BOXING.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 1514, 9 November 1912, Page 9

BOXING.

HEAVY-WEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP. [by TELEGEAPH.— ASSOCIATION.] Chiustchttrcu, Friday. At His Majesty's Theatre B. Ireland (Waipawn) heat B. Lowe (Gisborne) for the professional heavy-weight boxing championship ! of New Zealand. 1 The fight went the full 15 rounds, and was an excellent contest, Ireland winning 011 points. NOTES AND COMMENTS. Ad. AVolgast got a surprise at the hands of one Fred Daniels, at Quincy, Illinois, the other day. Daniels put up a plucky showing, and the result was a draw. Over a long course, however, it is probable that Wolgast would still boat the best in ihc world. JTughie Mehegan, with his wonderful endurance, is probably tho man most likely to take the title from him if he gets tho chance. Following 011 the sudden defeats of Dave Smith and .lack Harrison by Eddie McGoorty, an English exchange points out that the fastest fighters in tho world, taking them as a' whole, are tho Philadelphians. In their city six rounds is tho full limit permitted for contests. They get so used to that "distance" that they begin with all speed on, just as a sprinter jumps off. They can keep a. paeo up for six rounds which would kill them before they got near twenty. On the other hand, the twenty-rounds men —as most English and Australian boxers aredo not get warm to their work until half a dozen rounds have gone. A striking example of this was given in the WellsMehcßan contest. Wells, because of his American short-bout experience, had acquired 6peed from tho start, while Mehegan, the twenty-round" man, took time to acquiro his stride. Wells . was all over Mehegan for the first six rounds; after that tho Australian held him level. McGoorty has had years of boxing sprinting; Harrison had absolutely none. Eddio McGoorty is to pay another visit to,. England, according to the London press. When last ho was there he had six contests, winning fivo and losing one, his conqueror being Tom Lancaster. The men ho defeated were: Petty-Officer Curran, Sgt. Suninc. Bart Connolly, Tom Lancaster, and Joe White. Mr. W. 0. J. Kelly, acting on behalf of Mr. Hugh D. Mcintosh, has signed up with Jeanctto, the negro boxer, to visit Australia. Tho contract is for five oontests, Jeanctto having been guaranteed a substantial sumHe has tho option of taking 25 per cent, of the gate, and will be allowed five roundtrip tickets for himself, his manager, and sparring partners. He will leavo San Francisco late in November. Jeanette out-pointed Jim Johnson in a -10round battle at Madison Square ono evening last week. The Christchuroh Sports Club is endeavouring to arrange a match between J. Hagertv, feather-weight champion of New Zealand, and. J. Hill, of Sydney, . who is , regarded by leading authorities as the legitimate champion of • Australia at tho weight. Should tho negotiations prove successful;- tho match will take place,at the Theatre Royal about the middle of December. , Hagerty, the South Island light-weight, continues to carry all before him. At Timaru last week he defeated Allan Maxwell on points in a 15-round contest. During his visit to Sydney, Mr. T- P. Burke, on behalf of tho Northern Boxing Association, endeavoured to secure the services of somo of the leading professionals in Australia. Ho found, however, that most of the "stars" had been booked-up by 11. D. Mcintosh. " Men who expressed themselves as willing to come to Auckland were "Young" Dibfey, Bst 101b; Jim .Hill, 9st 41b; "Dealer Wells," 9st,4lb; "Soldier" Garland, 9st 7lb; Bill Smith, 9stlolb; Sid Sullivan, 9st 51b; "Sailor" Duffy. 9st 51b; "Young" Hanley, lOst; Jim Barry, 9st 71b; Sol Jones, lOst 91b; and Jack Clark, lOst 91b'. Tho qualifications of each man will bo considered by the Northern Association's Committee at its next meeting. Tho Marlborough Express is rather concerned alxmt the proposal' of the Northern Boxing Association to bring several of the world's champion boxers to Auckland next year, and in a rather lengthy article says: —"It is to bo hoped that the Auckland Exhibition Commissioners will refuse to entertain the proposal which is to be mado to them by the Northern Boxing Association, namely, that a huge stadium should be erected in the Exhibition grounds in the Auckland Domain, and that a series of prize-' fights after the manner of tfioso which are held periodically in Sydney should bo instituted, the cervices of six or seven of ' the world's greatest fighters' being secured. We trust-that the Exhibition Commissioners in tlio Northern city will unanimously decido to leave this 'pug' business to 'private enterprise.' There is no harm in a wellconducted boxing contest, although it is true that these exhibitions are for tho most part voted 'deadly dull'by the onlookers so long as tho boxing is strictly 'scientific.' When, however, heated blood begins to J;oll and the 'go' becomes so ' willing' tha* 'science' gives place to rough-and-tumble ' plugging' tho cheering is vociferous, and the combatants are loudly encouraged or discouraged • by partisan cries of.either a complimentary or an abusive character, as the circumstances and the individual preferences and sympathies of the spectators may "O. But the .class of ' boxing'save the mark—which is characteristic of the bifj contests "in which . Burns and Johnson and other ' heroes' of the prize-ring have taken part, at tho Sydney stadium is of quite a different kind from the comparatively tame and tepid perfor-' mances of the ' Kaiwarra Chicken,' tho 'Buller Bull Pup,' and similar amateurs or semiprofessionals who take part in the average New Zealand boxing contests. The Sydney 1 ' fights' are really prize-fights, and although, for the first few rounds, 'science' may play some part, all pretence at ' science ' is soon thrown to the winds, and the combatants go in for- just as determined and brutal ' plugging' as did ever Tom Sayers, Jem Mace, or other 'bygone celebrities of the British prize-ring. As to tho effect upo;i that admittedly large section of the public which takes pleasure in swing two men batter each other's faces into sorry masses of pulp, or which takes equal plcasuro in discussing the ' kidney punch ' delivered by this champion or the ' slashing upper-cut' of the other, anyone who has happened to be in Sydney at the time on® of these prize-fights is on hand can testify to the all-round demoralising effect of such brutal and degrading exhibitions- This is a kind of 'sport' which Now Zealand can very well do without, especially -when the welfare of our young men is considered. With honest, healthy, manly pastimes of all kTnds. and with all branches of decently-conducted, legitimate snort we havo every sympathy. But the prize-fight is quite_ outside this category. It is simply a variant of the demoralising exhibitions of the Roman gladiators, and cannot fail to brutalise and demoralise - the minds of those who witness such spectacles. We hope, therefore, not only that the Auckland Exhibition Commissioners will promptly and emphatically 'turn down ' the proposal that a prizc-fiiht. stadium should be erected in the Exhibition grounds, but we would go further and suggest to the Government that it should take steps to prevent any _prize-fights, either for £1000 or £1.0 a ' go,' being held anywhere within tho Dominion, either in < Auckland or elsewhere, and whether on privatelv-owned ground or not. There is a precedent for stopping such disclisting spectacles, for the London Oountv Council stepped in, it may be remembered, and prevented a prize-fWht taking place between th« nes»ro pugilist. Johnson, and a certain Entrlish exponent of the 'noble ar f .' What the L.C.C. could do. the New Zealand Government, can, we think, also do. If the necess-<rv legislative power, however, does not, exist, it can "be obtained "evi session, in amnio time to prerent Auckland, and New Zealand, boin~ disgraced by a series of prize-fights ' for £10 AI ) each.' "