BOXING NEWS.

Manawatu Standard, Volume L, Issue 223, 16 August 1930, Page 4 (Supplement)

BOXING NEWS.

(By “Solar Plexus.”)

Dominion Championships. ■ Ninety-three entries have been received for the.. New Zealand amateur championships,' which are to be held in Palmerston North next week.' A prominent official of the' New. Zealand Boxing Association states that present indications point to the 1930 tourney being a record one. The riutnerous entries may necessitate some of the bouts being held in the afternoon, but until the. draw is arranged it is not known wliat the programme will be. Whether the tournament will be a financial success or not depends entirely upon the degree of public support accorded. At Greymoutli - last year a profit of £2OO was realised. However, there were exceptional circumstances at Greymoutli. At all events the fare to bo offered, as indicated in the entries, justifies the strong support of the local boxing public. The annual meeting of the New Zealand Boxing Council will take place on Thursday morning, and is likely to be one of the most important in the history of the sport in New Zealand. Sarron’s Wrist. The injury to a bone in Pete Sarson’s left wrist, Iras not yet entirely healed, and it is stated that the member, to be completely cured, calls .for tlie expert attention of a bone specialist. Tilts would necessitate the American laying up for some time. The injury did not noticeably interfere with Sarron’s showing against Johnnie Leckie at Palmerston North. Another Match Likely. A Napier writer suggests the possibility of Leckie and Sarron coining together again at Napier, and expresses tire opinion that another Sarron-Dono-van match should be a better drawing proposition. A return between Leckie and Donovan is made more interesting by the result of the bout in Palmerston North. At the present time the Manawatu Association .is angling for the services of Sarron and Donovan at Palmerston North. Ted Nelson Returns. According to a Napier writer Ted Nelson, who is regarded as the leading Australian feather-weight, lias a long way to go to reach the same class as Johnnie Leckie, and he is also behind Donovan as a boxer. He is very slow compared with those two New Zealanders, and the only, department in which he is even is in punching ability. Nelson has now returned to Sydney, and it will he some time yet before he is right enough for; another hard contest. Hastings Association’s Loss. “It is clear that the. Hastings public do not want boxing at the, present time, and the only thing left to do is to put up the shutters for the season,” says a Hawke’s Bay writer, commenting on the lack of support from the boxing public at the recent Dono-van-Nelson fight. It is stated that expenses were not met by £2OO. “Iron Man” Retires. Lou Bogash, the Bridgeport (Con.) “Iron Man,” one of the front rank welters of a few years ago, is now a referee. Lou was sft in height, and nearing the end of his career weighed in the vicinity of 13 stone. Pickrang’s Success. Ted Pickrang won a good fight recently against Ted Dargiu. The New Zealander knocked Dargin as stiff as a board *n tlie eighth of a fifteenround battle. Last time the pair met Dargin was out for half an hour. A Fighting Family. Otago championships could almost be called “Leckie night.” There were about six of them at the Otago championships. Johnny’s brother Bill won the feather-weight division, heating cousin Dick in the final. Archie trains

At Home And Abroad..

Topics Of The Ring,

them both, whilst Hector. and the heavy-weight. .cousin were in the corners. ", Vic White Retires. Vic White, the brilliant little Australian ■ fly-weight, has definitely retired from the ring. In his. recent bout with Teddy Green ho was knocked out in the third round,, and it was found that his jaw was fractured. White was mostly on the end of heavy punches while he lasted, and one more severe titan .the others floored him for the full count. This contest was the first bout, in which White had figured since lie was knocked out by (McAlister and taken to hospital some months ' ago. ';>>• _ •'/•’V • Foul or Fair. '. ' It does not seem to matter much whether Phil' Scott, the English champion heavy-weight, is lrit foul or fair, lie goes down just the same (says “Right Cross”). He was battered down with blows to the lower part of the body of Jack Sharkey at Miami, and claimed that lie had been fouled. At Wimbledon, London lie faced Young Stribling, tire American, who was game to enter the ring with Primo Camera, tlie Italian Giant. Stribling knocked England’s hope out in the second round. It is an extraordinary thing that the Old Country does not appear to have been .able to produce a heavyweight capable of assimilating punishment since the war. Bombardier Wells, Joe Beckett, .and; now Plrill Scott have all gone down like wheat before the sickle when they have met resolute men like Georges Carpentier,' Tommy Gibbons, Jack Sharkey, and Stribling. Shades of Tom Sayers and Jem Mace! It is on record that when Jack Sharkey was training to meet Phil Scott he fouled his sparring partners so flagrantly that he had difficulty. in getting men to box with him, and on one occasion there was a small riot in the camp in consequence of his behaviour. FORMER CHAMPION WINS. MONSON-CRIBB BOUT IN SYDNEY. Middleweights Ted Monson, a former AustraKan champion, and Tommy Cribb provided tlie main contest of 12 rounds at Rushcutter Bay Stadium, Sydney, on August 2. Monson, although not displayipg the ability that brought him success in the past, did Aot experience great difficulty in outpointing his opponent, Although many punches were exchanged, and Monson connected more often, there did not appear to be any great force behind the blows. Cribb was active in the early sessions. He tapped light rights to the head, and poked his left to Monson’s face in the opening round, moving away as the latter attacked. There was much clinching, whilst Monson had a tendency to punch with his right when hqlding Cribb with tlie left. Monson found difficulty in penetrating Cribb’s defence in tlie second term, but in the next round Monson drove liis opponent into a corner, putting liis weight against Cribb. and scoring to the head and body. A right led by Monson inflicted a cut over Cribb’s left eye in the fourth term, and Cribb was frequently on the defensive, adopting a crouching attitude, which at times sent him between the ropes as Monson attacked. In each of the succeeding rounds Monson punished Cribb, who

weakened towards the closer. The referee approached Monson ..before the eighth session commenced, instructing him to liven proceedings. Monson in that session punished his'adversary as Cribb hung back upon his feet. He bad Cribb staggering around the ring in tlie 10th round. 'ln tho next Cribb was down for five seconds, and when, he emerged from Monson’s attack disclosed'a cut right cheek. A right swing floored Cribb, who was again* down "for five seconds in the 12tli session, but lie survived the round, and the decision in Monson’s favour created little enthusiasm. , . ... - .«•

THE IRON MAN. JEFFRIES—PUNCH ABSORBER. GREATEST FIGHTER IN RING HISTORY. ... Many good judges rank Jim Jeffries as tke ; greatest fighter of. the modern prize-ring. Standing well over six feet, and ..weighing round about. 16 stone, Jeff had “everything, as tire vernacular puts it. His amazing capacity to absorb punishment is here discussed. It was Jeffries’ ability to shake off blows as an -umbrella sheds rain that discouraged his' opponents. His powerful frame, sheathed in muscle, was well-nigh impervious to damage inflicted by a human adversary with a padded fist. Trying to hurt him was like pelting the hide of a rhinoceros with a putty-blower. W. W. Naugliton, in liis book- “ Kings Of the Queensbury Realm,” published 28 years ago, touched upon this extraordinary immunity of punishment. “According to Billy Delaney, who trained and handled Jeffries,” wrote Nauglrton, “it was tlie latter’s trick of assimilating punishment which discouraged the Cornisliman (Bob Fitzsimmons) in the fight in question (at Coney Island, June 9, 1899, when Jeffries won the ' world’s chamuianship from Fitz by a knockout in the eleventh round). Said Delaney: ‘He reached Jeffries’ face with a tearing left hook, and all the strength Fitzsimmons possessed was behind the blow. Fitzsimmons'was astounded when lie saw the little effect liis best punch produced. He expected to see Jeffries stagger and drop liis arms. Instead ho saw Jim standing there on guard as steady as a rock. It was then that Fitzsimmons’s heart sank. Ho had found a man who could take his fiercest punches without collapsing, and he was very much worried about it.” “This abnormal power of resistance is the foundation of Jeffries championship form. It is his strongest department, and leagued with it in almost equal proportions he possesses the ability to go a long, long ring journey without evincing signs of fatigue. “He proved liis strength as a beast of burden at Harbin Springs, California, where lie made wearying sorties, afoot, into the deer country and returned time and again with the earcase of a buck strapped across his shoulders. “He proved his assurance in the affair with Sharkey at Coney Island, when, with his frame stripped by arduous and incessant training, lie fought 25 rounds under a blistering grill of electric fire and finished strong and full of fight. “His punching ability is not on a par with either liis endurance or powers of absorption. He can strike heavily for all that, and he is inproving in this respect right along. He is a fairly clever boxer and a good defensive fighter. Ho is not to be rattled or deterred from following a scheme of battle once he has mapped it out. He is cool headed, and, to liis credit be it said, lie is not cruel. “So far as footwork is concerned, Jeffries’ movements <to not suggest the poetry of motion altogether. By some lie is regarded as both awkward and slow. In his affair with Ruhlin in San Francisco, however, he cov-

ered ground nimbly enough, and. once he began to be. aggressive it was _ impossible for Ruhlin to keep out of his way.. He is fast enough on his feet in all conscience'. •“To -sum up his qualities of ringmanship it 'may be said that he is fairly . talented in .every branch or self-defence. He boxes • cleverly defends liimself well, and strikes a hard blow.- But back of all these are the qualities which have made him a champion, to •• wit, - magnificent strength and wonderfill endurance. Jeffries’ best punch . was a straight left to the body.or jaw. He coiild switch the blow in a trice, landing it on tire chin after starting the punch for the body. _ Because ot the inordinate power in his arms as well as, because .of the . tremendous weight and'-body leverage that Jeff threw into this left hand of his, it was a devastating weapon. It had all the crushing force of a battering-ram. It was his left that softened up Fitzsimmons and Jim Corbett as well. '“6n September 17, 1901”’ wrote Naughton, “lid (Jeffries) bested ‘Hank’ Griffin in a four-roun'd bout in Los Angeles, and a Week later he knocked out Joe Kennedy in two rounds at the Reliance Club, Oakland, California. This was just prior to. going intor training for his championship contest 'with Gus Ruhlin' at San Francisco. Ruhlin ' was among the spectators while the Jeff-ries-Kehnedy bout was in. progress. It is said that Ruhlin’s face was a study when lie saw the neat manner in which Jeffries put Kennedy to sleep. “In describing the knock-out, Jeffries said: “The blow which finished Kennedy was a left jolt, and it did not travel more than eight inches. He thought I was going to swing for the stomach, but I changed the direction on him. His guard went up, but not quickly enough. I allowed my left glove to rest on his arm just for a fraction of a second, and then I drove it against his chin. 'You know the rest. They talk of Fitzsimmons’s knack of knocking out men with sliort-arm jolts, but I think I am as good as any of them at that kind of thing.now.* I have made a study of it, and I don’t believe Fitzsimmons has any advantage over me when it comes to hurting a man at short range.’ ” Jeff was a sparring partner for Jim Corbett when the latter was training to meet Bob Fitzsimmons for the championship. Jeffries later conquered both of these men, and retired from the ring as the unbeaten heavyweight champion of the world. Later, of course, he tried to “come back,” and was beaten by Jack Johnson.