BOXING.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLVI, Issue 26, 30 December 1925, Page 6

BOXING.

(By “Flush Left.”)

1 A ft ! r , H^ rr y Laing and Owen Sullivan had ducked under tho top rope into tho ring at Sydney _ one night, in tho dear dead <mys, etc., it is probable they put up a world s pugilistic record; inasmuch that it took part of two years of continuous figlitrng before peace was again proclaimed. The fact that hostilities commenced on a New Year s Eve and extended on into next morning somewhat minimises tho stupendous aspect of the performance. AVhon tho subject of long fights crops up some old-timer of bare-knucklo fame is almost invariably quoted; but that London prize ring rules governed the contests of those far-off times is either totally disregarded or entirely misunderstood. The present mothod of fighting with gloves is moro severe, and requires moro action than tho old. The ancient rules allowed wrestling with and throwing an antagonist. AA’hen one contestant was either thrown or knocked down the round was ended, and a rest of one minuto taken. A good ring general could actually fight a hundred rounds under the London prizo ring rules and make the fight less gruelling than a modern twenty-round contest. All 110 would have to do would bo to clinch, fako a fail, and pretend the other fellow threw him and another round would end. Some of the “rounds” would be of a few seconds duration only. One of the longest battles ever foughti was that between Larry Foley’s masterpiece, Peter Jackson, and that great American glove artist, James J. Corbett. It took sixty-ono rounds, lasting four hours. This is what Corbett wrote years afterwards about tho “whitest” coloured man that over entered a ring: “I went into Jackson’s room, to confront one of the most magnificent specimens of physical manhood I ever saw 1 There stood this negro, stripped to tho waist, 6ft ljin in height, weighing 2041 b. Even at that weight he was so splendidly proportioned that ho looked lean. I might add that Jackson, from my own knowledge of him, was one of tho most intelligent pugilists that ever fought; and that statement goes for either black or white. That night I thought Peter Jackson was a great tighter. Six "months later, still being tired from that fight, I thought him a great one. And to-day. after thirty-threo years, as I sit on tho fifteenth floor of a New York sky-scraper writing this, I still maintain that he was tho greatest fighter I have over seen.” It was a battle well worth recounting. Corbett trained for four months, and the betting was' 100 to 20 on Jackson —and then only that Corbett would stay so many rounds, varying according to the bettor’s opinion. There was a difference of 361 b in the weights in favour of Jackson. Writing of the fight Corbett said, inter alia: “Thoy put tho five-oz gloves on us — without bandages, as they wero not used in tljoso days. AVe went through the usual preliminaries and the battle started. At once 110 sprang' at mo like a panther or some moutain lion, trying to whip me as quickly as ho could, since all tho hots were on rounds. Now I had decided not to swap punches with him. for 110 was too big; I intended to rely purely on my speed and footwork. . And I needed all my quickness, particularly to offset his best weapon, which I had noticed ho used in other fights, his ‘one-two’ punch, one of the most effective I have ever seen. Jackson was an expert at it. In the sixteenth round his left came for my face, quickly ‘

followed by a right-hand body punch, the worst I had ever received, up to that time in any fight! When I went to my corner after the end of the round, it hurt mo so I couldn’t holp putting my hand to my side—a childish thing to do—and Delaney grabbed hold of my arm and pulled it away. That blow started me figuring. I found that lie usually tried this trick after a stiff left that he thought had hurt mo. Finding I was hurt, as soon as ho could ho would let tho left go for my head; but this purposely had no forco in it—it sirqply baulked mo and drew my hands up, and then in camo that terrific right for the body. I at last figured out a way to block this stunt. Knowing now that tho left would liavo little forco behind it I did not attempt to get away from it except by making a slight turn of the head, and then quickly shot out my left for the pit .of his stomach. Sure enough bing! bing! his right would shoot out, following his left, but my loft had already been sunk in his stomach and his right glanced off my arm. All the time my head wq,s at work, his was, too, and he was trying to think out something to offset my new defence. 110 did, and a littlo later, when I was decided ho was set for the old ‘one-two,’ and I let my countering left go for the body, ho shot a terrific uppercut under my left arm and just grazed my chin! That was a big surprise to mo. something now at that time —and very dangerous 1 I wanted to discourage him from trying that again. Ho tried it five or six times and suddenly, instead of lotting tho left go for tho body I hit him a left-handed hook alongside tnc jaw and ho never tried the uppercut again. In the twenty-eighth ho hit mo a terrific right-hand punch and dazed me. I felt that he had me going, and calling on 'all tho reserve I had I let both hands go and slugged him clean across the ring. A'second or two of this and he was helpless, with his arms by his side. I lost my opportunity, for instead of steadying myself and hitting him one good punch I wanted to hit him a thousand. So wo went along and fought in spurts. “Just before tho sixteenth Jimmio Wakeley came over to my corner and said, ‘You’ve got that fellow licked now if you’ll go right in and finish him.’ By this time my hands were numb through keeping them clenched so long, and tho perspiration brought out all the hair in the gloves, forming a ball. Holding this was the only way I could tell my hands were clenched. During tho sixtieth round tho referee left the ring for half a minute —a strange and illegal proceeding —and I found out afterwards that ho consulted with some acquaintances who had put up a. lot of money on Jackson. What did he do in the sixty-first round, without any reason or warning, but stop the fight and call, ‘No contest. All bets off 1’ So I protested right away, but too tired to argue I lot my seconds lead me towards my dressing-room, when what did I see but Jackson, who was just- ahead of me, fall right on his face, exhausted. Thoy had to pick him up and carry him to his room. Then I knew I had been robbed.”