BOXING

Greymouth Evening Star, 11 September 1931, Page 11

BOXING

THOMAS DEFEATS PARKER.

[BY CABLE —PBESS ASSN.—COPYBIGHT.]

SYDNEY, September 11. • At the Newtown Stadium to-night, over fifteen rounds, the Welshman, Billy Thomas, 10.12, obtained a points decision over the New Zealander, Vince Parker, 10.10. it was a splendid even contest.

TUNNEY’S FUTURE.

NO HOPE OF COME-BACK

Since Schmeling defeated Stribling and is pretty generally recognised as heavy-weight champion of the world,

a story has been widely borne on the wings of rumour to the effect that Gene Tunney might return to the ring for one more bout. Gene Tunney, and

he should know, says it’s nonsense, states Walter Trumbull, of New York. It is easy to see how such a story started and persists. The retired champion is a young man, probably at the height of his physical power. He has had the good sense and energy to keep himself trim and fit. It is too bad that many of us don’t pay more attention to keeping in bodily shape. Schmeling may be on his way to becoming a great fighter; but to-day he is merely the best of the present crop. We cannot even say that with certainty until he meets Sharkey again. Gene Tunney was a great fighter, and don’t let anybody fool you about that, and would naturally have been even a greater fighter at the present time. Judges of style say that Schmeling would have been made to order for him.

It is natural, therefore, that many persons should say to Gene Tunney that it is too bad that Schmeling didn’t come forward before the former champion retired; that they should maintain that Max is a “sucker

for a good left”—and Tunney had the finest left hand in the.game; an educated, stunning, cutting left, which had the accuracy of a marksman’s bullet. It is natural that persons talk of how such a bout might draw; of “bringing the championship back to the United States”; of how some worthy charity might benefit from such a bout; of many things. And it ’would be natural that a stout, active youngster would be influenced by such talk. But Gene Tunney always has been characterised to me by that famous line in ‘Seventh Heaven,’ he is “A very remarkable fella.” A wise man said that the world will stand aside for the man who knows where he is going. Gene Tunney always has known where he was going. The heavy-weight championship to him never was an end; it was only a means to things he desired. When it had served its purpose, it was like an outgrown suit of clothes. Gene Tunney probably will always be actively interested in boxing, but his interest in prize fighting is passive in the extreme.