BOXING.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1015, 3 January 1911, Page 6

BOXING.

1 SMITH'S DEFEAT OF PAPKE. | DETAILS OF THE CONTEST. 1 The triumphant inarch .of the American boxers (says the Sydney "Daily Tele--1 graph" of December 27) was checked at the Rushcuttcrs' Bay Stadium last night. The defeated man was 110 less a person than Billy Papke, tho "Illinois Thunderbolt," and holder of the middle-weight championship of the world. The hero of the fight was Dave Smith (of New Zealand), who can still write the word "unconquered" after his name. Ten of tho fiercest rounds ever fought at the St.adium were waged, during which Smith piled up points and boxed in a manner which constantly had the crowd on its feet cheering in a deafening manner. I?rom gong to gong in each round the paco was at high tension, and repeatedly the men got to close quarters, with arms flying-like flails, and it was only when Smith danced away or Papke smothered that they let up. The tenth round had just begun when Smith punched away at the head and body of the American, and Papke. unwound a right on tho ear. Smith sent his left on a mission to the face, missed, and Papke with head held, low ripped a right intended for the body. It landed; and down went Smith, with a.cry of pain. The din that followed was ( deafening. Ordinarily sane men jumped to their feet and yelled "Foul! Foul!" and the air was filled with prolonged hooting. Papke walked to his corner, and referee "Snowy"Baker tolled off. the' seconds, 'over. tne prostrate boxer. Ho was careful, however, not to pronouncc tho fatal "out," and at once summoned two medical men. into the ring—Dr. Marks and Dr. Cox. They made a minute examination of Smith, who had just previously half risen and exclaimed "It's all ' right." The doctors declared .that Smith, had been hurt, and Baker gave him the decision on a foul.. The cheering that followed continued for several minutes, and a 9 Papke left tho ring he was lustily hooted. There was no reason in it,' for it was palpable that the blow was struck unintentionally. . The American was as cool as an iceberg all through. He took his defeat with good grace, and assisted 111 helping Smith to rise. The ending was an unfortunate one to such a fine contest, though there could not be a shadow of a doubt that Smith had established a long lead- on points. • The Stadium benches held a crowd that has not been seen at the big enclosure for a.long time. Thousands were in their scats atß o'clock,; when the men weighed "is ringside, but many.more who ca.mo later showed their annoyance becauso they ? iPot se . en the .men on the scales. One of the stipulations of the contest was that if either man exceeded list. 111b. ho should forfeit *0100.. The weights were announced as being exactly at - the required poundage,. but it is probable that the men were slightly under it. The excitement was intense as first Smith aiid their Papke hopped, through the ropes, lij redoubtable reputation that the •j 1 ' r ? m Illinois had brought with him made him a pronounced favourin the betting. As much as 7 to 1 was laid on him and freely taken—more tor the sake. of the odds than anything

.When seated in his., angle Smith' apS /i but Papke smiled and nodded to his friends around the ring. As soon as the bell let them loose Papke shot straight across the ring and landed left and right on the head; but Smith, nothing loth, came back at him to the huge delight of the onlookers, and pave as good as lie received.' Hnrricanc rallies were frequent all through , the contest, but bmith always emerged with advantage,, and the. way, lie- skipped out of danger on numberless occasions was excellent. The Australian could bo likened to'nothing but an extremely lively jumping jack. In fact, ho danced round, and in and out'in such a fashion as to causo his to caution him not to tire himself. Smith aid Dot heocl them to any extent. He knew his condition was good, and he was' prepared to go in and-fight just as much as 1 apko was. Smith's hands were, always m action, left and right going lionio many times, and-after landing on what is generally recognised as a" vulnerable point." Bllt Papke did not appear to be disturbed. He shook his head-and went in for more. And he got it! Smith never fought as well as ho. did last night. He . punched with freedom and timed his blows with gTeat precision. Papke many a - time seemed nonplussed, especially when ho whirled over a "haymaker," and it brought up against nothing but .air. aniith was,either prancing away at a safo distance or else crossing, the right to tho Jaw. The local, man fought with the speed of-.an antelope in the. fifth rounds and made his adversary look like a lumbering elephant. Papke still smiled, and kept after liis man with teeth grimly clenched, and with that pile-driving right of-his poisedfor a flight on a winning position.- But that opportunity never came, and it is doubtlul.ii.it would have, because Smith was boxing just as fast when the unlooked-for end came, and Papke was not ns sprightly as in the earlier,stages.. Still it would be a hard thing to say how the battle would have terminated if the. foul blow had not closed it. Pajfke had put mammon into bleepy Hollow, and Dare Smith might, have been numbered among them However, he had gono through half the journey ■ and looked like easily the remainder. . - The. content did not carry with it the championship of the world, as each man was 71b. above the middle-weight limit. Iho timekeeper for the contest was Mr. W. Jverr.

The Sydney "Referee," writing of the same contest, said:—As far as.the fighting: went, Dave Smith had a good lead, and it looked, as if he ' would remain at least as much ahead right through the .next half of the battle, for he was the stronger of the pair, while Papke seemed to be breaking up' a bit; he drew Ion" breaths coming to his corner after every one of the last three rounds,- and,'in tho chair, did not appear as good as he should have looked .with - a-fairly long journey yet to go. And the American's speed slackened.off muchly, owing to the high-tension nature of the duel in the earlier rounds. I have not seen- a faster fight for many. a ■ day than was the. Papke-Smith affair; and speedy as: the visitor made it, just as speedily did i the home champion respond. ■ Papke swung some terrible-looking'blows, but very few of them landeil—Smith's fine foot and head work beat almost every one. Papke would advance crouched, the right trailing pretty close to the floor, as the larger members of. the. Simian family are often pictured carrying one or other of their 6hoiilder limbs.. When he thought the distance right and the moment opportune, the man : -from, the land of the Stars and Stripes used to bring the swinging .weapon upward and rouud, to find, often, that Smith had skipped away, and the mighty wallop smote nothing' more solid 'than the atmosphere, and finished about a foot above the boards. Nearly all these chances were made the most of by Smith, who rattled both hands to one or other side of the head, to the jaw,. or to either side of the body, the different punches being punctuated, .by wild cheering from thousands of throats, to whom the local man's ascendency seemed -a huge surprise, which indeed,, it was; for, between you and me, reader, odds at 7 to 1 oil Papke. were freely laid whenever wanted before hostilities began. ■.