BOXING.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1192, 29 July 1911, Page 12

BOXING.

(Bi "Mekcubt.")

■ PENS OF GILT AND GALL; And First Some Plain Facts. 11. D. M'lntosh is looking after his own people. According to the cables, "Jack" Johnson has signed on under his mnnagqment .to meet the "two black Sams"— Langford and jrVea-in Australia. It is stated that ho leaves England some timo iix October. . So it is likely that theso events will como on somewhere about Christmas and New Year. This, of course, does not absolutely slinch the matter, as Johnson in the past has shown a glorious disregard for contracts, as witness his "letting down" of tho London National Sporting Club after winning the championship from "Tommy" Burns. .Prior to going out to Australia on that occasion, Johnson had signed articles for a. championship match with Langford at the N.S.C. in the event of his winning from Burns. After the event, however, the proposition did not look so good to him, and he coolly turned.it down, apd went back to America. Naturally enough, tho English sporting press had a few remarks to offer concerning this cavalier method of doing business, and offered them with emphasis. Some even went so far as to hail Langford as the world|s champion on the, strength of Johnson's default, bnt, of course, this was never taken seriously by the boxing public. It is to bo supposed that these contracts will only hold good in the case of Johnson beating Bombardier Wells, whom ho meets on September 20 in London, and it may be taken as granted that Mr. • M'lntosh will make his indentures as binding as is possible on his three dusky proteges. • Tho trin have clashed with each other before. Johnson met M'Vca as far back as 1903, when he beat him in 20 rounds twice—once in April and again in October. In April, 1904, their paths croswtd again with exactly the same result—a win in 20 rounds. This was their last meeting, so there is not much to be learned as to present-day chances' from these affairs, A better line through the prospects can be drawn from their respective meetings with the other big black "heavy," Joe Jearuietto.

Johnson has mot this latter gentleman eight times with' varying Tesults in the earlier days of his career, but, on the last occasjon—in New York last year—he gavo him the "father of a hiding." Shortly before this Jeannette had battled out « 45-round draw with M'Vea in Paris. So, as far as collateral form goes, this does not look good for M'Y r ea. Johnson and Laiigford huve met once only,'back in April, 1906, when tho champion won in 15 rounds. Since then, deunite hard trying on Langford's part, they havo not como together again., It is difficult, too, to endeavour to work oh* the chances by their subsequent performances. Each has beaten Lang and Jeanjictte, and each has met Stanley Kotchell —Johnson knocking him 'out in 12 rounds, while the Langford affair was only a sixTound ,110-decision bout, and, therefore, not to l>o considered. However, Johnson 'has such enormous physical advantages that it is hard to imagine how Langford, sturdy and all as he is, can have a chance with him over a 20-round route. The champion outweighs his black "brudder" by nearly three stone, and is about seven inches taller. There is nothing to choose between their ages, and, as for physical strength and boxing ability, as far as can J>e' judged, again the advantage lies with Johnson. ;, ' :

The "Bulletin" as the Great Chemist. .■ Meanwhile wo are informed that Johnson's match with Curran is cancelled, and there is no further word of his Lang engagement (reported as being settled for Enster Monday).

Concerning this last astounding ''fixture," the "Bulletin" is onco more very much to the point :—

A gasp of surprise and a guffaw of derision greeted the announcement that "Jack" Johnson and "Bill" Lang would fight in Sydney on Easter Monday next. How on earth tho word fight" got on the posters is beyond understanding. Still, there wore several people who saw nothing ridiculous in the proposal—Mr. Lang • among them. Another was D.iilco Mullins. Said Mullins: "There's not another man living who knows as jmioh about that nigger as I do. I'm ■the only man in Australia who Saw him weigh for his match with Burns." (And here the Duke , grows interesting.) "And I say now, for the first time, that he scaled list. 101b. exactly. Knowing all I do know about Johnson, I don't hesitate to say that Lang has a tip-top chanco of beating him." Lang's remarks wore too lengthy to be boiled down; but what ho said when asked, how he. would fare against Johnson's uppercuts, 19 too pure a gem to be lost: "Johnson spent hours teaching me how to block those.. It's not such a terrific punch, after all; and even if it was it wouldn't worry me. Johnson is mot like other boxers I have met." (Ho isn't, Bill, ho isn't.) "He has not got a deadly knock-out. If he had one ■lie would have put Burns out when .he fought him. Tho punches he used to land on me in training never hurt me, and wo did some heavy work I can tell you. Why, when the Bums light was in progress, he said, durin" one of tho intervals, that it was easier than sparring with me in tho gymnasium. This is really good. Tho "Bulletin" surely has never done anything better It is tho real dTop of acid thrown into the solution of'a world which is largely —what? Well, when tho acid gets to work on tho solution wo can roailily sec that the precipato is humbug ami practically nothing-eke. Three cheers for the Ilulletm.

iThe Catchy Style of America. A fortnight ago, when discussing tho light-weight championship battle, wherein Ad. Wolgait, the holder of tho title defeated Owen, Moran, tho English challenger, the writer ventured th.o prediction that the champion's next adversaries would bo two Englishmen—the English light-weight champion arid ex-champion at present in the States, .namely, "Mat" Wells and "Freddey" Welsh." Subsequent nows shows this to havo been a good guess. Wolgast is already matched to meet Welsh in November; and a curious feature of the business is that this is apparently looked upon as a more important fixture than a match with AVells, notwithstanding that the " latter beat Welsh from pillar to post over fourteen rounds some six months ago in London. I'erhaps this is because Welsh is better known in the "States, , and also on account of the fact that he has a twentyround draw with tho great-little "Packy" M/Farland in his record. An American paper publishes tho following'as emanating from ono of tho parties most immediately concerned:—

"Sure, but they'ro coming nftex mo fierce," said Ad. Wolgast, when speaking of his match with Freddie Welsh, "but it suits me fine. Guess, I liko bcin' kept busy, because tho dollars are piling up nil tho lime. No, I don't calculate- to let my championfdiip crown rust any. I'm wearing it ill public a? often ns I ran, and if any 'light-weight boy thinks that it would look better encircling his brows, well, I'm ready to cinvinco him that he's made a fool mistake. Yes, I'll fight amyone, provided he's a lightweight, and u good draw; if ho's not, well, he'll just havo to sparklo up a, pretty solid side-bet—that's all." The. date of tho Wells match has not yet' reached us, but, from nil indications, it. was to have teen before the Welsh clash. The English champion broke into notice in his first, match in America by soundly trouncing Leah Cross, at tho Madison Club, Now York, on Juno 2. Cross is a popular "try out" for visiting light-weights in Now York, and is a hard man to boat, and Wells'a good showing on this occasion evoked the following appreciation from onq Daniel

Morgan,- a critic of repute and present manager for "Knockout" Brown:—

That fellow Wells is tough. I heard all tho timo that he was a joke, hut take it from he, he is a pretty knotty joko. Ho is a clever boy, and any man who can make Leach miss the way ho did is some boxer. Wells is fast. Ho doesn't seem to moro around much, but he mintages (o get out of the way all right when a punch is coming to him. Counter! Why, no's liko a streak at countering. Cross must have longed for tho old home thoro at times." Will Brown meet him? "Certainly lio will, but Wells "'ill have to make 1331b. at 3 o'clock on the afternoon of tho fight."

English Pens-Heavier, but Good. Tho latest English files contain but little of interest to enthusiasts on this side of the globe. The last match of imPprtanco. reported was that between "Bill" Chase, of London, and "Fred" Storbeck, a. South African amateur, and holder of _thc English heavy-weight amateur title, whose iirst essay this was as a professional. The interest in this fixture lay in tho fact that Chase was looked upon as somewhat of a "hope," but, alas, he proved an ignominous failure. Some of the papers' were very caustic in their remarks on the battle—one critic especially so. He dipped his pen in gall, and wrote: The chief—not to say the only— merit of the go between Fwd Stor-beck-and Bill Chase was that wo assume that it has finally disposed of the latter and the nonsense talked about him. Incompetence in our our heavy-weights we have learned to expect, but they have not, up to now, exhibited tho demeanour of a frightened kitten. Chase in private life is a butcher, and we should recommend him to confine his energies for the future to his opportunities of tackling sheep—for skill and intelligence there would be nothing in it—and as for pluck! our money, would go on to the festive ram. Till wo saw Storbeck on Monday, we did not know there was another heavy-weight as slow as lan Hague. Assuming he showed anything liko his true form, if_ and when lie fights Bombardier Wells, those, who wish to see it had better take care to be there right at tho beginning.

And Now—La Belle France. Among the things they do better in Franro is the reporting of boxing contests, judging from the apended extract from the account of tho meeting of Leo Hoiick-Hnrry Lewis (tho two American welters, who claim the world's championship) in Paris, as supplied by "Boxing's" Parisian correspondent:— It was a masterpiece of pugilism, both combatants contributing, to one perfect whole. For 20 rounds these two wonderful exponents of the art of self-defence boxed with the skill of past-masters. Both seemed inspired by Bcadicen, and both did honour to the great battle queen. It was a fistic poem, the rhythm of which never onco lost its perfect metre. A . strangely fascinating pugilistic spring sonata, whoso harmony held all present spell-bound. Such a -weird stillness reigned all through the delightful seance that tho ilicker of the carbons "within the electriclight globes could bo distinctly heard. The hissing of these lent a strango note to the funereal,atmosphere, the blows of the two men engaged in combat breaking in upon it with awe-laden significance. Thero was something at once grand and bewildering in. all this. "Why should this hnvo been? :

Every fsoul present seemed hypnotised by the two men; in tho. iring. v-j One would liavo - thought t that they" were doing battle for their very souls, so intense were the" interest and tranquillity. For two boxers to have achieved such a triumph, was a great deal, in a country wherein the dominating influences, at a contest, aro anything but peaceful. But to have put up tho battle they did was to create history for tho prizpring, for the Leo Houck-Harry Lewis encounter will, or should,, go down to posterity as one of the greatest pugil- ' istic fonts of modern days. : There was a victor and a. vanquished in > this battle, but to both no praise is too laudatory to do justice. (Houck won on points.) ) :