BOXING

Greymouth Evening Star, 13 March 1922, Page 6

BOXING

AUSTRALIAN BOXING. (Australian and N.Z. Cable Association.) MELBOURNE, March 11. Jerry Sullivan beat Walter Ross (England) in seventeen rounds. SYDNEY, March 12. At the Stadium last night, Rud Ridley (9.1), an American boxer recently’ arrived from Manila, beat Jainito (9.2) on points in a 20-round contest. The American proved himself a cool, clean, all-iound lighter, and a particularly clever timer in his leads. But to the eleventh round the battle was fairly even, with Ridley always handy. I rom that out the American held the advantage. Jamito tried hard for a knock-out, but his opponent was too clever. BRISBANE, March 11George Mendies (7.12) beat Reg. Pollard (7.12) in three rounds. BECKETT AND DEMPSEY. (Australian and N.Z. Cable Association.) LONDON, March 9. Joe Beckett states that owing to Carpentier’s refusal to meet him again he is seeking a contest with Jack Dempsey in the United States. He hopes that bis fight against George Cook, the Australian heavy-weight, will serve as; a stepping stone toward bringing the world’s championship back to England. CURRAN AND CARR DRAW. (Per Press Association.) WESTPORT, March 12. The professional boxing bout, Curran v. Carr, staged at Millerton last night, went the full distance of 15 rounds, and ended in a draw. Competent critics agree that it was one of the best fights that has yet taken place cn the Coast. GENERAL NOTES. (By ‘ ‘Looker-on. ’’) For some weeks past followers of local boxing have been living in anticipation of witnessing a meeting at Easter between Les Murray (holder of the N.Z. lightweight championship) end Frank O’Neill, but latest inform-

ation states that the contest will not eventuate Murray having failed to r eply to the Association’s offer t match him, it was decided at last week’s meeting to cry the match off, and in its place substitute several special amateur bouts. The local Asso-

fiation were certainly quite justified in crying the Murray-O’Neill contest off, but, in fairness to the local lad, an attempt should have been made to match him against some other boxer. 'lhere are at least three suitable lads who could be found to take O’Neili on at Easter, viz., Billy Preston (who has a substantial side wager to say that he can beat O’Neill), Jack Keenan (who lost the lightweight championship to O’Neill twelve months ago after a great battle), and Gus Venn. No attempt was made to secure any of these lads. Perhaps the committee who arrange these matches were frightened that O’Neill, matched with any of this trio, would fail to draw and that they would lose financially. From his first professional match against Peter Torrie down to that memorable one against Jim Alusson. last October, O’Neill has fought about a dozen fights under the Greymouth Association and never once has he failed to draw, with the result, that the local boxing authorities must have netted some hundreds of pounds through O’Neill’s great popularity with Coast fans. I might also mention that O’Neill was willing, if the Greync uth Association feared they would lose by matching him, to fight either Prestcn or Venn for any purse they deemed suitable. As matters now stand, we have a boxer among the front rank of New Zealand professionals in our midst —one who fans from all ends of the Coast love to see in action—but who, owing to the failure of the local boxing powers to match him, will now have to look to outside associations to cater for him. How; this will effect the sport locally is easy to imagine, for, being deprived of seeing their idol in action in their own town, they cannot be expected to give that same support in the future as was the case in the past, especially for an inferior bill of fare. Fred Davidson and Bob McDonald, the writer understands, will be one ol the special bouts staged by the Greymouth Association at Easter. ‘‘Crique,’’ Runanga, is to be given a special bout at Westport on the night of the O’Neill-Hannah contest. Already several motor-car loads aro being arranged to make the trip to Westport to witness the O’NeillHannah contest on the 25th inst, such being the popularity of tho Dunollie boxer with fans. SOME MANILA NOTES. Ben Tracey pens a. few lines from Manila, under date January 24: Just to let you know that I am still here in the Philipines. Sending you

accounts of Volaire’s last fight, which he won from a boy called Galit, who is welter champion of the Orient, although only a light-weight, weighing J 33 pounds, for this tight- Galit is cue of the boys anxious to return to Australia and New’ Zealand with me. Although beaten by Volaire, who is a great old l ing general, Galit would be a- good fight for Dwyer, Frank O'Neill, Keenan, or any other lightweight in New Zealand. Herb Baker, featherweight; Syd. Hill, bantam, and Eddie Watson, fly-weight are the only Australian boxers in Manila. —Volaire Beats Galit. — The following extracts arei from the accounts forwarded to me by Tracey. This about the Volaire-Galit fight : After getting two draws and losing one fight here, Eugene Volaire finally won a. fight in Manila and won it by the proverbial mile. Using everything in his repertoire gathered during his 12 years’ experience in the ring, and hitting haider than he was ever seen to do here before, the fighting Frenchman gave A ale.ntin Galit one of the soundest lacings the latter has ever received in hrs ring career in the 20round mam event at the Stadium last night. A'uk.ire took 14 rounds of the 20 rounds and Galit carried only two, four being even.