fancy, a;present-., day boxer in America- missing" -a chance of getting his name'mentioned I) says, inter alia; "I was talking to the old boxer, Tom.-Sharkey,, two/days ago. 'Charlie' Griffin introduced me: to him. Sharkey's opinion: is that Jeffries will meet Johnson ; and beat him in '■ fifteen' rounds.' In, fact,v* SKrirkey had a letter, the; day.; previously from. Jeffries,-telling, .him he would meet Johnson, and that he (Jeffries) was in great trim." ■■ ' ; ' Says a message from Sari-Francisco, dated October 12 (just before the. Ketchel-Johnson combat):r-" : Gunboat" Smith, an ablo'seaman, U.S.N.; boxed his way .from a puglistic gunboat, to a real Dreadnought of tho. ring, when iri 'the .fourth round; of, his exhibition bout, with Jack Johnson; tho heavy-weight'. cham-; pion of the -.world," ho knocked that pugilistic phononi. to' the canvas.at Johnspn'.s training quarters'-at,-the" Seal Eock house.' And it was no; fluke; knockdown, Coining out of a clinch near the end of the last'round "Gunboat", swung a right and the'negro went I down as prettily, as any. fighter, ever hit the-matted ring,, and, when; ho-got up'.ho was daz'ed;so, hi uch that, Georgo ' Little;, Johnson's manager arid timekeeper, called time; cutting the round short fully,a minute arid seoing.to it that the naval' inan did no .''more'/sparring- with tho champion during : the rest of the afternoon'. Smith .had shown, in tho'first three rounds that, he / boxed, that ho could . roach Johnson with a right over-hand chop, and he landed; this on Johnson frequently.'; Smith;and John-, son slariimedeach other around good and hard, and the fans who visited tho Sealßock camp to witness.tho'sparring exhibition felt before the .end' of..';the-.; second round of the, SmithJohnson bout was over that thejv were seeing the real thiug. From the moraentlio donned the . gloves 'up to the last round Smith •' displayed little .fear of; Johnson's hitting ability. "I, am going: on' to Chicago, arid will stay there : for ;two, ; months..;' I 'ivill, go,.'down to San Francisco and . see' .Johnson and Ketchcl. ■ Now; I'will give, you'iny candid ,opiriiou'. of 'John-, son. He will beat Ketchel in ten rounds,- and ' will also beat Jeffries. :Yon cannot sayto.an American; a. bad enough ;word against' John-, son. I:saw by an American paper.that Tommy Burns'had made £67,000 out of the game, j and: that ha was goirig to follow '-.'Johnson up..' . They are offering 3to i that Jeffries'.will beat ; Johnson." :; ; ;'. ; ; - '■■'; ;:

The: letter also; contained' an interesting j paragraph about ; a New: Zealnnder, as under :— CharlieV Griffin, is married, and.is looking, very well.- .He 'has- had; sonic;'great contests' ill America, nearly always giving aw&y weight:'. You would take'Charlie'to be a crack'jockey instead of a pugilist. If is "his' intention: to' 1 como to Australia next- \yinter. 'Charlie' is tho only Australian we have upholding our honour in America, and he has done so creditably." ' •'■;■.. , '■■; -,". '.. i-. ' ■-. ■:'..-';'- A new. sporting paper yclept "Boxing" was .launched in September in Xondon, and the first issues are now to hand. • ;Oho of. them contains an interview with Jeffries, who, .talking of the coming thatch with Johnson, said:— "I'guess ;wo shall clash some time•;.within the. next six months.'.-.. I. shall want to see some -money posted. I : have got myself fit, and am pretty nearly fit to,fight now,. I.scale 2301b to-day—that is.to say, less than a stono heavier than'when I fought Jock Munroc. I, shall probably 'eonie down a: bit more before I enter the ring. I.caiV do that easily by having a dry week.or so; cnt down my allowance of water to a minimum; It will be a'bit ■ of'.n nuisonce,but it ouly.be for a time. When everybody urged me to come back to the ring. I.promised to.do so if I could-get,myself»fit.. I fancied. that-I . could ; do.', tho .trick, -and I have.; I weighed ( ,about 26011). when I started training, nnd so have only had about 501b. to get off. It sounds a lot, perhaps, biitf I -had mbrb to get rid, of:when I. started to train ; for. my event with Gus Ruhlin. I weighed' 20st; then and' had to .'get .myself lighter.: than 1 stall be this :time. ';I, shan't go much ;'over ,2101b. : whei\ Iget.into the riiiß-with '.TohnVoil; still .-.1. shall, be a. good d<al heavier than him at that. He daren't mako 15st.—ho can't; in fact, .make anything like it and keep in condition. ■ :... ■■::■■.■-;.,;■■';',;. •'.--,. v/ .: •'.-.■ ;. v ..:, /