BOXING

Dominion, Volume 19, Issue 117, 11 February 1926, Page 12

BOXING

(By

"Punch.”)

Casey Too Good for Volaire. Tho Christchurch Sports Club had a pretty good house on Thursday night when the welter-weight contest between Harry Casey, Queensland, and Eugene Volaire, of France, went the full distance of fifteen three-minute rounds, Casey getting the decision on points. The judges, Messrs. 11. S. Draper and W. Afbir, could have had little difficulty in coining to agreement, as there was only one man in it from the word go. Casey proved himself a very clever fighter, able to use cither hand to advantage at close quarters or at longer range. Volairc’s punches absolutely lacitel* sting and not a mark was observable on Casey at tho end of tne fifteen rounds. Volaire’s ability as a ffoxcr lay almost entirely in smothering up and avoiding punishment. He is, of course, getting on in years, and appears ’to have let slip from his grasp tho old axiom that attack is the best means of defence. From the spectator’s point of view it was a poor contest, there being far too much uninteresting ■work at close quarters. That the public were not greatly impressed was evidenced by their muteness., The writer cannot recollect having witnessed a boxing contest of any description where n crowd remained sb silent. It was only on very rare occasions that thev called out at all. The referee, Mr. W. Page, must be given credit for doing his utmost to keep the men apart through every round. Judging by Rounds. Tho New York Boxing Commission recently passed the following resolution:—“Tn order to arrive at a true conclusion every point should be carefully observed and noticed as the round progresses, the winner of the round to bo determined by the contestant receiving the largest number of points scored in that round. At the end of the contest, the contestant who has to his credit the greater amount of rounds fought is the winner of the bout. Each round, is to be accounted for on the score card as win, lose, or even, as the case may be, and points showing tho manner tn which this decision has been reached, must bo clearly indicated on the score card.” Timaru’s Losses. , Tho report presented at the annual meeting of tho Timaru Boxing Association stated that the year had unfortunately not been a successful one from the financial point of view, chiefly owing to the loss of about -£lBl on the last contest of the season, that between Ilector McDonald and Tommy Griffiths. Tho Purdjy-Gunn boniest; with which tlm season had been opened, had resu.Hod in a loss of about 21162. and approximately s£79 had been lost on the Parkcr-McDonald match. Trouble in Christchurch. Mr. G. W. Aldridge, secretary of the New Zealand Boxing Council, has come down from Wellington (states the Christclcurch “Star”) to investigate the affairs of the Christchurch Sports Club, which has not been a too happy body during the past few months it is understood that Mr. Aldridge met several -the member* of the management committee of tho club, and discussed matters with them. It appears that since the committee was formed at the last annual meet-, ing the members have not pulled, together at all well, with the result that there has been a good deal of dissatisfaction. The trouble appears to, have started iat the Hast annual meeting, when' two life members were expelled from the club. Then the committee becme somewhat divided on the amateur anti professional Aides of 'the sport, and this rfpitears to be the real bone of contention. Several of the members of the committee objected strongly to a member of one club who was not on the. committee interfering with the affairs of the club, and things were carried a stop further when this gentleman went to Wellington and waited on the New Zealand Boxing Council. That ho persuaded the governing body to take notice of him is evident by the presence of Mr. Aldridge at the moment. And it is Mr. Aldridge's mission to endea vour to straighten things out as far as possible. Tho club held an amateur tournament in the Caledonian Hall in October last, and as it was fairly successful they had the laugh on the supporters of professionalism. Evidently some of the members thought that amateur boxing had come to stay, and they were responsible for the staging of another amateur tournament on the night. of November 9, which was in carnival week, when the club should have endeavoured to secure a good professional contest. Tho second tournament was rather a frost, only two or three hundred people being present. The result was that it was the turn of the professional supporters to laugh, and so the two factions became further adrift, and the dissatisfaction grew more rife.

Now thq professional element are rejoicing over the fact that on an off night thev were able to practically fill tho Theatre Royal with a. professional bout. This, thev content, goes to show that tho public demand the best class of professional fighter. No doubt a meeting will he hold very shortly, at which tho whole thing will be thrashed out. and it will come as no surprise to see' some of the members—if not all of them—throwing in the towel. A Stormy MeetingA

The meeting duly came off all right, and was of a somewhat animated charuater. Mr. Talbot handed in his resignation as a member of the committee.

Mr. Gale: And mine’s coming up on tho lift. Several members tried to dissuade Air. Talbot from resigning. Mr. Coffey: It would be like leaving a sinking ship. We’ve given plenty of boxing in Christchurch —— , Mr. Ballin-. Too much, Jim. Mr. Coffey: And wo are not the only nlaco that is not financially ft success. Take Timaru, for example. Recently they lost over <£'loo on one bout and <£7B on another. When Purdy, tho greatest draw in New Zealand, boxed there, they lost 4181 on the match. No, wo are not the only ones. . Mr. Ballin: I think you have taken a wrong stop, Mr. Talbot. Mr. Talbot: That is a matter of opinion . Mr. Ballin: I am going to bo straight, t think tho New Zealand Council has misled us They sent us a letter saying that Aldridge Mr. Talbot: Mr. Aldridge! Mr. Ballin (heatedly): G. W. Aldridge, secretary of the New Zealand Boxing Association They gent us a letter saying that Aldridge was coming down hero to consult on matters affecting boxing generally Mr. Gale: Look here, Mr. Chairman! Mr. Aldridge made his position perfectly clear at the meeting here. Mr. Jones: Whv was Mr. Staceys nftitude not challenged at the meeting when you met Mr. Aldridge? Mr. Coffey: The matter was not really discussed there, Mr. Jones. Tn my motion, it was put. off till to-night We are discußstns! it here to-night That is why it was not challenged. Mr Jones: My impression of Mr. Aldridge’s journey here was that he was going round New Zealand in the interests of boxing generally.

Purdy and Trowern Again. Tho Town Hall will be crowded on Monday- evening next when the two famous Auckland lightweights. Charlie Purdy and Reg. Trowern. will be seen in action for the first time in \Vellinglon. This is a bnttlc which local patrons of boxing have been waiting to see for a long time past. The pair are great rivals for supremacy in their class, and both arc so clever that there is really very little between them. They have met twice >n Auckland, Purdy getting tho verdict on both occasions, but the contests wore so even that mer-y people considered that a draw

Would have been a good decision, and some even went so far as to declare that Trowern bad shown the better form. Purdy decisively outboxed Les Murray at Dunedin last week, and greatly pleased the cognoscenti by his science and speed in that contest. Trowern is well known here, and very popular, so everyone will know that they will be assured on Monday night of a first-class exhibition of skilful boxing as distinguished from fighting. Interest in the forthcoming battle was proved by the rush for seats when the box-plan opened yesterday.