COLE-HEENEY CONTEST

Gisborne Times, Volume LV, Issue 6144, 30 July 1921, Page 7

COLE-HEENEY CONTEST

JACK COLE ANSWERS BERT LOWE. HOW THEY REFEREE IN AUSTRALIA. (To the Editor.)

Sir, —I have read Mr Bert Lowe’s letter in your paper with amazement. He talks of his past experience in the ring, but after reading his record, it is in my opinion not even wopth considering. I went to him myself a week or so before the fight as I had heard rumors going round town that he did not have the knowledge or the capability as a referee for a big professional fight. This rumor was so current that several well-known “sports” in the town refused to lay or take wagers on the contest after they had heard he was to referee. This talk made be cautious, and, as I have already stated, I went to Bert Lowe. I remarked to him that he, being a friend of Heeney’s, and also a local man, he might have a lot of consideration for the local man. I told him of the rumours that were going round.

With a sorrowful look, he appealed to me, saying, “Give me a chance.” I had my trainer, Alec Ross, with me at the interview. Bert Lowe'said, “I know they are all up against me, but I will guarantee to give a fair and square go in this fight. It means that my being referee in this contest I can get one back ion the Gisboyne Association, for they are hard against me in every way and will not engage me as a referee. They would rather prefer to go to the expense of sending to Wellington for Maxwell, who has had no better experience than I have had. This Waikohu Association prefer to save, the expense of a visiting referee when they can get a man to do it locally, and if I am given the chance, I will give both you and Tom Heeney a fair deal. It means nothing to me who I give the decision to; Tom Heeney is not more a friend of mine than you are; in fact, you are more of a friend of mine than Heeney, as 1 have associated more with you than with him.f’ My reply was, “That makes no difference to me whose friend you might be, but play the game and I’ll be the first one to shake either your hand or Heeney’s if he should win.” Bert Lowe said it was the best opportunity he had had to show his abilities as a referee, and he meant to take advantage of it. I thought to help him through and to give him a chance, and I raised no objection to him as ■ a referee, although I was fully entitled to do so. that finished my conversation with Bert Lowe. , , ~ , , in regard to the contest oil Saturday night, I have a good knowledge of the game and I have been a referee in Sydney and have witnessed hundreds of the best contests staged in Australia and have more rin° r experience than Bert Lowe has ever had or ever will have. I considered all through the contest that I had the decision well in hand. My intention from the beginning was to try and win on the k.o. but lom Heeney being a bit of a thinker, knew what I was after and boxed me on the cautious side. .1 soon gathered his intention and then settled down to win the contest on points, which , from my own experience of boxing was, as I have already stated well won. With all the ring experience that Bert Lowe might have he. cannot give a -man any credit on points for trying to push his opponent out of the ring, taking a big advantage of his weight, lying all over me during the contest, and locking my arms beneath his arms at every available opportunity. Another thing, Bert Lowe has to take into consideration that those hard punches he refers to in liis account in Monday’s issue landed fair and square always on a glove. Had they not been blocked, no man could have taken them; and Heeney should certainly have won on the short route. Another thing, those “hard” punches would surely have shown their; marks, but no one can sav that I showed a sign of a mark after the contest where I had been hit. Comparing Bert Lowe s card with that of “Old ’Un” (whom I watched refereeing at the Cadet tourney at the Garrison Hall), Lowe doesn’t appear to have even a rudimentary idea of scoring. In one case, I notice he gives Heeney 6 points and mvself 5. Why on earth should, the 6 be introduced into it at all? He should make a maximum, say, of 5 and work downwards, otherwise he can go as high as he likes. For Mr Lowe’s information, I will explain the correct method of re--1 fereeing as practised throughout Australia and used by such famous referees as Messrs Joe. Wallis, Fred Baker, Arthur Scott. Wally Weekes. I was personally instructed in the method by Mr Baker, and having acted as referee in Sydney, can claim a practical knowledge. In the first case, a maximum of 5 points is set for each competitor in each round. These points are awarded for aggressiveness, defence and clean punches. Aggressiveness is for the . man who forces the fighting. Defence includes footwork, blocking punches, making a man miss, etc. For clean punches a man must land fair apcl square to get a point. If a marP starts in “roughing it,” pulling and dragging his opponent about, etc., he scores no points. In all probability the other man may score for defence. The card used ’by Mr Joe Wallis at the Sydney Stadium, and by all other first-class referees throughout Aust-

ralia is on these lines, the boxers for instance, being named Smith and i Jones:— j SMITH.

and so on up to 10 rounds or 20 rounds. In the case of a drawn round, the referee, for convenience, awards 2 points. In the remarks column the referee puts down the causes which may I (they not necessarily do) count agI ainst a man. For instance, the rei feree warns Smith, say. for an un- | intentional foul blow in the second j round. .In the following round

Smith is told to “Break away.” He does so unwillingly. He is warned again sternly by the referee and 011 this occasion the referee in the “Remarks” column puts down “Hold.” The same thing happens, say, in the succeeding round. Thus it is quite possible for a man who is leading by two or three points at the conclusion of 20 rounds to have the decision given against him, for the reason that he has a large number of discredit marks. But Bert Lowe’s card shows no column for discredit marks against either Heeney or myself. You can therefore understand my opinion of him as a referee.

Then, again, the La Blanche hit, swinging round and hitting a man with the back of the hand, is illegal, and Heeney should have been warned and if he repeated the blow, disqualification must follow, hut Bert Lowe apparently did not know this and yet he talks of his experience of boxing. But there is no further need for me to discuss the contest. The public are fairly correct judges, and Mr Lowe already knows their opinion.

In conclusion, I wish to thank the “sports” of Gisborne and Te Karaka for their ‘support towards me, as I am leaving to-day (Saturday) for Sydney.—l am, yours, etc., j. A. COLE.

! lid. Pts. T], Remarks. 1 2 2 — 2 3 o P.B. 3 1 6 Hold 4 4 10 Hold 5 2 12 - JONES. Rd. Pts. Tl. Remarks. 1 3 3 — 2 2 5 — 3 4 9 — 4 1 10 _ 5 2 12 —