BOXING.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15504, 10 January 1914, Page 11

BOXING.

SMITH-McGOORTY BATTLE. NERVES BEAT SMTH. Four times within a period of two minutes four seconds after the clanging of the gong set the bout going was "Dave" Smith (Australia's mid-heavy and heavyweight champion} knocked down by "Eddie" McGoorty (U.S.A.) in their battle for the world's middle-weight championship on New Year's night. The last I time Smith was knocked clean out. The I towel thrown in by a second saved him from the full count of 10s. But for all i that he was out. It was New York over ! again. A wonderful crowd, estimated to number 116,000, and to have paid £5000 at least for j admission, thronged the Stadium. For hours, writes the Sydney Daily Telegraph, they had been congregating, looking forward to a keen, hard contest —certainly looking forward to something more than j two minutes wherein one man was batI tered to pieces. i A preliminary, in which Gordon Coghill (" Dave" Smith's- sparring partner) knocked out Albert Pooley (one of McGoorty's part ners) was soon over. "Is it an omen?" asked many. A tumult of cheering announced that " Dave' - Smith had left his dressing-room. Through the wildly-applauding crowd he ! walked, alertly athletic. He looked the ! picture of health and vigour— little on j the fine side, perhaps. But that note was ; lost in a survey of the general make-up of i the man. " Dave" Smith as he entered j the ring was a confident, business-like j looking man. j A brief interval and another storm of I applause swept acro.»s the Stadium. McjGoorty, looking a bit of a sluggard, had I appeared. Smith glanced nervously in the 'direction. It was the first display of I nervousness. He was not now the Smith j who had jauntily swung himself through .the ropes seconds before. McGoorty had i beaten him in two punches in New York, land the watcher saw tliat Smith had not i shaken the memory clear. He was not j cowardly, not actually afraid. No man I afraid would have stood so grittily the | battering that he look within a couple of j minutes. But the impression that at once came to the mind was that McGoorty I would be Smith's master wherever they ! met. It is a point in the psychology of j boxinc that is well-nigh inexplicable. Soi minutes were" taken up with the I preset, ition of crayon enlargements of one another to the boxers. For some time I prior to this, however, probably I because of agitation—had been standing instead of sitting in his corner. " Are you ready?" said Arthur Scott. Smith nodded—McGoorty, too. Smith advanced to the ring centre to shake hands. McGoorty fiddled with his waist-band and kept his opponent waiting. Those few seconds told on Smith. Then i McGoorty slightly crouched, squared up. I "Box on," from the referee, and Mc- | Goorty started to advance slowly. Everybody expected Smith's left to shoot out to stay the progress of his opponent, that was not so quick as stealthy. But Dave simply retreated. Feebly, almost, he dabbed with his left; but the blow was short. Smith was now nearing the ropes in his own corner. 1 neir proximity seemed to hamper him. Quick as a flash McGoorty's right swung overarm. The blow did not land squarely ; it glanced off Smith's head and downwards to his chest. Smith apparently had been looking for one thing— left hook, that crunching blow that had laid him low in New York. The surprising move of McGoorty's, cleverly tactical as it was, threw him into a panic, and Smith's hands, flew up and then down. Crack—it, sounded as though a wedge had been hit smartly with a mallet— Goorty's left had found its mark. 'the contest had been in progress just 10 seconds, and here was Australia's champion beaten. The blow scattered his wits. He reeled to the ropes, but the in stinct to fight kept him on his feet, with hands smothering his face. Another devastating left whirled through the air, and Smith ducked it. A-lot of people breathed freely. " Dave is not so rattled after ail," they said. The thought could barely have passed when McGoorty's left had shot across again. This time it landed, and Smith went down. The count had gone to 4s when Smith, too fuddled to heed his seconds' cry to take his time, got to _m feet to go down again immediately for three seconds. Staggering, he rose again, and was battered with right and left across the ring. Two quick following blows sent him crashing to the floor. The shock of the fall appeared to make him sensible of his position, and this time he rested on one knee till nine had been called. But Smith was beaten. Gamely he propped himself—sat, in fact, on the middle strand of the ropes, and smothered his head against the battery of blows. The crowd hooted. It is a pathetic sight to see a gritty man punished. McGoorty looked appeahngly to the referee to stay him. Then he changed his tactics, and drove a right to the body. Smith came out from '' the ropes, and left and right to the head sent him down, mercifully, for the last time. There is only on© explanation of the contest, and that is that Smith from the moment McGoorty got in the ring saw before" him a vision of that other time when McGoorty beat him so signally. Then the left beat him, and it' was a left he was looking for last night. McGoorty with clever tactics, played a right. It took Smith by surprise, and completed hie mental discomfiture. The rest was a formal business. A\ x h^,L tW ,°' clock weihin McGoorty at list 41b had an advantage of only two ounces. J The sudden termination staggered the vast crowd. There were a few who hooted Smith, but many more cheered him sympathetically. ' r MATCH WITH CAR-PENTIER. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright. (Received January 9, 9.30 p.m.) London*, January 8. The attempts to-fix up a match between Bombardier Wells and Blake have fallen through. A purse of £2000 is being offered for a match between Carpentier and Blake. The Frenchman is willing to fight for the purse and £500 a-side. A match between Albert Scanlon (Queensland) and Corporal Anderson was declared a draw after 10 rounds had been fought. Lynx.