THE GALLIC TIGER

Evening Star, Issue 17312, 27 March 1920, Page 9

THE GALLIC TIGER

HOW OAK-PENTIER WOIf, Once again that terrible French youfchu Georges Garpentler, has with one fearful blow brought our hastily erected bouse- or* hope crushing to the ground before its mow tar had time to set (writes the boxihsi expei* of the London .' Observer'). Kw» years ago it was our big heavy-weight hope, Bombardier Wells, who went down fox {hecount before tho frail looking and pate-' faced French boy, after only 73 seconds*' lighting. On thai occasion there was qi little sparring, a little feinting, a eensa-' aonal and. audacious rush by Carpentier, two hard blows sent to the vnaifc- •aimecL at, and tho Bombardier's pretensions Q genuine championship standard were shai2 tered tor ever. Last Thursday night out! new candidate for championship honors was l"f *?? Dirt tins time our champion was of toughermaterial, for it took the Frenchman 74' seconds, or exactly one second longer, to 1 Recount for him than for Wells. Carpentier matte no sensational rush this time; ha boxed; lie leaped at- his opponent with stabbing left-hand blows, he sprang at hid Ur f iP a T ntk \ r , Bfcyle - He frittered none of his strength away on small blows] or any ot those half-blocked jabs and upper! cuts that boxers aim for awhile in tho cinches. That type of blow depends on us cumulative effect for its results. But ■ Carpentier was not interested in cumulative effects. He was on the look-out for an opening and directly it came he would *s«a m as hard a blow as he could and as swiftly as be could. This may have Ven his plan,,but in a fight of such short deration a. mere onlooker could- hardh- detect any indication of a definite- plan "of campaign. FRENCHMAN PALE AND NERVOUS. When the two principals entered the rin" 11 < -j m * l ; ast ' TOS m °st marked. Beokett looked big, healthy, confident, and cool; while Carpentier, despite his spasmodic, mechanical smiles, was overstrung. His face i was putty-colored and drawn," and during I tlie prehminariea he licked his lips several limes in a nervous manner. He was in fina form, however, and jiHhoop'i !i» „ ct I bulkily muscled, his were the muscles that ( atb-actpd the notice of most boxing men and gamed their approval—those small rip-i :r! u-cles. I had expected him to ba highly strung, and last week I drew a parallel between him and Hackenschraidt. tho wrestler, who always quivered before 00-n----jng to the mat. Directly the bell ran?, however, this apparent nervousness was transformed, as I foretold, into perron, energy, and Carpentier became immediatef? an awe-inspiring fighting machine. Therewas a stealthmess about him that was menaomg._ His face sharpened still metre, and his iros tightened into a thin orimson tme set m a colorless grimly intense face. His eyes narrowed and glowed, uncannily. Alien ho sud forward in his panlh?r-llfe glide to w thin striking distance, and "in a sudden flash had leapt in and dealt a smashing left-hand blow to Beckett's noso. Jtwas not.a scientifio blow, for his feet were off the,ground, and against a clever boxer he had left himself entirely unprotected had it failed to laud. But from what followed k seems that Carpentier was .taking no chances, but that ho knew his man and ms limitations, and was commencing hi 9 attach by taking him out of Ins stride. J>eo:ert clinched and sent in five very quick powerful, and deliberate blowa aimed ati the Frenchman's ribs, three of wWch goti "oma. Carpentier coolly pushed hi? man off, slithered forwa-d to striking distance again, and leaped forward as before, getun? ,„ another jarring loft. Again Beckett) got a couple of blows to the ribs, which Carpentier did not attempt to guard. A.t tho breakaway Beckett got in a left, the enecta of which were nullified by Carpen* facr crawm" back his head and quicklv steppmg back Possibly Carpentier had noticed Beckett 9 very loose guard, which t commented on last week, bu\ at any rate, to took full advantage of the very first opening that presented itself. - THE SIDE-STEP AND FINISHER, Once again he glided forward, once ho leaped, and in the clinch thai followed iSeckete was only intent on those righthand smashes to tho ribs which bo was becoming accustomed to expect to get in Carpentier aimed a light blow for tho j stomach which. Beckett attempted is chop down with his left hand. The SVeneh- ! mans nexe move was mastsrlv. He vnv thc unprotected jaw, and Ma brain grasped the opportunity in a flash. A quick sidofJfP. and Beckett blundered forward, and ihon from a position of perfect poise and balance the Frenchman had smashed in one i j ■, r ? ost P srt ' ectl y t'med and accuratelv placed blows to the point that it has ever oosn my good fortune to witness. Directly the blow had landed one felb aunosD certain that it was a knook-out, and when Beckett's arms fumbled the air ancl his knees sagged and ho fell forward oti his face all men who know anything about boxing knew that it was tho end. Beckett says that his opponent brought oS a million to one chance bv a more' or less lucky blow. This is incorrect, Th& blow was prepared and delivered by a cham{(ion. We were told before the fight that jjeckett had tho devastating punch, but, ai L hive indicatod for the past month, altaough his may lie tho more ponderous, yet a real punch depends upon perfect ww balance, control, 'tha effectira co-orduiatioii oi all the muscles of the body, and, of course, accurate timing, placing, and ment of distance. Carpentier"'hag a"reai champions punch, and. aocordinff to therooyL> definition, Beckett hag npC V«y little has been revealed to us of ti'.e irencamans form, but I rather fancy,, Jud S m.g by the little that wo did see, ffcSt not only has ho come back to pre-war standard, but r-hat he has improved in physique p-r-cl _ punohiug-power. His qualities of stamina hare yet to be. tested. Nobody not own Carpentier, or his most - araent adorer, Ijonsieur Descamps, expected sucn a qmcit victory, for it wse thought Toot Eeckeit by his very toughness at least i would give him a hard battle. And now, as we regard the ruin of our heavy-weight bones, we cannot help reflecting on tho poverty of boxing talent amonff pur Dig men.