THE RING.

Lyttelton Times, Volume LXX, Issue 8623, 26 October 1888, Page 2

THE RING.

“Boxer-Major” who controls the ring column of the Sydney Referee has taken in the best possible spirit our remarks on tie titles attached to several New _ Zealand boxers, to wit, Sandall, Manning, and Saxon, who are at present in Sydney. We are always open to a friendly discussion, that may end in both parties gaining information, but we heartily detest that “ you-are-al ways-wrong,” or “you-know-nothing-about-it” style adopted by some writers, and had “ Boxer-Major” assumed either of these airs, we should have declined using further ink over the matter. But as he regards our Sremarks in the proper light of friendly criticism, and corrects us in one or two particulars, we feel bound to ‘ acknowledge his kindness, though- at the same time we still remain unconvinced on several points. Regarding Saudairs right to the Amateur Championship of New Zealand, our contemporary states the title was gained when Sandall won Messrs Foley and Pagan's medal; and not Professor Carollo's trophy, as we stated. We should like to remark on this point that the title gained under such circumstances cannot rightly be regarded as justly earned, Sandall, as we remarked before, may be and possibly is, the best amateur New Zealand has produced, but it is doubtful if hisright to the title is recognized in. this. Colony, outside the place where he won it, as the competition, unless we are mistaken, was not advertised except*in the. Auckland papers. The athletic, cycling and towing championships are announced throughout the length and breadth of this Colony, and the winners are justly recognized as champions. So* should it have been with the boxing championship. To make the title worth anything beyond a name, it should have been freely advertised or announced by the sporting press of the Colony, and then no one could have had the opportunity of complaining of insufficiency of notice. This is our only reason for taking exception to Sandali’s right to the title he carries. We are willing to concede that Manning did win the Championship of Wellington, as our contemporary says the statement came from himself, If he should he drawing upon hia imagination, doubtless we shall soon; hear from Wellington. Respecting Donovan, we may say that he was the recognised light-weight of this Colony. We have seen it mentioned that he has retired, 1 .but since the announcement, we have a recollection of reading an account of a fight he had up Auckland way; so we take it tW Barney, like many others, finds his love of the sport too strong when anything good crops up. “ Boxer-Major” says he is willing to stand “ two long ‘ Speights’” if Donovan can fight at lOst 41b, We do :not know the weight Donovan can fight at now, but turning up our reference books, which contain something like a score of hia battles, we find that everywhere he fought his weight was given as being about lOst. The Auckland Observer remarked when he first fought Murphy, that the latter, was “about 201 b lighter than Donovan.”. As Murphy at the time was fighting at about Bst 41b, this would make Donovan’s weight well under lOst. A Napier paper said when he fought Williams, that his weight in fighting trim was about lOst. When he fought Hurcomhe in Christchurch he told us he was just about lOst, and when; he met Parker in Dunedin the Otago Daily Times remarked that “ Parker is the Champion of Otago up to 9st, but is a good stone lighter than his last night’s antagonist.” We think after these extracts the Sydney Referee will admit that we had remarkably good grounds for saying Donovan is a light-weight, and one of these days we may look in for those “two long r Speights.’” Another Australian Peter Boland—a middle-weight, leaves shortly to try his fortunes in the land of the almighty dollar. Articles have at last been signed, by Slavin and Dooley to box to a finish’£qp .£2OO a-side. Woolf Bendoff the latest importation from the Old Country is anxious to meet Slavin in the .open, with bare knuckles. Murphy, the New Zealand featherweight, and Jack Ball, met at the Apollo Hall, Melbourne on .Oct. 1, to box eight rounds, but the affair was a sorry exhibition, and ended in a draw. Neither man appeared anxious to come to close quarters. The papers spoke rather’ strongly on the performance, and Murphy subsequently published a challenge offering to meet any man his own weight, or if no one was forthcoming he would give away several pounds in the matter of weight. Seale, amateur champion of New South Wales, recently boxed four rounds with Jack Burke, at Foley’s, the set-to being greatly pleasing to the onlookers. The amateur’s unusual style (says a Sydney paper) completely nonplussed Burke, who seemed all abroad, the amateur landing on head and body, almost without a return. Burke showed excellent good temper, and though bis right came across once or twice with what would have been rather a vicious blow had Seale been where Burke expected him to be, he smilingly took the light gruel so liberally dealt out to him. When the mail left the veteran pugilist, Jem Mace, was suffering from a slight attack of apoplexy. The outcome of the many challenges that have been issued by men who state their readiness to meet Kilrain, is that the latter’s backer, Mr R. K. Fox, has posted .£IOOO with the New York Herald , as a deposit in support of a challenge to.the effect that Kilrain will fight any man in the world for .£2OOO or more,, the heavy-