BOXING

Grey River Argus, 5 February 1930, Page 3

BOXING

The contest between Wally Hancock, holder, and Tommy Fairhall for the welterweight championship of Australia ended in a draw after a splendid contest, and attracted a record house Io Leichhardt Stadium, Sydney. “In the opening rounds both fought cautiously, though at times each threw hard ones,” wrote Dave Smith. “In the third Hancock started to mix his blows, using his right better than I have ever before seen him. The fourth was a torrid session. Fairhall, throwing blows from every angle, was keeping Hancock busy missing the sleep-drops. The milling now was very willing and hard with Hancock just shading the old-timer, and the longer the journey went I imagined Fairhall slowing up. In the seventh, the latter ran into a blow and missed, and was dropped, to get up at once to fight back. Sitting in the Press seats in the eighth I though Fairhall wad all in, and remarked to my neignbour how tragic it was to see the veteran trying to land that right and tave off defeat by a k.o. I had another think coming, however, FairhaJl shot a right which landed on the point, 'so he swung his left for good measure, ami Hancock was felled like an ox. The noise and din were tremendous, but the referee, all unheeding, continued the count. Hancock gamely 'got to his foot at nine and was fighting back feebly. Fairhall, fighting without judgment, was using storming fnetics, and swinging widly, hit, or

pushed Hancock down. The latter wisely took a few seconds’ respite* find it was that spell that allowed him to go the distance. At the end of the round Fairhall had a few punches after the boll, but, possibly, he did not hear the gong. Fairhall evened up the deficit in the concluding rounds,-and the

decision, a draw, was a good on ». Leaving the hall* I was asked from all sides, ‘What did you think of that decision.’ When I said I thought it was right. 1 was told I was mad. Hancock won in a. walk. Another crow t, hearing this remark said, ‘Fairhall won from here to Port Kembla,’ and I left them Io it.’’ ; When Jack Dempsey held the heavyweight championship of the world, h-' insisted on the lion’s share of th? spoils (says an American paper). As a drawing card he valued himself at 1,060,000 dollars, and he got it who<; I’Gene Tunney dethroned him in 10 rounds nt Philadelphia. Dempsey, as ’a promoter of fights in Chicago, has a great lesson. Instead of rolling up enormous profits he has been greatly disappointeil, and has 'come io the conclusion that top-notc'i demand and receive entirely too much money. He favours going into a combination with rival promoters for lhe purpose of making profits which are impossible under pre sent conditions.

Discussing the contest between the Italian giant, Primo Camera, and the Gorman, Franz Diener, E. B. Osborn ia the “Morning Post” (London , writes: Camera, who camo ou with his amiable simile, looked none the wor-e for his second fight with Stribling. Franz Diener, on the other hand, was manifestly much the worse for the wen rand tear of much fighting since ho took that terrific pounding from Scott in Berlin three years ago. Once more we saw the Camera of the gymnasium, and Diener, who has bal sight was hit with everything except the Albert Memorial and an incometax demand. It was a pathetic spectacle to see him peering at his opponent, and anon fighting back with punches which, unfortunately, ns a rule only punctuated the atmosphere. It is? impossible, to describe such a contest in detail. Diener took his punishment valiantly, and 1 am not surprised that he has the reputation in America of being the gamest boxer I hat ever put a glove ou. By the end of the fourth round everybody was tired of seeing a plucky fellow massacred, and the referee, Mat Wells, who now has a patriarchal air, was implored to stop the fight. He did >o a little Inter, on and Diener got an ovation for his courage, “Good thing the Kaiser hadn’t got a million soldiers like him ” was the appropriate comment of a ringside expert.