A CANADIAN HEAVYWEIGHT

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXI, Issue 159, 20 June 1931, Page 2 (Supplement)

A CANADIAN HEAVYWEIGHT

LARRY GAINS IMPRESSES CRITICS.

PROPOSED “BOXING LEAGUE OF NATIONS.”

The smashing victory of Lorry Gains, coloured Canadian fighter, over Van Goole, Belgium’s heavyweight champion; recognition by the British Boxing Board of Control of Jackie Brown, who beat Popescu, the Roumanian battler, as flyweight champion of Europe, and an attempt to form in London the nucleus of a “Boxing League of Nations” — these were the outstanding happenings in the sporting world in London recently.

Gains surprised even his friends with his hurricane hitting. Van Goole never had a chance against him and was saved further punishment by the referee stopping the fight in the fourth round.

“Gains is probably the best heavyweight in Europe to-day,” say sports writers in their comments on his showing. Jackie Brow's award of the European title does not go uncontested. The International Boxing Union, which controls the sport in most European countries, but is not recognized in Britain, insists that Popescu is still the title holder. At the moment of writing representatives of every important European country were in session at Brussels trying to make a reciprocal agreement whereby each nation will acknowledge the champions of different countries. Britain sent a delegation after a meeting held at Lord Lonsdale’s house in London, at which Canada, Britain, France, Belgium, Germany, Italy and Holland had spokesmen. A committee was appointed from the gathering to confer with the International Boxing Union in the hope of settling amicably, rules to govern all future European contests. If such an agreement can be made, a flyweight title fight between Brown and Frankie Genaro of the United States is expected to be arranged for Manchester.