AUSTRALIAN BOXING

Evening Post, Volume CV, Issue 147, 23 June 1928, Page 23

AUSTRALIAN BOXING

PRESENT AT LOW EBB SUCCESSFUL MISSION" (By Telegraph.) (Special to "Tlio Evening Post.") DUNEDIN, This Day. "Boxing in Australia, I am sorry to say, is at a vory low ebb at present, and boxers generally speaking are not a vory groat lot, the game- having gono back considerably since tny .last visit a few years ago/ said Mr. J. Kilmartin, one of the leading referees in Now Zealand, who has returned to Duuedin from Sydney, having had a successful mission in his quest for boxers to appear in Dunedin under the auspices of the Otago Boxing Asociation, telegraph's "The Post's" Dunedin correspondent. He brought with hini Archie Hughes, a featherweight, who is to meet Johnny Leckic,, tho featherweight champion of New Zealand in his first contest, and Tommy Griffiths in a later bout. Mr. Kilmartin first saw Hughes working out at Jack Dunleavy's gymnasium, and considers that he is the only boxer outside of Tommy Barber and Norman Eadford who is likely to stand up to Lcckic Hughes has beaten Billy Melton, who went fifteen" rounds with Johnny Leckie at Wellington, and has fought two draws with Tommy Barber. Ho is also the present featherweight champion of New South Wales. Mr. Kilmartin got in touch -with Barber, and his trainer Pat O'Connor, aftd after a good deal of persuasion secured a promise from Barber Ithat ho would como over. Another little hitch occurred) but as the result of Thursday night's meeting of tho Otago Boxing Association everything is now settled, so far as the local controlling body is concerned, and Barber should leave almost immediately. Norman Eadford, tho English boxer, lias also been released by Stadiums, Limited, despite tho fact that his contrack stipulates that he must return to England, and cannot leave again for twelve months. Eadford will leave by the next boat, and Barber will probably arrive at the same time. Both boxers will probably meet both Griffiths and Leckie in Dunedin'. Mr; Kilmartin saw; a good deal 'of Lachio Macdonald, the ex-Otago boxer, in Sydney, and in his opinion, Macdonald is the best middleweight •in Australia to r day. He will como to' New Zealand next month to box Harry Casey, under the Manawatu Association, and judging by the way he is fighting just now Macdonald should be very hard to beatThat Johnny Leckie's advert to Australia, and his: being matched with American and English importations would assist in bringing boxing back to popularity in Australia is the opinion held by Mr. Kilmartin, who said that every man in Sydney is waiting to see Dunedin's champion. Mr. Kilmartin also saw Billy M' Allister, the Australian bantamweight champion, in action, and he believes that Tommy Griffiths and M'Allister would make a wonderful bantamweight contest. Mr. Kilmartin interviewed Charlie Purdy, who. is returning to Auckland next mouth. Purdy gavo Mr. Kilmartin the first chance of a contest at Dunodin uhonlcl tho Otago Boxing Association require his services. .Tommy M'ln,3l.os, tho Scottish welter weight, is another, desirous of visiting New Zealand, and Ernie- Izzard, the. English lightweight, who beat Purdy, may como to Wellington *ater. Archie- Hughes is tho feathorweight champion of Now South Wales, and is desirous of further matches in New Zealand, specially mentioning Matt Hatton, whom ho would like to meet in Auckland bct'oro ho returns to Sydney: ■ i . • Light-Heavyweight Title. The cable informs us that, at New York, Tommy Loughran! successfully defended his right to the. light-heavy-weight championship by defeating Potc Latzo, in a furious fifteen-round contest. In the early rounds Latzo had his opponent in serious trouble, but Loughran made a splendid recovery as he did •in his championship bout with Lomski at New York on 6th January. Loughran won\tho title from Mike M'Tigue, to whom it was awarded by- the Now York Commission when tho holder, Jack Delaney, forscok the class for the heavyweight division. ' Pete Latzo, at one time was welterweight champion, winning the title from Mickey Walker. In turn Latzo was defeated by Dundee, tho present holder. Both Walker and Latzo grew into mid^lleweights, the former winning the world's championship by defeating Milligan in London. Latzo, seemingly, has outgrown tho middleweight division. Casey and M'Donald. Harry Gasoy, middleweight champion of Now Zealand ; and Lackie M'Donald, tho Dunedin boxer, who lias won^tho Australian middleweight title, will meet at Palmerston -.North- next month." M' Donald has had a successful. stay in the Commonwealth, and is considered to be a much-improved boxer; Ho lost the Now Zealand'championship to Casey in a contest held in Wellington. Casey, who is a Queenslander, has fought 28 bouts in New Zealand. Of these ho was awarded'tho decision in 18 bouts on points,' and knocked out D. Loveridge, A. Hay. . (twice)) and M'Knight, arid won'on a foul from M.Donald, which gives him a total of 17 victories. Ho drew with M'Donald and' J. Broadfoot, and lost eight fights. Dempsey's Earnings. The Americaniboxing paper, "The King," estimates Jack Dempsey's earnings from contests and . exhibitions during the time ho was champion at £570,100. This does not ineludo motion picture contracts and contracts for •the use of his name for advertising, for ,which Dcmpsey received a fortune. His biggest cut was £142,200 for his first contest with Tunney. From 1882 to 1915 John Li. Sullivan, for contests, vaudoville tours, and the like, received £244,265. Transferred to Wellington. Fred Brock, who has been performing well in Hawkcs Bay, has been transferred, to Wellington. ' Apathetic Champions, i Tho attitude of some of the ring champions is decidedly reminiscent of that of Johnny Wilson (writes W. O. M'Geehan, sports editor-of the "New York Tribune ,). Wilson vyon the light-heavy-weight championship,,, and then camo to trouble. Before that he used to fight frequently, but after acquiring tho titlo ho decided that if he fought ho might lose it. Then, it doveloped that if ho did not fight somebody, ho would not be getting any revenue from it. That placed him in considerable of a dilemma. For months and months Wilson rofrainod from fighting anybody, and was suspended by all the boxing commissions in tho country. Whilo these suspensions wero mentally painful, they wore not necessarily fatal. Wilson continued to bo suspended until ono morning ho looked into the spaghetti barrel- and found that it was entirely bare. He complained to his manager. "If you do not fight we cannoj; got any spaghetti," said tho manager. "But if I do fight, I will lose the title, perhaps," objected the fighter.;

Tho manager was cold-blooded. "No fight, no eats," he said tersely. So Wilson fought and lost, but he ate. To this day, lie feels that he sold the title for i plate of spaghetti. There was Johnny Kilbano, who romained out of the ring until ho was suspendod by everybody who could suspend. Ho hold tho feather-weight title longer than it ever was held by tho dint of keeping his chin out of all rings. Eventually, they guaranteed Kilbane enough, and ho stepped into the ring with Eugene Criqui. Ho lost his title, but he saved something close to 100,000 dollars out of tho wreck. Perhaps the gladiators figuro that they also serve who only stand and wait. Champion's -Eeminiscences. "A funny thing happened during my first fight in, Philadelphia, which was held at Low Bailey's Old Broadway Club," writes Battling Levinsky, tho ex-light-heavy-weight champion of tho world, in a series of reminiscences; "My opponent was Tom Jones, who drove a wagon for the Jones Company and named himself after his firm. Before the bout Jones called Nick Hayes, tho referee, over to his corner, whispered something in his ear, and then Nick announced: 'Gentlemen (there were no ladies there), Tom Jones wants me to announce that this is his first professional fight.' "The bell rang, we came out of our corners, I crossed niy right, and Tom went down and out. After being revived, Jones again summoned Nick to his corner, again whispered in his ear, and Nick, holding up his hand for silence, shouted: 'Gentlemen, Tom Jones wants me to announce that this is his last" professional fight.' "In all my career I never met a man who gave me so many laughs as that good old Irishman, Dan Morgan, who piloted me to the light-heavy-weight title.' ■/ "Dan had many Irish friends in New Yorky none of whom thought, of course, that a Hebrew could possibly be a good fighter. One day we were strolling down Broadway and Dan met a particularly good old friend, who was very deaf. Dan stopped him and shout-' ed: 'Mike, I want you to meet my latest find, Battling Levinsky, the now light-heavy-weight champion of the world. He's a great fighter.' " 'Please speak a little louder, Danny, me boy,' said Mike. 'I didn't catch that name.' : "Dan did. He shouted again with the same result. So the third time he put his mouth right to Mike's ear and bellowed: 'Battling Levinsky, Mike; he's a great fighter.' "The old man shook Ms head and said: 'It's no use, Dan. It. sounds like LevjnsKy to me.' . "After winning the title from Jack Dillon I was in great demand in various parts of the country, so Dan and I wore soon on our way to New Orleans, where I boxod a twenty-round draw with Gunboat Smith. Several nights before the bout Dan ran into an old, friend 1 of his, Raymond Hitchcock, stage celebrity, who has many friends in the boxing game. Hitchey was playing in New Orleans and presented Dan with two complimentary tickets.. "Tho production failed to 'please Dan: We were sitting' in the front row, and tho people were greatly amused as Dan fell asleep and snored loudly. At the end of the first act he awoke and started out. " 'Hoy, where are you going?' I asked. " 'Outside, but I'll be back,' he answered. x ', "'What are you going out there for?' I asked. " " 'Why, I'm going out and buy a ticket so I can hiss this show,' said Dan. "Another man who has been connected with the boxing game for a long time and also sees the funny side of the 'racket,' as we all call it, is Jack Stanley, my present trainer. One time when I was to fight the wind-up in Pottsvillo Jack took as his protege an: unknown, who, as far as recalling his ■name is concerned, is still unknown to mo. Jack hadn't been guaranteed much money for his fighter, and was very anxious to catch a train back to Philadelphia so as to save the hotel bill. ' . • ■ ■ ' "They wero fighting the second bout of the evening and there had been some delays, so it began to look as if they would miss the train back to Philadelphia if the bout went the limit. At the, end of the first round Jack's

boy was out in front, but said between. the rounds: 'I think I can boat him, but he's a tough guy and I can't knock him out.' '; " 'Justpload with your chin, kid, and you'll knock him out,' said Jack, who had tho money tucked away and was thinking only of that train to Philadelphia. .■'"The boy 'led with his chin' all right and was promptly knocked out by the husky young Potksvillo miner. Jack's boy lost the fight, but ho madej the train, and, considering' it from a financial standpoint, that was a victory. That was only, one ,of many funny things pulled off by Jack Stanley. He is one of tho most optimistic fellows .1 ever met, and it's a tonic to have him around a gymnasium." Never Appreciated. Rather funny how iiew champions are treated by the boxing public, writes A. D/jPMUips in "The King." Seldom in any class, and.never in tho heavyweight division, has a now title-holder received the credit due him. Tho reason? Nobody seems to know. Perhaps it can best bo explained in terms of psychology. One has to bo a mind-reader to get' at the bottom of it all, yet tho truth remains that to the victor belongs the spoils and to the vanquished belongsfthe applause. It was ever thus. Let's go back to the idol of the heavyweight division, John L. Sullivan. He was.so tough, so good, and so feared that tne public thought' he would just die with his title. Along camewhat they termed a dancer from California named Jim Corbett. It made Sullivan laugh to think of him. Sullivan's backers fsit the same and offered 4 to 1 that. Sully would win. He lost,' but did they toss roses at Corßett? They did not. They said that John L. was through. They pointed to John L. as the man who was whipped by drink. Later on Corbett met Fitzsimmous. Corbett was f avouirte and wasknocked out after beating Fitzsiriimons on points. Did they give Fitz credit? They declaf* ed him lucky. Said ho should have been out in the. sixth, when Corbett had him down, w;eak and covered with blood; Fitz held the crown for 'a, while, when suddenly Billy Delaney came along with a big lumber boilermaker from the coast. The public called it a set-up, but Jeffries won with a k.o. But Jeffries got credit, didn't he? They said anyone could have licked Fitzsimmons at that time, as he had one foot.ii\ the grave. Jeffries licked everything in sight until he met Jack Johnson. After the k.o. they said that Jeffries had been doped, and that he was all in. Jeffries himself thought'he was poisoned,'but nobody examined the tea, hence history will never record the. truth. Johnson next lost, to • Willard. Was Big'Willard accepted as the king of the heavies, and given proper credit for .his .victory? They said that Johnson had thrown the fight and later supported this contention with a "confession" by the negro. Theiialong came the Manassa Mauler, ' Jack'Dempsey, and what he did to poor Jess "W^illard was a shamo to tell. Yet did he get credit for it? Again no. They passed along the yarn that Jack had a horseshoe or a plaster! cast within tho gloves, and that was Why Willard lost. It took a long time to'convince . the public that Dempsey was the greattest hitter of the modern ring era, and then only did Dempsey receive tho crowd's/ applause. ' Now we come : to the ; present day champion, Gene Tun-

noy. Is ho appreciated! Not by. a long shotJ Ho is booed because he whippedf Dempsey. Some day Tunney will receive the credit duo him,' but not until he is whipped. That is the way of life. '. Whon Tunuey aud Dempsey entered thai Gardon ring last year to receive silver boxing bolts awarded by the New York' Bosing Writers' Association, Dempsey; was cherecd to th echo while Tuuney; was hissed. Such is fame. The crowd is always with the vanquished, the un-der-dog. ■.••". ...