Heavyweight Champion’s Wide Margin

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXII, Issue 175, 9 July 1932, Page 6 (Supplement)

Heavyweight Champion’s Wide Margin

Fierce in Flashes : Can Gora Perform Better?

(By Jack Elliott, in the “Sydney Referee.”) A dusky, blood-bespattered figure, beaten on points, but not in spirit, acknowledged the plaudits of the majority of the crowd which stayed behind to cheer the loser at Sydney Stadium on Monday night, June 20, long after Ambrose Palmer (12.0), the winner, had left the ring. In such a way did Tony Gora’s (11.12) performance appeal to the Sydney faithful. Except for a brief period in the second round, when a right-hand punch spun Palmer half-dizzy, Gora fought miles below the form expected of him. But, while taking a leather he showed a brand of Spartan gamcness that caused those fans to delay their departure on one of Sydney’s coldest fight nights.

Three things stood out in the bout: Palmer’s variety of punches; his deplorable lack of a knock-out blow; and Gora’s durability. On a conservative estimate, Palmer nailed Gora with dozens of left hooks, near enough to the point to score knock-downs, and, about the same number of full-shoulder right hooks to the jaw.

Yet, at no time did the importation from Honolulu look like losing his foothold on the canvas. It is assured that Palmer will not put anybody, outside of one of those weaklings that sometimes creep into the fight game, on the canvas for keeps.

But, at that, he is a brilliant winning fighter. On Monday night, the moment he had the measure of the dusky one’s style, Palmer opened right out, and gave a very pretty display of hooks, jabs, and odd points; and, a few of his two-handed rallies and sequences were positively the workmanship of a champion.

After the second round be gave everything he had to score a knockout. At times his. desire and determination transformed him into a human punching machine; but, as hard

as he betched, not one punch, nor any scries of punches, gave the crowd the slightest hope of getting home out of the cold before the end of the lath, round. If wo do not absolutely ignore Gora’s record of past performances in America aud Honolulu, ho must be given the credit of being a better fighter than on Monday. Toughness, a lion heart, and the patience to see a losing contest to the bitter end characterised his work against Palmer. I am convinced he can do better. Perhaps the cold upset his form ;a bruised and swollen bicep of his right arm robbed him of much over the last half of the fight. It might have been anything—but, he didn’t do a lot better than stand there and take it on Monday. That he did splendidly. The crowd liked him. There must be a reason! As already mentioned, it was a de' cided winter’s night, with a cold wind sneaking round the empty “outers” to the ringside and demanding of the fighters thunder to make the night enjoyable at all. Our rising young heavyweights were on view in a 10-round bout before the

big light. A Pat George (12.2) advertised as heavyweight champion of N.S.W., rose from the ringside into the ring; and, a -tone and a-half heavier, George Singleton, advertised as heavyweight champion of W.A., rose three times from the canvas, and Joo Wallis called it a draw.

Well, well! Big men might provide thrills. But, as for ability, "Wally Handcoek, or any good thumping welterweight, would be an odds-on favourite to knock the pair of ’em kicking on the form they displayed on Monday. Undoubtedly, the fact that a great performance would assure Palmer of a fight with “Young” Bill Stribling had much to do with his willing tactics against Gora.

He has never showed to better advantage. He altered his attack as fast as Gora changed his methods. When the Honolulu product used a short left jab to hold Palmer off, he found that the next offensive was conducted with a weave. And as the fight went on, and Gora became more passive in his resistance, Palmer set to work with his complete bag of tricks. Then Gora’s face and body had a lot to contend with.

The usual blots on Palmer’s performances were again in evidence. He committed four or five fouls—punches way below the belt—but Gora ignored them, and Wallis let Palmer off with one caution.

The exchanges were hard and inclined to be one-sided. In spots they stood in, let defence alone, and set to with both hands flying wild.

Palmer won practically all these spells. But his rights bounced clean off the opposition jaw; and his left, hooks did little but spoil Gora’s features for the time being.

The fight looked almost over in the sixth round. Palmer came out of a collision of heads with a deep, ugly gash over his left eye. There was colour in the fight from then to the end. But, it proved no handicap. In fact Palmer actually performed better after the accident, smashing away in a frantic, but futile effort to end the fight quickly.

That he could not do, although the further the fight proceeded, the more it turned Palmer’s way. By the time

the eighth arrived, Gora didn’t seem to have a punch left in him.

He stuck to his unthankful task. Occasionally ho did some nice work with a left hook and a left jab; but, there was never much danger of Palmer running into trouble.

After the 10th round Palmer’s injured optie behaved itself. Ho deserved that piece of luck. Gora was certainly lackadaisical. It looked as though he was sulking, or wasn’t interested, or didn’t want to light, anyway. The more Palmer thumped him, the loss retaliation came about. After the 10th Palmer simply piled up points.

Altogether, it was not an inspiring spectacle. Yet, you couldn’t help but, admire Palmer’s perseverance in still trying after a hundred attempts to win the fight, on a knock-out. Gora took his licking like a man. Behind that indifferent mask, indifference to punishment, and of retaliation, he showed a something that was not revealed on Monday. He was broken-hearted by his display. His next fight is against Fred. Henneberry. A good fight will put Gora back on top again.