THE SQUARE RING

Hawera Star, Volume L, 7 March 1931, Page 11

THE SQUARE RING

GLOVED GLADIATORS HAWERA BOXING ASSOCIATION APPLICATION'S POP MEMBERSHIP.

Applications for membership of the Haw era Boxing Association are to be reviewed next Tuesday and any district patrons of the sport anxious to secure association with the administrative body and the privileges should make prompt application. In its comparatively brief career the present association has do-ie a great deal to encourage the manly sport among the youth of the district and to revive public interest in the code. In Messrs E l . T. Simon, A. H. Guy, L. H. Clapham, and W. S. Cropp the association has the services of a keenly interested team of sportsmen as a match committee and already negotiations are in train for the preparation of tournaments of the coming year. In this the experience gained by the chairman, Air Simon, on the match committee last year should be of great benefit.

A letter received recently from Sammy Chapman, of Sydney, who was hero recently and is at .present guidthe boxing affairs of Tommy Doble, intimates that the latter would be willing to come to Now Zealand, giving the Hawera Association first claim on his services. Should such a visit .bo arranged Doble should prove a popular attraction ns in his fights with Tommy Donovan at New Plymouth and Wellington he fully extended the present featherweight champion and on both; occasions Doble had hosts of admirers who were of the firm opinion that the; Waitara fighter was lucky to collect the big end of the purse.

LIKE THE BROOK. Like the babbling brook, Tommy Fairhall welterweight champion, of Australia, seems to go on forever. Starting in the game just on fourteen years ago, the Australian is now in what many people would consider the veteran class. Clean living and constant attention to training, however,, have enabled Fairhall to go on when' many other boxers would be “burnt up,” and that he is still one of the hardest men to beat at his weight in New Zealand or Australia he proved at Palmerston North when he took a points decision from Reg. Trowen by a wide margin.

Trowen did most of the leading ,r,nd after a fairly even first round, shaded his man in the second (says the Manawatu “Daily Times,” in describing the fight). From then on until the fourteenth, however, Fairhall was ' much superior and though Trowen made a great effort in the last rounds, -here was only one decision possible, and the referee, Air. Ned Perry, of Wellington, had no hesitation in raising Fairhall’s glove. The bout was. staged bv the Alanawatu Boxing Association at the Palmerston North iOfpera House, and, although there was a disappointing .attendance, the spectators were treated to an exciting contest which was hardfought and interesting all the way. Fairhall turned the scale at fist lljlb, and Trowen at lOst 4‘lb, and both were in good “nick.” HARVEY HAD 350 FIGHTS

During 1920 in London a 13-year-old hoy, weighing six stone- fought a 4round l>out. His name was Lon Harvey, and four years later he travelled his first 20-round.s bout as a welterweight. Since 1920 he has had 350 contests, including 40 20-round bouts. for _ 200 knock-outs, and lost his only decision three years ago to the coloured Len Johnson.

Having made “Lord Lonsdale’s’’ British middleweight championship belt his own property, he invaded New York in December, accompanied by his wife and two-vear-old son in his quest for world’s honours.

Harvey was born in Cornwall, England, a stone’s, throw from the birthplace of “Ruby” Bob Fitzsimmons, and st ands live eleven, weighs 11 stone 4 lbs. has a fifty-one inch chest, thirty, inch waist, small legs, huge wrists and enormous forearms. EXCESS OF DUTY.

“It takes two to make a fight,” is an old tag, but it seems the fashion lately; for the third man in the ring to join in the fray, and usually spoil, the fight (writes Jack Elliott). Who hasn’t seen these strong, athletic referees at work on the “little fellows,”

throwing them with mighty heaves to the opposite corners of the ring, and generally making a conspicuous nuisance of the ms elves.”

Sad is the fate of any boxer under middleweight attempting to fight ofF a clinging opponent, work in close, or try ing to drive his man into position fot a punch, and thinking he can perform his work without a figure flashing between him and his foe, or reeeivng a mighty slap on the back and a heftv ►**- shove.

Why all this? The referee’s work is law in the ring; and his orders are imperative commands. A man of authority is a fat lot of good if he cannot get obedience without physical force!' Just an unnecessary excess of duty.

BRIEFS. George R. Thompson, after 14 years in the game, and over 100 contests, relinquishes his Australian heavyweight title. Back in his home town. Fremantle (W.A.) lie is in business find intends leaving the honour for the youngsters. Owing to the protests Pressmen and fans have made regarding boxers being pushed or punched out of the ring on them. New York State Boxing Commission has ordered all ring floors to be extended two and a-half feet from the ropes. Herman Bundren “pulled out” of his return match with Jimmy Ptearce at Sydney Stadium last Saturday, in order .to rest before training for Ambrose Palmer at the same venue on March 28. Harry Corbett, ex-European featherweight champion, fought a. game fight to lose on a knockout to an Italian, 1.-oeatelli, in eight rounds, in Paris, in January. Administrators, of Welsh boxing have passed a rule allowing coloured boxers to compete for Welsh titles. Young Bill Stribling has had 50 fights to every one world’s champion At ax Sclnneling lias contested. Jimmy Maloney, Boston (Mass.) heavyweight who gained a decision over Primo Camera —but in, Boston —is matched with coloured Canadian Larry Cains at Earl’s Court, London, under

the British, National Sporting Club promotion. For £2OOO a week, Primo Camera is performing for a New York theatrical circuit. HUGHES REPLACES DONOVAN. The "Wellington Boxing Association yesterday received a telegram from Tommy Donovan stating that on account of an* injury received in his contest with Bobby Blay at New Plymouth. his medical adviser had forbid den him to keep his contract to meet Allan Whitlow at Wellngton next Thursday night. The Wellington Association at onoe approached Archie Hughes, the Australian, who promptly agreed to take Donovan’s place. Hughes, as he proved in his contest with Joey Thomas, of Chicago, at Wellington last Monday night, is a rugged boxer, and as Whitlow is of the same size and build, and also believes that aggression is the best means of defence, tlio battle between the pair should he a good one. Whitlow will be the second of the visiting Americans to make an appearance at Wellington. He has established a reputation in America for carrying the' fight to the opposition from gong to gong, with a long list of victories to his credit. _ Among those he has defeated is Eddie Shea, who has since scored a victory over the world’s title holder Battalino.