BOXING.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 996, 10 December 1910, Page 12

BOXING.

(By "Mercury.-") Why Should This Be? Much disappointment was expressed locally when the news of the postponement of tho contest between "Cyclone" Thompson and Hiighie Mehogan was received. It is rather surprising, by the way, how closely ring happenings in Australia ere followed by the sporting public here, anil this fact is brought to light by' any similar happening to this. It is a matter for frequent and disparaging comment that the result of sncli a match for an Australasian championship can be totally ignored by the powers that control the destinies of our cable messages, while we are kept fully informed by the same authorities of amateur cycling happenings, tennis results, pigeon shooting matches, and. similar events. . Hero we have a match between an Australian and an American for an all-Aus-tralasian championship, Held in Sydney under the most reputable management and conditions, and we have to wait for exactly a week in order to discover' from Australian papers to by mail that the event has been postponed on account of bad weather. However, that is the position as regards.the Australasian lightweight champion. The' match •is now to take place to-night, with the result that unless the cable authorities see the error of thoir ways by then. we. shall have to ( wait a week from Monday night for news of the result to reach here. The "Heavies" at Millorton, "Bill" Eudd's victory over Mitchell in tho contest for- ths heavy-weight championship of the Dominion last Saturday caused but little surprise in town, although it was 'hardly thought that he would have disposed of the holder of tho title so incontinently. According to a local account of the fray, which took place at Millerton, Mitchell's home, the first round saw Kudd "mixing" things rather to Mitchell's disadvantage. In the second round a clinch occurred, and in the break away Eudd got homo with two heavy hooks, right and left. This shook tho champion considerably, and shortly after ho was sent down for eight. Ho was now in a parlous condition, and rose only to be sent to the boards again, the bell saving him from a knock-out at nine. The third round saw Mitchell como up very shakily, and apparently "all in." Another visit to the floor for six seconds did not improve his condition, and finally in 30 seconds from the beginning of tho round he was sent down and out.

Kudd should hold his title for somo time if ho stays in New Zealand. The trouble will be-for him to get anyone to dispute the holding thereof. The chances are, however, that ho will betake himself to Australia, and got into the gamo seriously. If ho does this ho can bo relied upon to cut a wide swathe through the second-rate "heavies" over there. His trouble is that he is too light for his class—he fights at under 12si—but of his fighting capabilities there can bo no doubt. He fairly revels in a "mis," has a hard punch in either hand, and is fairly clever with his feet—cleverer, in fact, than he is generally credited with being, owing to the possesson of a rather awk-ward-looking style. . . Can Rudd Take It? There is one point upon which local form-watchers are uninformed—as to lludd's capacity to take punishment. That he can distribute it has been proved, but can he receive it in the same proportion? The question , has never been : answered here. Ho hasnever-:beeu. extended, and except for a; rather lively, "rough house" bout with one Williams, of Gisborne, at the provincial championship tourney before, last, ho has never been seriously opposed. 'Williams got to him with a nasty . ujiper-cut of the Johnsonian order that leit its.mark and shook its recipient a bit, but apart from this, he has never met anyone who could land on him—or, ?fWd,.to, ; get.;in, and try. Etida-is .the same order >of boxer as his fellow New Zealander, "Jim" Griffin, and with care should be just as successful against his own'.might ■,■,•.■' Nommes-de-guerre and Humour. Some timo ago "Mercury" remarked upon the fact that the "good old British pastime" of boxing' was slowly but surely slipping into th<> haiuk of fho alien. A correspondent to tho "Bulletin" comments upon the.same lamentable fact, and quotes the names and nomines-dc-guerre of most of tho leading lights in the pugilistic world in support of the contention. The list runs:—Jack Johnson (negru), "Tommy" Burns (Noah Bfusso), Adoiph Wolgast, "Stanley Ketehel" (Stanislaus Kiecal), Rudolph UnluuV William ' Papke, Joe Gariz, Al.'Kauffman, Marcel Moreau, , Joe Choynski,. "Tommy Byan" (Joe Youngs), Oscar Battling, "Mathew Nelson* 'Joe Walcott. (negro), Sliko Schereek, "Jim Flynn" (Andrew Chiariglion), Sam M'Vey (negro), Hugo Kelly (Ugo Micheli), Joo Jeannot'te (negro), "Fighting Dick Hyland" (William Uren), Monte and Abe Attell (Jews), Johnny Conlou, "Frank Mantell" (Frank Otto Mintell), "Dick Nelson" (Rickart Christenson), "Leach. Cross" (Dr. Louis C. Wallach), "Young Otto" (Arthur Susskind), Martin Martinsou, Tony Caponi, "Tony Eoss" (Antonio Eossilano), Frank Klaus, "Young Britt" (Henry. Treffinger), M. Kubiak," "Young •Fitzgerald" (Herman Ziegler), Henri Piet, "Jimmy Burns" (Geoerge Memsic), Frank Picato, Charlie Goldman (EussianHebrew), "Sailor Burke" (Charles Prasser), Kid Prantz, "Young Jact Eodmond" (Henri F. Hoppe), "Phil Brock" (Phil Slomowitz), and, finally, "Bill" Lnng, Australia's hope and pride, is of Swiss extraction, and is really William Langfrancbi.

An Old Friend Begins "Explaining." . Apropos of "Bill" Lang, an Australian paper publishes tho ■ following extract from, a letter, from the absent gladiator" referring to. his first, and, so far, only, American baltle:— "I havo been nursing a broken hand since just before tho KaufFman fight. I hurt it very badly in my training, just nine''days before. When tho doctor told me,'after an X-ray examination, that it would have to be broken again and reset, I told him I had to fight in eight days, and he said no man could do it. But I did. Ho told me three months was the verdict, so I made up my mind to fight first and have tho three months afterwards. You know how I felt. I faced him with only my left. It proved too much for me, for he is so big and strong, and is the recognised champion white man 'in the business. Why, I had him licked in the second round. He was hanging on to the ropes nearly all the time, all but finished. If only my right hand had stood to me for ono punch, tho fight-must have been mine. . But the. hand that , has sent many a strong man down for mo had failed. I could not haye broken an egg. with it, it was so painful; and here was a man 181b. heavier than myself - to break. Never' before havo I had anyone so far gone without finishing tho fight. It was just then his seconds found out my hand was really broken, and on their advice Kauffman decided .to try and gain a paper decision over me. But I can honestly say he never had the slightest chance of hurting mo, and I never was in danger." Theatrical "Tommy" Burns. So "Tommy" Burns has once more definitely retired from tho ring. This part of a recent cable message is quite understandable, as it is thoroughly recognised that a "top-notch" pugilist is entitled to as many "absolutely last appearances, on any stage" as any prima donna, and it is an accepted fact that, when tho pugilist recognises that he has not been before the public for some time, arid that there is a chance of his existence being overlooked, he rehabilitates himself by announcing his "definite retirement." This is quite right and proper, nnd only part of the game. The puzzling part of tho cablo lay in its second half—stating that "Tommy" had turned over his English fighting dates to "Jack" Lester, of ■Seattle, whom he picks as the coming champion. Quite apart from the question of "Jack" Lester's identity, which is not revealed by application to any boxers "Who's Who" at the writer's disposal, one wonders what Mr. M'lntosh, who has Burns '.'signed on," will say to the substitution. Win or.lose, "Tommy" would be a terrific drawing card in England, but it is extremely doubtful whether the mysterious Lester would, In short, ho wouldn't. ■.-;-' "■■■"".'.