BOXING IN AUSTRALIA

Evening Star, Issue 20055, 21 December 1928, Page 7

BOXING IN AUSTRALIA

LACK OF TALENT “GAME IS DEAD “ Lf ■■ “ The boxing game is dead in Aus* tralia,” said Mr Fred Foster, treasurer of the. Otago Boxing Association, who has just returned from a four months’ trip to the Commonwealth, during which ho saw a considerable amount of boxing, particularly in Sydney and Melbourne. As Mr Foster has been associated with the control of boxing in Dunedin for many.years, his views on the subject are particularly interesting. Ho declared that New Zealand had had the cream of the Australian professional fighters during the past year or so, and he had not seen a boy in his class who would he able to loot - it with Johnny Leckie, the New Zealand feather-weight champion, and Tommy Griffiths, - too, would take a lot of beating over, there. Mr Foster heralded the opinion that Griffiths wou,ld be too shifty and would hit too hard for Jiilly M'Allister, the Australian bantam-weight champion, when the pair met at Palmerston North next week. . Asked as to whether he thought the arrival of the imported boxers who were being bought to Australia would bo likely to create a boxing boom, Mr Foster • said that Mr Griffiths, the manager of the Sydney Stadium, was living :in hopes that when the good men came oyer there would be a boxing revival, ‘ and he expressed the opinion that ho was satisfied that Johnny Leckie would be one who could materially assist in bringing the game in Australia back into public favour, for his name was almost as veil known there as was the case in Now Zealand. Mr Foster had some pithy comment to make concerning the control of boxing in Australia, stating that the way that the seconds were allowed to coach their men would not be' tolerated in New Zealand; but the referee never interfered at all. In no part of , Australia had he seen a referee who could show the best New Zealand referees points hr the game, and the way some members of the public were allowed to conduct themselves at fights would never he allowed in the dominion. Betting at tho ringside was carried oa quite openly, and in many parts of th< stadium men and women, without coiv cealment, opened their bottles of bee! and had a sip during tho progress oi the fights. “The preliminary boys in their_ respective classes are, generally speaking, ‘ not a patch on our amateurs” said Mr Foster, “ and, boys such as Fulcher and Richmond, holders of Otago championships, would bo more than a match for many of the boys taking jflrt In four, live, and ten-round preliminaries.” He had seen very few amateur boxers at the schools he had visited, but he had called on Mr F. Underwood, secretary of the Australian Amateur Boxing Union, who had told him that it was a pity that New Zealand and Australia dm not meet in competition in the ring. Mr Underwood was quite satisfied that amateur boxing could not bo carried on successfully without the promoting of professional fights to help in defraying the expenses of the amateurs. The professional boxer in Australia does not make big money very easily just now, Mr Foster declared, and Norman Gillespie, who will bo remembered as one of Johnny Lcckie’s toughest opponents in Dunedin, received only £1.5 for each of two fights that ho won recently, ■ Ho strongly advised Johnny - Leckie. when considering a contract for Australia, to have it stipulated that he was to receive a set purse, and a percentage on top of that, and also to have a sot time limit for tho fights in which he were engaged, as otherwise he might bo kept waiting for fights for a year or so. Ho also expressed the opinion that Leckie should not visit Australia without the Services of a competent manager. Norman Gillespie has grown into s< good light, and ho told the visitor that ho would bo only too pleased to get back to Dun'odin for a fight here, especially with Johnny Leckie as an. opponent, though he recognised that it would bo difficult lor such a match to be arranged unless Leckie put on a little more weight, as Gillespie is unable to make less than 9.9. Gillespie speaks very highly of Leckie and also of tho refereeing of Mr Jack Kilmartin. Indeed, for that matter Eric Harley; Tommy Barber, Norman EadforcL and. Darby O’Connor supplemented Gillespie’s remarks in that respect, and every one of them expressed tho opinion that there was no place in Australia where tho game was as well conducted as was the case in New Zealand. Darby O’Connor is not the fighter he’ was, and though ho wins a fight occasionally ho is not tho same boy who fought in Dunedin a couple of years back, having slowed down a lot. Just how badly tho fight game has fallen from public grace is shown by the fact that vaudeville turns are frequently used to supplement the boxing bills; but Mr Foster docs not blame wrestling for the boxing slide as* much as does the fact that Australia is lacking in boxers of class at tho present time. The wrestling was certainly thrilling and spectacular, but the Australians were beginning to realise that many of tho contests were being staged just like a theatrical entertainment. Few of tho contests attended by Mr Foster attracted as many people an would witness a fight at the Dunedin Drill Hall. . During his stay in Australia Mr Foster’ was also present at tho Henley-on-Yarru regatta in Melbourne, at which tho Wanganui Union crew won bo easily. The New Zealanders rowed exceptionally well, and special tribute should be paid to tho little coxswain, who steered a wonderful course. Mr Foster was one of tho 150,000 that witnessed tho Melbourne Cup, and lie stated that ha used to visit the course every morning at 4.30, and on ono occasiop saw 600 horses working out, arid never fewer than ,400. There is no lack of interest in racing in Australia!