WORLD OF SPORT.

Manawatu Standard, Volume L, Issue 119, 16 April 1930, Page 7

WORLD OF SPORT.

BOXING.

NOTES AND COMMENTS.

f CURRENT TOPICS. (By “Star Plexus.”) Hector Leckie and Lou Blpom will meet at Hawera on April 20. It did not take long for Primo Carnera, the giant Italian heavyweight boxer, to have 'a nickname bestowed upon him in America. The man-moun-tain was given the title of “ambling Alp.” If private advice received is to -be believed, Artie Hay does not’intend to risk losing any of his triple honours (says an exchange). He was offered a fight at Hastings with Jim Brondfoot, a return bout for the light-heavy-weight crown he recently took from the Aucklander, but refused the offer. He was then offered a fight with Ted Morgan for the midlle title, but again he refused. The Christchurch Times states that the Christchurch Sports Club has succeeded in matching Jim Brondfoot, of Auckland, with Alan Campbell, of Oamaru. in a fifteen rounds bout, in iwhich the New Zealand heavy-weight championship will be at stake. This [will be staged at a tournament to be held by the club at the Civic Theatre on April 28. Both men have excellent credentials, and are in active training. A good, clean exhibition should be witnessed.

A New York cablegram gives particulars of a somewhat sensational fight between the welter-weights, Jimmy McLarnin and Jaok Thompson, a San Francisco negro. Both men have been very much in tho limelight lately, and it would seem that the bout was arranged for the purpose of settling which of them should be put up against Jackie Fields for the championship. Fields has twice defeated Thompson, and when the Madison Square Garden authorities proposed to match them a third time for the championship the New York Commission refused to grant a permit, on the grounds that tho proposed contest was not a logical championship match in view of Thompson’s two reverses. On February 22, in San Francisco, Young Corbett (who is a south-paw) gamed a points decision over Fields, and on March 1, in Chicago, McLarnin met Sammy Mandell (light-weight champion) at catch weights, and a great fight went to McLarnin on points. In the New York fight between Thompson and McLarnin the latter broke his right hand in the first round. The report says he “was forced to weather one of the most furious storms he has ever faced, in his career.” He gained a points decision. Sarron’s visit to New Zealand must, so far, have netted him a good fat financial return, for one can scarcely believe that in some of his fights he has reoeivecl pnly the legal amount of payment, states “Cestus” in the Christchurch Star. It would, I think, occasion no surprise to learn that on occasions he has had a bit added to his side of the purse, and rightly, too, in my opinion, even if a breach of a fool limitation rule. All the same one cannot overlook the howl that went up when the Otago Association’s contracts were found to provide for a little bit extra, the penalty that association had to pay for the breach and the benefits that have accrued ’ to others owing to the cancellation of those contracts. It doesn’t seem fair, and what was done inclines one to a belief that there was a woeful lack of sportsmanship somewhere. The Otago Association would have been better off by hundreds of pounds had it been permitted to carry out the programmes those contracts would have allowed, for not only did it lose money over forced promotions, but also lost the big profits that would have •come from its . contract fights, ana which have gone to other associations. The Otago Association, however, is likely to recoup itself, as it has arranged contracts with Hancock and Llew Edvyards'. ‘ The former is a leading Sydney welterweight, and he will have two fights in Dunedin. Edwards is the clever Melbourne feather-weight, who is declared by critics to be the cleverest lad in his class in Australia. The New Zealand Boxing Association, the body controlling hoxing in the Dominion, has taken no action regarding the flagrant breach of the rules regarding purses in the case of the two Sarron-Donovan fights (says an Auckland paper). This is rather remarkable and the only conclusion is that it condones the action of the Taranaki and Wellington associations. If so, the governing bodv should now notify associations that the rule allowing a maximum of £9O to the winner of a fight and £6O to the loser has been waived. The Northern Association, it is understood, has kept to the limit for purses and consequently has been outbid. The president, Mr E. A. Craig, does not favour the limitation, but he has stated that while the rule exists Auckland will abide by it. Prominent members are in favour of the percentage basis of allotting purses, and while agreeing that the rule should be adhered to, are of the opinion that to wait until the annual meeting is to lag and that some provisional measure should be approved. The percentage basis is undoubtedly the better, as it stimulates fighters to their best efforts to draw the crowd. Auckland would undoubtedly see better fights if this prooedure were adopted and better men would be induced to come over to New Zealand, not only from Australia, but also from other parts of the world. Wally Hancock, the Australian welter-weight who lost his title recently to Tommy Fairhall, has arrived to meet Reg. Trowern and Ted Morgan in Auckland. He has announced that ho is prepared to meet any welterweight in New Zealand fifter hie engagements in the North, and specially mentions Artie Hay. Hancock was four years in the Australian Navy and three times won the welter-weight championship of the Australian division. He lias two knock-out wins to his credit against Charlie Purdy. He once fought two exhibitions in Auckland—in 1926 with Leo Wax, now fighting in England, and Harry Casey, then middle-weight champion of New Zealand, whom he defeated in Australia three years later.' Of 65 fights Hancock has won all but 10, 40 of them being by the knock-out. He says boxing is gradually coming into its own again in Australia and the gates al j® improving, especially at the Leichhardt Stadium, where a new stadium has been erected with accommodation for 6000. Norman Radford is now out of the game, having lately married, and Tommy Barber, the former featherweight champion of .Australia, has also dropped ,out. Tommy , Crowle has shaped well since his return Horn New Zealand and recently beat the a llipino, A 1 Coonan. A rising young feather is the seventeen and a half-year-old Chris. Halliday, who beat Jerry Sullivan, a seasoned fighter, and' fought a draw with Archie Hughes. He is not seasoned enough yet for a trip to New Zealand, but will be ready in a year or so. Of nine main bouts he has won eight by a knock-out. Young Llew Edwards, who is under engagement to the Otago Association, is a brilliant boxer and should do well in New Zealand. Billy MoAliater is keen to return to New Zealand, tho Australian bantamweight champion being prepared to meet Tommy Donovan. He is training hui-tUw Umm» ww before a ad is said to

have improved. Speaking of preliminary boys, Hancock said Pickrang, a New Zealander, was doing well among the heavy-weights at Leichhardt. Last year Pickrang was beaten in the New South Wales amateur heavy final by Frank Packer, a most promising fighter who is debarred from devoting much time to the sport' as he ie a newspaper man.' Hancock said Johnny Leckie was well thought of in Australia, where his clean fighting and manner in the ring greatly pleased the fans, who were also very keen to see ' Tommy Donovan in action.