BOXING

Gisborne Times, Volume LXXIII, Issue 11827, 7 January 1933, Page 10

BOXING

HOW GRIPED GOT CAULIFLOWER EAR. FEAT OF NEW ZEALANDER DAN CREEDON. ' Glotso on 40 years ago a, New Zea-land-born boxer was in the front rank o-f the world’,s middle-weights. He was Dan Creedon, who was horn in Invercargill in IS6B, and mho became middleweight champion of Australia and then middleweight -champion of England, and 'Subsequently heavyweight champion of England. Creedon sprang into :fame> when he was fighting in. Australia., and so the fact that he was a New Zealander by birth, is usually forgotten by latter-day writers on boxing who refer to him. One finch writer is R. M. Stephens, who has just retold,: in the Melbourne “Sporting Globe,” t]ic story of how Creedon gave GrifTo the latter's cauliflower ear. Here is Stephens’s account :

It is paradoxical that the greatest and most scientific boxer that ever lived—“Griffo”, or Albert Griffiths, to call him by his right name—had a cauliflower ear, which was not all in keeping with ]us high standard of work in the ring, borne out by the fact that he was known as “The Wizard,” “The Incomparable,” “The Streak,” '“The Box of Tricks,’’ and other appellations indicating his .emarkable ability.

The injury was inflicted in Sydney, in, 1892, by none other t]ian the great Australian champion middleweight, Dan Creedon, who subsequently won the heavyweight- championship of England from Jem Smith (died early last year) and for nearly 10 years fought in America. Dan is still with us, and staying temporarily at the old men’s Jiome, Royal Park, where he is being looked after. Griffo passed away at New York on December 7. 1927.

For Griffo to have been so disfigured was an insult to his prestige, and surprised him and thousands of his supporters in Sydney and Melbourne. Creedon was regarded as a boxing hero for having been able to land such weighty blows on the “marvel” and give him a. life-mark. Griffo was born at Long Gully, Bendigo, on April IS), 1870. His father, 6ft in height and a hall of muscle, was a miner, but a family bereavement caused him to leave Bendigo with his young son and go to Sydney, where ho became a coal-lumper, and an excellent worker lie was, too. He wielded the biggest shovel, and it was a rare occasion when his pay-en-velope was not the largest- for the week. RARELY AT SCHOOL. Seldom seeing the inside of a school, Griffo had practically no education-, and battled through his young days as best he could, but was helped considerably by friends. Coming through the newsboy stage, Griffo attracted notice by hit? boxing, and was taken up by Larry Foley, who put a lot of polish on liirn. In defence, he was astonishing. His ducking from blows thrilled onlookers. His judgment of distance was so exacting that in a flash he would move only an inch or two from a punch, and then heat his tattoo with lefts and rights. One of his exhibition tricks was to emulate the great Mace, and, standing on a handkerchief, defy anyone to hit him on. the nose while he remained on the piece of linen. Consequently, the feat of Creedon. in. disfiguring the featherweight was hailed with, wonder.

It was while Creedon was training at Lady Robinson’s Beach that Griffo received his life-mark. Creedon had been matched to box Jim Ryan. Among his sparring partners iwas Griffo, who was preparing for a. bout with Jerry Marshall at the Darlingfiurst Skating Rink- Daily, Creedon and Griffo sparred and provided excellent entertainment for onlookers, hut Creedon had the greatest difficulty in landing on the “will o’ the wisp . He made very little headway, hut alter about a fortnight’s sparring he saw a chance to beat the “streak,’ and did so in convincing fashion. Ho had been boxing one day only a few seconds, when ho noticed Griffo step inside a left lead and then duck Ills head to the right and get. away. Ho then feinted, with the left lowered, and Griffo repeated the move, but was unable, because the left hand was down, to slip under it and move away to the right. It iwas then that Creedon brought his heavy right into play, and landed on the ear. He noticed it swell, hut, despite the volley of punches he received he again placed a similar blow, an started the “’cauliflower.” CREEEpN’S GLEE. Coming to Sydney a few hours after the happening, Creedon, in grec.o glee, informed friends of what had occurred. “I tried for Wo. weeks to get a decent’ punch on to That “slippery eel,’ and did so this morning, said Creedon. . It was not long before sporting men in Sydney and Melbourne were talking about Griffo- and his ear. Mention of it to himself made him annoyed. He remembered it almost to the horn of his deatfi. I met him one night in 1909 near the Rialto Theatre, New York, and made myself known to him. He said, “Oh, how is Creedon?” I informed him. that Dan was hack in Australia and doing well. . . '‘Yes,” he added, “he was.the. ‘guy who gave me this ‘cauliflower’ in. Sydney.” Speaking to Dan , Creedon at Royal

Park recently, I reminded ]iim of the incident, and he brightened up and fimiled as lie -said; “It was a leather in my cap even to land fairly unci squarely on, Griff, for lie was the finest mover and fastest hitter the world ever saw or, will see. He was a marvel-” THE BEST SPORTSMAN. At the close of the inter-theatre of war, boxing championships held at Aldershot in 1919—400 competitors — a cup was presented for the man, who, in. the opinion of his follows, was the best sportsman. Tho judging was based on the following definition of a good sportsman —a definition which has since become more or less standard: — (1) He must play tho game for the sake of the game. (2) He must play for his side, and not for himself. (3) Ho must be a good loser and a good winner. He must be modest in victory and generous in dcieat. (4) He must accept all decisions in a proper spirit. (5) He must bo chivalrous towards a defeated opponent. (6) He must bo unselfish and always ready to help others in every possible way to become proficient in -sport. (7) Ho must bo a cheerful comrade. Sapper Harold Hardwick was the winner.