THE RING.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 838, 23 March 1888, Page 13

THE RING.

The old story that the Smith-Kiirain fight wps a put up job is being revived. It in said that Mitchell aud Pony Moore had 100® dols. on Smith, and that Fox’s bet of lOOQ dols. on Kilrain was only a blind. Moore and Mitchell, however, deny this. Matthews will strip at 12at 31b for hie fight with Laing on the 29th inst. Dempsey has been backed against McCaffrey, who is a stone or two heavier than: ‘ The Nonpariel.’ A big fight is expected. Joe MoAnliffe, the new champion of the: Pacifio Slope, is 23 years of age, and weighs 2101bs in fighting humor. He has won all his battles, Costello and Dick Matthews, having been among his victims. The Sportsman considers it likely that Slavin and Jackson will meet in about twelve: weeks from the middle of April.

Martin Costello made a second effort to knock Seale, the amateur, out in six rounds; early this month, but was nuable to do it„ He is to box Buck, the English amateur, shortly. Peter Boland and Pat Carroll have signed articles to fight for" the light-weight c'narapionship of Australia in about a month. The stakes are £2OO a-side. Boland is now showing splendid form, and recently, by dint of science and cunning, managed to baffle Keegan, the middle-weight, who undertook to knock him out in six rounds.

Speaking of the Smith-Kilrain fight, Joe Coburn, one of America’s greatest pngilists, said :— * From personal knowledge I was well aware that a “standoff” is the very best an American fighter can get when doing battle on the other side for the championship. However fair or unfair the English may be in other sports, the followers of prize-fight-ing in England will not allow any foreigners to carry away the championship «of England. I am not much surprised at Kilrain’s “ besting” Smith. He has a longer reach, is taller, heavier, and has youth /on his side. Of course nothing is sure in a fight until it is over, but I think Kilrain would have won if it had been finished. .Will Kilrain be able to whip Sullivan ? . No; Sullivan can whip them all.’ ,

In a letter to a friend in Boston, Edward Holske gives some interesting bits of information regarding Sullivan’s tour through England, which have not been covered in the regular despatches. Holske says: ‘John has fairly donned his war paint, and he proposes to make some of the fighters put up their hands and show what they are made of. His tour terminates on 10th January at Portsmouth, when he goes into strict training for the fight with Mitchell. He will be looked after by Jack Ashton, Sam Blaklock, and Sam Barnett at some seashore resort. This wipes out a flattering offer for a tour to the Continent to show in Paris, Vienna, Berlin and Amsterdam. Two prominent sports have commissioned me to place on John £SOO each. They also authorise me to do the same in case we get on a match with Smith. That is just what the champion is after. He wants to fight Mitchell, and two weeks after to go at Smith in his old style. His ‘ go ’ at Smith will be the best one here, after which he contemplates making a tour of America and will then retire. I must admit that'Sullivan is one of the smartest prize-fighters I ever met, and he never talks without thinking matters over. Last week he watched Smith spar Greenfield, and weighed up every move. In a conversation with Phillips and myself he declared that he could whip Smith beyond a doubt, and wanted to fight him if such a thing were possible. The Prince of Wales highly complimented John by telling Harry Phillips that Sullivan was the cleverest and quickest big man ho ever saw.’

On Saturday next P. Slavin meets F. Sohwass in a boxing contest, at Masterton, with 2oz gloves. Slavin undertakes to knock Schwasa out of time in four rounds or forfeit £2O.

(FROM OUR MASTERTON CORRESPONDENT.) There was a boxing match at the Theatre on Saturday night between Schwass, of Carterton, better known as Swashie, and Smith, said to be from Sydney. Ordinary boxing gloves,; were used. The former was declared the will'

tier. There was a good attendance. Schwnss has accepted a challenge from Slavin to stand up before him for four rounds on Saturday next.

(FROM OUR WANGANUI CORRESPONDENT.) We have been visited by the great Slavin, have seen him, and have been duly impressed with his science. There is a feeling locally, however, that if Ijaing and he do meet, and mean business, the Australian will have to lower his colors. There is some doubt, howover, as to whether a meeting will be so easily arranged as at one time appeared probable. The Borough Council have decided not to allow glove fight 3 in the licensed public buildings, and of several outside places mentioned most are said to be unobtainable. The “ knock out ” between Slavin and Richardson was a farce all through, though as an exhibtion of boxing it was worth seeing.

[By Telegraph.] The Jockey Club have given permission for the use of the racecourse for the LaingSlavin matoh, so that it will be fought in daylight.