BOXING WEIGHTS

Hawera Star, Volume LIII, 19 August 1933, Page 8

BOXING WEIGHTS

BARE KNUCKLES TO GLOVES. PAST AND PRESENT COMPARED. Often enough in the days of the old prize ring matches were made at a certain weight, but- as Conan Doyle says in ’ 'Rodney Stone,” “There was no" exact limit between the light, middle and heavyweights, and yet it would make a very great difference to the standing of a boxer whether he ,should be regarded as the heaviest or the lightweights or the lightest of the heavyweights.” The first of the lightweights in the old style was Ned Hunt, who flourished, in the middle' of the 18th century and weighed about 10.0. A famous lightweight was Dutch Sam, in the beginning of the 19th century, who weighed about 9.6, and others were Caleb Baldwin, Owen Swift, Dick Curtis, Johnnv Broom, Bob Bretteil. and Joe Goss." The best known of all was probably Jack Randall, „ Good with both hands And only 10 stone three, the absence of whose name from the “Dictionary of National Biography was so much deplored by Cashel Byron. Tom Sayers himself usually fought at a little over lOst.

With the introduction, of glove-fight-ing came the recognised series of weights, which, with some slight variations, are now in force all over the World. The maximum limits in each case are: Flyweight, Bst; bantam, Bst 61b feather, 9st; light, 9st 91b ; welter, "‘lOst 71b; middle, list 6lb; lightheavy or cruiser. 12st 71b; and heavy, any weight. In the United States what were called junior weights, intermediate between' these, were also recognised for some,time. Under the rules of the National’Sporting Club of Groat Britain, the men must make the weight on the day of the contest, and it is customary to weigh in about eight hours' before the fight, so that if, as often happens, one or both the men aie overweighted there is a chance to get lid of the surplus by exercise, massage, or, as a last resort, a Turkish batli. Tn the United States a time for weighing in is usually fixed. At one time ringside weighing was often insisted on. \\ hile this was undoubtedly logical (comments a writer in the London “Observer”), it was dangerous for a boxer who- had difficulty in making the weight. A man who weighs in at 2 p.m. will often weigh several ponnds more by the time of the actual contest. Readers .of Era est Hemingway’s story, “Fifty Grand,” will remember the scene at the weighing-in. The match had been made at 1471 b at 3 o’clock. Jack Brennan had turned the scales at 143. “Good,” Walcott says. He drooped the towel from around his waist and stood on the scales. He had the widest shoulders and back you ever saw. “One hundred and forty-six pounds and twelve ounces.”

Walcott stepped off and grinned at Jack. . “Well,” John says to him, ‘ Jack s spotting you about four pounds.” “More than that when I come in. kid,” Walcott says, “I’m going to go and eat now.”

Money is usually posted by the boxers to be’ forfeited if the stipulated weight is not made, and a boxer should not, of course, be expected to go on with the contest if his opponent is overweight. Much too often, however, lie does —sometimes, as in the WildeHfrinan light, to avoid disappointing the spectators. At other times lie may lie afraid of offending the promoter. As a rule, when a man has niuctli difficulty in making a weight, lie will be well advised to go into a heavier class. Many boxers, among them the famous negro lightweight, Joe Gans, have killed themselves, or at least ruined their constitutions, in the attempt to waste unduly. Some men put on weight with marvellous rapidity. I have known a certain featherweight weigh in at 9st on Friday, and “uni the scale at over 10st on the following Monday evening. It is .said that a match well made is half won, and there' have been many instances of this with regard to weight. A striking example; was when Bov McCormick fought Kid Lewis, middleweight champion at the time. Very foolishly. McCormick agreed to make the match at 11.10, at least half a stone below his proper weight. He made the weight, hut was very weak, and Lewis won fairly easy on points. The general public, which * never troubles about details, thought Lewis had won the light-heavvweight championship. It has become a custom, and an cxceediiv.lv bad one, for champions to make matches at a pound or two above the championship weight, so that the title should not be at stake. Tt is natural for a man to increase in weight, without putting on anythin" hut good solid muscle, until he is 30 or so. Usually he slows a little, so far as actual speed is concerned, after 25. hut this is compensated by better anticipation, iso that for ring purposes lie may ho actually faster. It is very hard for a man who has not made a certain weight for over a year to get down to it without weakening, himself. It is partly because of less) competition, but partly also because 1 I, iov have no trouble about gettinsl down to weight that the heavyweights)

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hist iso much longer than other boxers.

The heaviest boxer who has held the world’s championship with the gloves i Vforc this year was .Toss Willard, who weighed 18st ; and the lightest Fitzsimmons, who weighed rather under than over 12st, and was the originator of the' saving attributed to many others: “The LiVcer they are the harder thev fall.” The heaviest main who has attained prominence! with the 'doves is undoubtedly Camera, who usual!" weighs about lO.'St. 'Of prize-ring-champions the heaviest Wpre RciVi Gaunt and William -Perry, ...tl'iei;'.Tipton . 11 "ribor. who each weighed about 14st, (51b. Freeman, an American '-.who mot Mn< Tmfon Slasher twice, weighed about IRst and Isaac Perrins, a Birmingham ironworker' who fought Trim Johnson for the championship in 1789, weighed 17st. • 1

As a rule a boxer's fighting weight is anything from two or three to 10 pounds below his normal healthy weight. Unlike a rowing man. lie does not usually put on weight in training, even when there is no need for reduction. In spite of his good condition, the young medical student in Conan, Doyle’s story. “The Croxlev Master.” was reduced from list to lOst 91l> by a week’s training. Tn flic day's of hare knuckles if. used to he -said that a 12-st man was big enough for anything. Now the minimum weight would bo put at a stone more; The increase is due to the difference in the rules.

CLASS STANDARDISATION