BALL PUNCHING RECORD.

Grey River Argus, 11 April 1912, Page 1

BALL PUNCHING RECORD.

AUCKLAND, April 9 Cable news from Suva on the 7th states that Tom Ho'gan, ex-Australian champion, has completed forty- hours of ball punching. This is claimed to be a world's record, i

. Tlie New Zealand boxer Mendoza fared badly at the hands of Sayers at the Sydney Gaiety, being outed in the first round. The new rulesdn connection with the •Boxing Federation of Paris, prohibiting youths under twenty-one years of age -from engaging" in boxing bouts, applies po 'amateurs only. -It, therefore,, does not prevent .."the champion -French heavy-weight Carpentier, who is only eighteen years' of a*gtej-:.frora following his profession. Jim Clabby . has . been matched to meet Jack Lester at the Sydney/ Stadium, but the date has not yet been fixed. A humorous story is told regarding the appearance of the coloured boxer "Star-light" as Molyneux in. the production of "The House of Temperley" at Melbourne Theatre Royal. This well-known coloured pugilistic gentleman is of an exceedingly stable hue — so much so, indeed, that it is difficult to perceive him in the dark. On the opening- night of the play, while the sia,ge was in darkness for a quick change of scene, the scene-shifters could not avoid colliding with the coloured gentleman. At last one of them approached Mr. Wenman, the producer and .said: "Would you indly keep a spot-light on this coloured bloke, please, as we can't see him in the dark, and we keep a-bumpin' up against him." To the sable-hued boxer he said: "Will you kindly keep oui of the dark, mister, as we can't see yer." At which ''Starlight" looked blacker still. Dave Smith has declined to meet Jim Clabby again. lie gives as his reason., that Promoter Mclntosh is making too much out of the game and he (Smith) lias therefore decided to visit fresh fields and pastures new. Some of the Sydney writers think that Smith is making a big- mistake and point to the fact that his winnings at the Stadium alone from the beginning of last season to. date amount to nearly ,£4OOO, and three more matches would mean another £1000. Bill Lang's contused eye is giving him a lot of trouble and the doctor thinks it improbable the ex-champion heavyweight will be able to fight again before the. "winter." ■ '■■ Picato, who' should be in a position ■to judge, gives Hughie Mehegan an' excellent ciiance of lowering the colours of-the great American crack, Ad. Wolgast. I'iank Thorn. is anxious to try conclusions ag_tun with iiughie Mehegan oefore the .latter.': departs for America, ■^'rank's reason for su^ng- for another meeang with the champion is that he considers IvL'ehegan lias never beaten him decisively,- and Thorn believes himself to be boxing better than ever. There has all along been a lot of changing anent K'd McCoy's 'future engagements. One minute lie is matched with Hock Keys, the next with Rod Standon, jack Read, or Frank O'Grady, ..while at the finish he is sent in to fight someone entirely different at short notice. He was put up against Fran O'Grady recently, on a week's training, while at the beginning of the week he started a preparation for a match in Adelaide at the end of the week. These rush matches are simply playing .with fire. , After a stay in Australia of twelve moriThs, the American boxer, Frank Picato is now homeward, bound., He intends coming out again next season.

''Cyclone." Johnny Thompson, with' his wife and family, leaves Sydney on Monday, on. his return to America. According to contract he had to meet three more heavyweights, but Mr. Mclntosh has allowed him to finish right away. . -