BOXING

Greymouth Evening Star, 16 June 1936, Page 11

BOXING

WALSH DEFEATS BERG. Jack (“Kid”) Berg lost his lightweight title at the Liverpool Stadium to Jimmy Walsh (Chester) in the ninth round of a.fight which had several sensational moments and a remarkable finish, (writes Harold Lewis in the London “Daily Telegraph.” At the end of the eighth round, as Berg went to his corner after the bell, he suddenly staggered and fell into the ropes. His seconds lifted him into liis chair. He was apparently quite unconscious.

Restoratives were hastily applied and water poured over his head and body, and at the end of the minute’s interval he got, to his feet and staggered towards Walsh, limping painfully. After receiving a blow, which was more a push than a punch, he again collapsed against the ropes. Mr. Moss Deyong, the referee, lifted Berg up and carried him to his corner, thus indicating that he had stopped the fight in favour of Walsh. Berg had received terrific punishment during the fight and had taken no fewer than four long counts. In the eigth round, however, he had been fighting gamely and aggressively and his collapse, in the circumstances, was so startling that the crowd of 5,000 bboed him.

One could only assume that it was in falling that his ankle was'twisted. His face showed his pain as his boot was removed, and it must have been a bitter moment for a man who had fought so many glorious battles to hear the boos and yells of derision on all sides as he was- carried on. the shoulders of a second towards his dressing room. WALSH ERRATIC. Walsh fought brilliantly and badly in turns. He started with a smashing attack in the first round, driving his way through Berg’s guard as though his target were the gymnasium sack, and after a series of heavy punches to the jaw he swung a long left to the stomach which nearly ended the bout there and then. Berg rolled over in agony, but the blow was fair. Berg got to his feet in the tenth second and shortly afterwards 'took a further count of seven, when a left hook knocked him over. In the third Berg was down again, and this time he was fortunate, for the round ended at the count of five In those three rounds Berg had been little more than a chopping block and the end seemed likely to come quickly. His magnificent fighting spirit, however, saved him. Walsh, with an old eyebrow wound reopened, began to look puzzled and gradually the Londoner took the offensive. By the sixth round Berg appeared to have ''recovered his speed and strength: and then came the incident which probably settled the fight. Walsh drove a long left hook to the body—a similar punch to the one which had put Berg down in the first round— definitely lower this time, and to the right of the stomach. CLAIMS FOR A FOUL.

Berg rolled across the ring, and there were loud claims from his corner for a foul. Mr. Deyong had a difficult decision to make. He decided to allow the count to proceed, but when Berg crawled to his feet at the call of nine the referee pointed out to Walsh that the blow was somewhat low. As he was doing so Berg collapsed again on the floor of the ring, but on being told to fight on he got up and ended the round apparently without difficulty. I thought this blow lower than it should have been, but if the referee has any discretion in such a case, this was one, to my mind’, when it should be used. Berg fought back well afterwards, but the damage had been done in the early round and his defeat in any case was fairly certain. If Walsh fights always as he did in the first two rounds to-night he will be a great champion. His next opponent is likely to be Harry Mizler, the former champion. As for Berg, I am afraid he is finished in first-class boxing. He never showed even a fleeting glimpse of his old effectiveness.

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