THE BOXING WORLD

Hawera Star, Volume LI, 20 June 1931, Page 10

THE BOXING WORLD

PUGILISTS PAST AND PRESENT] COMPARISON OF STYLES MANY THINGS IN COMMON. Bare-knuekle prize-fighting and modern glove fighting are widely different, although one grew out of the other. The glove was originally devised in order that t-lto hits and counters o) boxing could be practised without causing injury, writes a special cprresptindent of the London “Observer,” Then, when fist fighting was suppressed, men learned to do as much damage as possible with the glove. The position lias become similar to what might lie imagined, in fencing. Til© buttoned foil .or tile epee represents the duelling sword, which is solely a thrusting weapon, long experience having shown that a thrust will beat a cut. Yet is is obvious that more actual damage can he done by a cut. with a buttoned foil than by a thrust, if the fencers were to use their weapons for what they are and not for wliat they represent. The straight hit, corresponding to the thrust, was found to be the safest and most effective with bare knuckles.

Although a straight punch cannot be delivered with so much force as a hook or swing, it has a longer reach, and with bare knuckle* causes ample injury and is safer to deliver. It is, moreover, a form of defence as well as attack, and doubles its effect with an oncoming opponent, as it has body weight in a straight line behind it which a hook or swing has not. In spite of the difference in the styles., however, the old 'prize-fighters and the modern glove-fighters have many things in common. Jem Mace", for instance, was a genius with gloves* or without, and Jim Driscoll had many knuckle fights. It is. by the way, a curious coincidence that James should be the name of go many famous pugilists. James Figg was the first champion of England, and tlie names of Jem Belcher, Jem "Ward, Jem Mace, Jem Smith, Jim Corbett, and Jim Jeffries to speak of heavyweights .only, are household words. John is the only serious- rival, but in several instances, as with Jack Dempsey, whose real name is William Harrison, “Jack” is merely a nom-de-guerre.

WITH AND WITHOUT

The late John Bohun Lynch once wrote of an imaginary glove-fight between Tom Cribb and Joe Beckett, which he mad© Beckett win by a knockout, but lie did not pay much attention to the vast, difference .between the two sets of rules. After Tommy Burns had easily beajten Gunner Moir at the N.S.C. in 1907. Moir challenged his conqueror to a return match under prize-fighting rules, offering to find a heavy side-stake, but nothing came of it. Moir might probably have made a better show had the match been made, for he was an immensely powerful an and a good wrestler, putting up a good show with Hackensobmidt himself. John L. Sullivan fought in both styles, but was far more formidable l with gloves than without. With bare I knucklejs Sullivan jcould onljy draw I with Charlie Mitchell after fighting ' over two hours, although he had over two stone advantage in weight. Frank Siavin was better without gloves, and it is possible ho might have beaten Peter Jackson had their famous battle been fought under prize-ring rules. Leaving Mace out of consideration, it seems likely that Jem Belcher was the pugilist most likely to have done well under modern rules. He stood 6ft. and weighed between 12 and 13 stone; a little light for a glove champion. but it must be remembered that 1 the old training was extremely severe, 'and Belcher was very young when his health began to fail. Gene Tunney was only a middleweight at the age at which Belcher won the championship of England. Belcher’s main assets were Ids speed of band and foot and his tremendously hard hitting; both very important to the glove-fighter. His drio/nbllle. 'with lifs hands, which he knocked up- in both his fights with Cribb, would have been avoided by the use of gloves, and his fierce, aggressive style of fighting would, have helped him greatly in the United States, where world’s championships are usually decided. Belcher would probably have been a bigger and stronger edition of Georges Carpentier, and would have made a magnificent match with Dempsey, with whose style he had something in common. Dempsey would have been the stronger, but Belcher the better stayer. MASTERS OF THE RING.

Tom Cribb would probably have been ; a failure at the present' day. His ■ great assets were his staying power and capacity to take punishment; both pf great importance in the prize-ring, but of less use in contests over a limited number of rounds. Cribb would most hkely have been outpointed fairly easily, and his lack of aggression would have been against him. There is no evidence >that he possessed the brains 'which enabled Jack J.ohnson, a boxer of rather similar type, to win. Beu Gaunt and Tipton Slasher, had they lived to-day, would probably have joined that undistinguished body known in America as the Beef Trust, but Bendigo would have found that the “no foul” rule in New York, together with a certain win-tie-or-wrangle spirit manifest there, suited him down to the ground. Jem Ward and “Hen” Pearce', though fine boxers, would have been too short for glove-fighters, hut Gentleman John Jackson might have done well, and even perhaps associated with Tunney after that hero’s retirement from the ring. Dutch Sam would probably have met with the like success as his fellow; Hebrews, Kid Lewis and Berg, for his fierce, dashing style of fighting was similar to theirs. The famous Tom Spring would have done better with the gloves than without, for his hands were always his weakness. He v r as a beautiful boxer, and his 6ft. and 13st odd was just right ] for a glove champion. A glove fisht j between Spring and Peter Jackson j would have been a fine eight, with slight odds on the black.

STYLES COMPARE!* Of moderns in the prize-ring, Sullivan may be dismissed at once. James J. Corbett might have done well, foi he had wonderful staying power, ae i shown .‘by his Gl-raund draw with ! Peter Jackson. His sharp, quick hitting would have been terribly punishing under the old rules, and there does not seem to have been anything wrong with his hands or his courage. Corbett’s legs, however, were probably not strong enough for wrestling, and the same remark aplies to Bob Fitzsimmons. Jeffries, though immensely powerful, was too fleshy, and would have been cut to pieces with hare knuckles. Even with gloves, Fitzsimmons inflicted terrible punishment upon him, so much so that he was reluctant to continue. Dempsey, in spite of his strength, gameness and quick hitting, would not have a success in the prize-

ling ky reason of liis lack, of staying power. Owing to the half-minute’s rest every time a man went down, it would have been comparatively easy for: his opponents to weather the storm and waft until Denrpsey 4 ’blew tip. 1 ’ lommy Durns was essentially a glove lighter, but his conqueror, .Jack Johnston, would probably have been uen more formidable under prize-ring tules. Johnston’s defensive fighting inj power of making his opponent ?ome to him, would have been invaluible m the pnze-rmg. He had great mdurance, and hits waiting policy would have been no disadvantage to him. while his strong-boned face, with projecting frontal bones, was ideal for knuckle fighting. Johnson was a man of enormous physical strength, and aj good wrestler. While in France he took I part in one or two wrestling tourna-] merits with the big Continental wrestlers, meeting with fair success, although _ the Graeco-Homan -style was unfamiliar to him. He would almost certainly have been a cliampion in the old style. Carpentier’s comparatively fragile hands would have been a bar to _ his success in the prize-ring, hut Primp Camera seems to have all the necessary qualities, although his gameness ancl endurance are not yet proved. However, it is unlikely that these speculations can ever he verified.