BOXING.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 799, 23 April 1910, Page 12

BOXING.

(Bγ Meecuet.l

A STRANGE NEW TITLE. CHAMPION OF THE EMPffiE.

.Particulars of tho recent Lang-Burns disturbance for tho championship pf Australia duly came to hand with this week's mail. It appears to have been a- contest worthy of the occasion, in which the winner, albeit a little short of condition, boxed one of the clevor, aggressive battles that placed him at one time on tho topmost rung of the ladder, while the defeated warrior put up a stubborn, uphill- showing, ■ marred by lack of initiative and dash. It must be said, however, in justice to Lang,.that' in the concluding rounds of the engagement—just when his superior condition should have stood to him—his attack was weakened by a bad right hand. At the conclusion of.the contest his thumb was found to be dislocated, and ' required to be set by a doctor. This, according to Lang, happened in the ninth round, and although thereafter he managed to do a fair amount of execution with the injured. hand, it can, be quite understood that his efforts would lack their full sting. Burns, too, did not escape ecathless, a-s, outside of the legitimate bumps and bruises, he acquired a badly bruised' nose and forehead, and a pair of darkened oyes, .through a collision with his opponent's head. /The bump was a severe one,, and the crash' shook 'the Canadian up more than was good for his prospects had-he not remained cool and husbanded his strength by judicious ducking and side-stepping. After the fight a groat swelling/ the size of a sma 1 boxing glove, showed on Burns's' forehead, and the next day his right eye and the bridge of his noso were black. ■ .. ■ . . ■■■■-.

The butting, however, was purely accidental. In faot,> all through, tho contest was waged in a good sporting spirit, and with .the utmost good feeling on both sides: On this head "Amateur" says in . the "Referee":—"A cleaner contest or one in connection with which the referee had -so little trouble, has rarely been seen in Sydney. Neither man attempted anything savouring of foul work, though crazy oiilooking partisans were occasionally heard calling something about butting." Tho referee, by the way,.was Mr. H. D. M'lntosh. • .■'.-- ''.' .

Of all'tho accounts of the struggle that "Mercury" has read, and they are singularly corroborative, the most concise amT picturesque is that in the Bulletin," for which reason it is appended ■:—The announced weights wcießurns 12st. 131b., Lang"l3st. 61b.; and the statement thereof was received wath-derision.. . Most such, announcements are received that .'way. 'Lang's. ( reach was much longer than "Tommy s," and he towered over th« Canadian. With that long sweep it seemed impossible for'"Tommy" to reach him' except in in-fighting, and a clean break had, been stipulated for. • Lang's ohances looked hopeful. l Burns opened the battle by dancing a jig round his taller adversary, who tried to get in and do damage. But the Canadian jigged out'of danger, ducked beautifully, and closed the round without making a solitary attack on the Australian. People reckoned that terrific jig-pace would soon wear Burns out; and by the end.of the fifth Tound his head smoked, and the steam of him went up in a- cloiid. But he still * jigged on faster than ever, and. the .Australian: regarded 'him'%. dazedly J, "- !, ae'-;' '-'He skirled round and smote, and roughed liko 17 devils. For nine. solid rounds he piled up points at an amazing rate, smashing, Lang repeatedly, and getting but little' in return. But the 10th 6aw a change; Lang:got him on the nose, uppercut him twice and landed the left heavily on the side of the face. Hf came_ in to do some more; but one on the jaw sent him back. During the 11th, . 12th, arid 13th the damage' received by Burns was in excess of what he gave, and in the 14th Lang actually forgot himself and went for Burn's savagelyi roughed him; and-looked like becoming an aggressive fighter. But he slowed down again in the 15th, and cut loose once more in the 16th and did considerable damaged But Burns came through , all 1 right, although at one time he was very groggy. .Then Lang became the same old wooden figure; Burns- went for him like a wild cat, and, though.unable to knock him out, managed to evade most of Lang's defensive swipes. In the final Burns made a supremo effort; but Lang survived. And when the gong sounded M'lntosh, who was referee, lemarked, "Burnswins." Then there burst out a storm of hooting.'' People howled that Lang had been robbed, and called upon the Universe to .understand they would attend the Stadium no nioru. One of Lang's seconds said his man had broken his right : hand; but, all the- same', he punched some mighty smacks with it right through and up! till the last moment.* But M'lntosh gave the only possible decision. Burns had, with the exception of two rounds, done all 'the leading and supplied the entertainment. Much of Lang's defensive work failed,' and his fear6ome left had missed the mark. Had he gone after Burns he would have won, for he is a stronger man, has a longer reach, and can be as quick as lightning when he likes. There was nothing physically in Burns's favour; but he has moro inside his head than Lang; and that■ was what won. Lang will never be a world-beater—he isn't aggressive enough, and hasn't the brains, apparently, to make proper use of his splendid physical talents. Had he possessed them, a Canadian had not been champion of Australasia to-day. What wo want is a boxer with Lang's physical development and "Tommy's" mentality. ' ' .-■'-. ' > :

Thus an American paper on a matter of interest:—New York, February 3. — New York fight-followers, who have been worrying for fear.Jack Johnson might not be able- to keep his engagement with Jim Jeffries on July i next, owing to the black champion's attack on a littlo negro named Norman Pinder, need fret no longer.. The coloured champion's case will take its regular place on the calendar, ant], according to the rotation system now in vogue in the Courts, will not be reached until late next July at the earliest, when, in all probability, the big affair will have been settled.

Johnson is in trouble from another a. matter of litigation. This time it is a matter of breach of contract with his erstwhilo manager, "Alec" M'Lean, who introduced the black to Australia on his first visit. It taay'be remembered that, on that occasion, Johnson was lined in Sydney foi assaulting M'Loan, and tho bad blood engendered then has culminated in the present action—which is for 10,000 dollars damages'. Johnson asserts that ho will contest the caso to a finish.

Nows has come to hand 'by the ■Amorican mail that another world's championship has changed hands. Tho message under notice runs as underlies Angeles, February 23.—Frankio Conley, of Kenosha, AVis., knocked out Monte Attell, of San Francisco, yesterday in tho forty-second round of a 45rouiid fight. Attell was severely punished, and when Conley knocked him down in tho forty-second ronnd his seconds threw up the sponge before the count was finished. . Conley emerged from the encounter without a scratch. Ho wins the M'Carthy diamond belt for the bantam-weight championship of the world. . ../...■.

This matter of the bantam champioaship is one of very real interest to tho> British boxing public, because it is* among the 6mafl men that there is tho' greatest probability of a Britieher annexing a world's supremacy. Attell, the recently deposed champion, has already met three of England's best— Welsh, Driscoll, and Morah. Against the first-named two he was hopelessly outpointed, only, unfortunately, tho title was not at stake on these occasions, and against Moran he could do no better than make a lucky draw on two separate occasions.

Welsh and Driscoll, by the way, have been at one another in England. An effort was ,mado to bring the men together, and all went well until it came to the signing of articles. Then there arose a deadlock that still obtains. The London "Sportsman" devotes a good deal of space to the matter, and, inter alia, says:—"lt all finally devolved around one little technical point. It was over the clause in the articles which Driscpll wiehed inserted, which read: 'The men shall bor nnder Queensberry rules, and neither shall hit when holding, but each man shall protect himself at, all times; except when in holds.' Welsh insisted that the word 'holding' be substituted for 'in holds, 1 and after a tremendous argument one of the best matches that possibly could be_ arranged was broken up, and the principals separated without reaching an. agreement of any sort." In America the wrangle has been discussed with great interest, . as both men are well-known performers on that side; .and more. especially because of the issue involved—British versus the American methods .in the ring. A Chicago sporting writer of note, one MK Ed. Smith, states the case as follows :—"Welsh and Driscoll got. into an argument over a match, and both interposed conditions that brought out the bottled-up wrath of tho English sporting press upon their devoted heads. Welsh wanted to fight, fight at all times, and let l both , men protect themselves in'the style that.is in vogue in ; American rings. Driscoll—not so good, it is claimed,-at the dose Nelsonic style of milling—wished that the hitting should cease as soon as there' was holding. One account of the -wrangle bites with sarcasm of the American method proposed by Welsh, and is headed, this way: 'American Fighting or English Boxing?'" That there is eting to this is shown by what follows: "The English style was lauded, Driscoll ;commended for the stand he took in the matter. ■'■ Driscoll said that he and his friends wished to see'hini meet-Welsh in a boxing match, which is. eminently dear to the British heart, and not in a wrestling match, in which terms he .scathingly refers to the methods that prevail in America.. The temper of the article shows in what esteem the British critics would hold Battling Nelson if he were to attempt to defend bis title against Freddie Welsh in an English ring. His style would scarcely bo' tolerated at all, judging from the scornful manner in which reference is made to 'American? Fighting or British Boxing?'" .' . '■..-■

Since the above was written Nelson has,lost his title to' All' Wdlgast, but the principle involved is.. not: affected. On this matter of the difference of the two styles, always an engrossing '.. one where boxing enthusiasts congregate; a well-known English authority says:—A friend, a member of the National Sp6r& ing , Club, who has just returned from a tour round- the world, was giving me his ideas the other night of the American boxer and his methods. This gentleman spent a good deal of his time in the States, and during his stay saw several contests, both in the East and the West. Hβ favours the vigorous style as exploited over the way and the two-handed hitting rather than the left lead and break as seen more frequently in'England,'and bases his argument on the admitted improvement made by men like Welsh, Driscoll, ami Moran b^.thejr; j coV^ti4n'!A ! tnerica. :"' ■'!' ' ,' Says''the '"Re'fereW''dn a young New Zealander: "Young Starlight, who came to Victoria a few weeks ago, and set himself un "as heavy-weight champion "f New Zealand; made good at the Cyclorama last r.ieht, April 12, when 'in fou?bt the Snuth African army bovy. TCddie fiordon. Starlight, however, was rot called upon to in sufficient work to 'how his merits. In the first! round Gordon' so frequently reached his man >'iat everynne thought' it. wns an easy l hino; for' him. hut Starlight was nervous, and enrly in the second rnn.nd it was the 'coloured youth who did' the 'lish-stepning. Scarcely had thev come ■Tut of their angles when he banlkpd "•'ith a left for the head, then suddenly ripped in the right. It wns a, fine nunch, and laid Gordon' low for the best nart of five minutes. :"'■■■

. ["Young Starlight" is E. A. Rollins, who won the heavy-weight championship of the Dominion two Tears ago. Ee is a son of "Starlight," the oldtime middle-weight coloured top-notch-or, stands about 6ft. 2in., and weishs over 13 stone. He has the extraordinary reach of 80 inches. ' about four inphps more than Bob Fitzsimmons, is need 22 years, and is a native of Inver"ar^ill.—"Jlorcury."] - '

Referring back to ; the Burns-Lang contest, ■ on-e notes with some amazement that "Amateur," in the "Referee.'.' heads■up his account of tlio fray in bie type as beiric ''For the championship of the British Empire." Tn explanation there follows a paragraph to this effect: "The 'Referee , has long had tht» feeling that there should be.a champion of the British Empire, nnon which the sun never sets, and whose possessions arc spread all over the world. Tommy Burns is, a Canadian,' and consequently a British subiect; then let him be crowned, first holder of tho title, particularly as he lias defeated the best heavyweights in thfl centres under England's rule."

• This sounds all very fine and large and Imperialistic, and all that sort of thing, and really has. everything to commend it, but surely "Amateur" is in error in fixing upon this combat as nun deciding the allocation of .'his new litlc. Burns may he a Canadian, but he is not a British subject,' Sinless he lias been naturalised durina his sojourn in Australia. He is a naturalised crtizen of.the United States.. Moreover, surely a candidate for the titlo suggested would. not box under the American flap;; and yet "Aninteur" tells us in his-account that & sash showing the Stars and Stripes encircled Burns's waist. , .■■•'.■

The annual peneral meeting-of the Wellin.icton Boxim; Association is-' set down for next Friday. April 29. Apronos of which the publication of the following paragraph in last "Referee" has given rise to some adverse comment among members of the association, who seem to resent the anparent fact that an Australian paner has aocpss to information hofor* it is available for nirmbers:—"The balance-sheet of the Wellington Boxine Association, to He presented at the armnnl jneetina: nf tho aswi.ition on April 29. shows a sum of -0520 to cr'dit. whil" the asset? are.set -Inwn n+ ...Wi*. £1(10. Tho.Receipts from the Unholz-Trnov contest in Au-rust of last year totalled about £415."