BEATEN ON WEIGHT

Manawatu Times, Volume 63, Issue 180, 2 August 1938, Page 10

BEATEN ON WEIGHT

BENNY LYNCH TOO HEAVY LOST FLYWEIGHT TITLE BUT KNOCKED OUT JACKIE JURICH. Benny Lynch failed in his fight to beat the scales and come wilnm tne stipulated flyweight limit at raistey on June 26, but he deieaied jacKie Jurich, the best of the miagets in America, by knocking him out in the twelfth round. Lyncn exceeded eignt stone by six and a-half pounds, and it would not have been surprising if the American’s manager, Johnny Rogers, had refused to let his man enter the ring, writes B. Bennison. Something like consternation reigned when in the afternoon Lynch proved to be so much overweight, for the news from his training quarters at Campsie right up to the eve of the contest was that everything w’as satisfactory. However, Jurich agreed to fight at catch weights, and against Lynch, who was hitting with the punch of a welter, he put up a gallant display. In the opening round he was caught by a left hook and took a count of nine, but, far from being dismayed, he fought back in rare style and proceeded to give the flyweight champion something of a boxing lesson.

From the beginning of the second round, Jurich was scoring with straight lefts, and from time to time he landed flush to the jaw of the Scot. It seemed as though the Californian youth would upset all calculation, and, by his superior speed and footwork, gain a points decision, but he had no sort of a knock-out punch, whereas whenever Lynch landed a blow it could be seen that the strength of Jurich was going from him.

In the seventh round a vicious right landed plump on the American’s jaw. and down he went, to all intents and purposes all out, but at the count of j nine he rose, only to be knocked down j again for a further nine seconds. In 1 this round we saw the real Lynch; a ! merciless Lynch hitting with all the power that he could muster, and the wonder was that Jurich managed to come up for the eighth round to dance and stab away at Lynch with a good left hand. But the Glasgow Scot knew that it was just a question of time, and, scorning any semblance of a defence, he walked into the American with fists swinging. American Goes Down, Twice did Jurich go down. It was : merely how long the American lad ‘ could hold up. Against the pile driv- : ers of Lynch he showed rare pluck, and he even had the temerity in the tenth round to swap punches with his opponent whenever the two got in close to each other. It was the punches of Lynch that sapped the strength of the American, as the extra weight that Lynch was carrying made his hitting more formidable than it was even when he beat Peter Kane. There could be only one result. Lynch had established his superiority, and was picking his punches, only awaiting to deliver the finishing blow. It midway in the twelfth round; a right hook to the jaw, and Jurich, although he made a gallant effort to rise, was still on one knee when the referee, Mr. Moss Deyong, after counting him out, raised the arm of Benny Lynch. It was a good fight and a hard fight, and Jurich is to be highly commended for the way in which he tackled what was near to an impossible task. Jurich faced his job manfully, and I am in agreement with his manager that there are few, if any, native flyweights to beat him. I understand that Lynch, owing to his failure to make the weight, will automatically forfeit the title of flyweight champion of the world, and that Jurich will claim It. There has not to my knowledge been a parallel case in England, but I am reminded that when, some nine years ago, Bud Taylor was matched with Rosenberg, who held the world’s bantam title at Chicago, Rosenberg refused to go on the scales, and Taylor, who made the weight, claimed the championship, and his clam was upheld by American boxing authorities. Inducement to Enter Ring. When Jimmy Wilde fought Pete Herman at the Albert Hall he was fighting for the bantam title, and not for the world’s title which Wilde held. Whether Jurich’s claim will be upheld by the Boxing Board of Control remains to be seen. I understand that a meeting of that body will be held in London to investigate the whole matter as soon as possible. The reason why Jurich consented to enter the ring at Paisley was, I gathered, because he was promised a substantial increase to the purse agreed upon, with the £250 which Lynch had to pay as forfeit. I should imagine that the American will be the richer by some thousand pounds. After the showing he made against an opponent over 61b. heavier than himself, and one who is acknowledged to be the finest flyweight Britain has produced since the incomparable Jimmy Wilde, Jurich should not want for employment, if, as at present arranged, he remains in this country. He has a pleasing style, is more than passably good looking, and has proved by his display that he has all the courage in the world. He lacks a telling punch, however, and I fear that against a rough-and-ready fighter he has not the strength to stand up against anything like the heavy artillery that was la”n'-he 1 u n on him by Lynch. What will be the future of Lynch it is hard to say. It must be taken for granted that he can no longer do the flyweight limit. I look forward with interest to what the Board of Control w ill decide. Th<

flyweight championship of Great Britain is vacant. Who will fight for the right to be acclaimed king? If I were sure that Peter Kane could do the weight I should plump for him I without hesitation, but I am afraid j that the Golborne youth will not be able to enter the ring at Sst. and be his normal hard-hitting self. A cable received since the above was written stated that the Board of Control had decided that Lynch must' forfeit 1200 and that the title had e been declared vacant.