THE SQUARE RING

Hawera Star, Volume XLVII, 2 June 1928, Page 12

THE SQUARE RING

BOXERS IN THE LIMELIGHT CURRENT COMMENT. REFEREE ASSAULTED. At the conclusion of A boxing bout held recently at Taniaeatua (Bay of Plenty) Vernon Costello, of Matawai, dealt the referee, 'Mr IT. H. Sharplin, a knock-out blow. 'Costello acted as second to his son, If. Costello, iwho fought a six-round bout with Era el, the Auckland light-weight. _ 'The referee gave his idecision against lOostello, whereupon the father attacked 'Mm. Mr Sharplin was none the worse for the attack. At the Whakat'ane Police Court Costello was fined £2 on a charge of assault. LITTLE DOING IN 'CHRISTCHURCH A meeting of boxing enthusiasts was held at Christchurch to' consider a revival of contests and a committee was set up to go into the matter. With the exception of the activities of amateur organisations the sport has been eoipparatively dead in Christchurch for some time. The 'Christchurch Sports Club held only one tournament last year and it was in November, 1920, that the last professional bout was staged. A GIPSY’S REVENGE. Early iij the present year Gipsy Dan. iels. erusierweight boxing champion of "Engl an cl, went to Germany, iiiicl was beaten by Max Sehnelling, German cruiserweight champion and idol of the German boxing public. The defeat rankled, so Daniels got another match and quickly knocked out .bchncliing More recently, he h'ad his third fight in Germany, meeting Hans Brciten* straeter, former heavy-weighr, champion of Germany. Daniels knocked him out in the second round. Breitonstraeter learned to box while he was interned m the Isle of Man during the war. LEVINSKY COMES BACK Eighteen years ago Battling Levinsky otherwise Barney Williams, came into prominence in the American boxing ring. In 19-16 he won the American lightweight championship, which he lost to Gene Tunney in 1922. Levinsky then retired, after a career of many fights. Now he is back an the ring again. The ‘‘Old Man,’ as the fans have named him after his sixyear absence, won the first fight in his comeback, getting 'the decision over Earl Blue of St. Paul, in a six-round contest in New York. CLIMATIC DIFFERENCES To ensure that the boxers who are to represent South Africa at the Olj mpic. Games should not 'have weightreducing difficulties, the uoval plan ol holding trials in which the weights were lowered by two pounds from the standards was adopted. The trials were to have been held on April —G at Johannesburg, and the winners were to form the Olympic team. It is a proved fact that a boxer who can _ make sav »Bst in iSouth Africa has difficulty io* doing so in Europe. So the difference in climla'tes had to be allowed for.

AMATETJR CHAMPION OUSTED. There was a sensation a few weeks ago for people interested in amateur boxing in Great Britain. Lieut. C. F. Capper (Royal Artillery), a very tall fellow who won the amateur Heavy weight championship of Great Britain last, year, went Home from India specially to defend bis title, and on lus form in training it was anticipated that he would win the championship, again without much trouble. But m the semi-finals he was lucky to get a decision over Lieut. J. Courtis (*“■”••“ S.C.), who was 2st lighter. In the final J. O’Driscoll, of the Dublin Civic Guards, knocked Capper down twice and almost put him out in the last v. und. O’Drisecll won on points after a thrilling bout.

VISITS FROM OVERSEAS (BOXERS At a meriting, of the council ofythe New Zealand Boxing Association a c'abled message was received from the Queensland Boxing ••Association istatino- that it desired to send a team to New Zealand, consisting of the winners of the 192 S championships. The council decided, however, that only a team representative of the -whole -of Australda would be acceptable. 'Should any Queensland boxer desire to visit hew Zealand they would be welcome at the time of "the New Zealand championships, which are to 'be held in Auckland on August 23, 24 and 25.

HEENEY’S GOING TO AMERICA

Another member of the Heeney family has found it impossible to resist the call to New York to witness 'Tom’s comino- fight with Gene Tunney for the world’s championship. His eldest brother Jack, has now completed arrangements to accompany Arthur and Pat. The trio have booked passages and leave New Zealand on June. 5. It is interesting to reveal that Jack, who was successively welter-weight and he'avy-wcight champion of New Zealand, had much to do with Tom’s early training, frequently acting as his sparing partner and second.

BRITISH BONERS BOR AUSTRALIA Tliree well-performed British boxers —Kid 'Soeks, Harry 'Mason and Billy Street—are a't present on f heir 'way to Australia, where everyone is talking about, the Socks-Billy McAlister bantam we ighl tv contest, and, when I till esc brilliant boxers get, together, the crowd they draw should be a record for a contest in Australia between little fellows. Mason was formerly lightweight champion of Gre'at Britain, but is now a welterweight, and should find plenty of opponents. Street is considered the uncrowned featherweight champion of Great Britain.

PURDY ’IS DEFE AT. The defeat of 'Charlie Purdy at the hands of the Englishman, Ernie Izzard, at 'Sydney recently was a set-back to New Zealand fight followers, even allowing for 'Purdy’s cold which he i 3 stated to have had. It seem's (comments an exchange), that, in Izzard, Purdy met someone just as clever as himself. In one of his earlier contests in Autralia, Purdy drew with the same boxer. HOW GOOD IS LECKIE? The result of the recent Leekie-Mel-ton bout makes one wonder just really how good Leckie is. Against his coun-

trymen he has not yet been extended, and he has accounted for all the Australians who have come over. In fact (says a boxing scribe) only one (Gillespie) has really tried him out, and, as Gillespie is the best in his division in Australia, it looks as if Leckie is undoubtedly king of them all.