LANG v. LESTER

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 7447, 23 May 1911, Page 1

LANG v. LESTER

EXCITING BOXING CONTEST HOW THE AMERICAN WAS BEATEN. Tho big match at the Sydney Stadium for. th© championship of Australia resulted, as the cable told us, in a victory for Australia’s representative, Bill Lang, defeating Jack , Lester in the sixth round. Th© loser, from whom much was expected, proved that, although not a scientific boxer, he had all the essentials of a great fighter—strong combative instinct, fine endurance, pluck of a high order, and plenty of physical - power, , but the required standard of skill and judgment have yot to be developed. . Tho advantages wero all with Lang for he weighed 13st 101 b to his opponent’s I2st while ho measured bit Oijin as against tho American’s sft 9in, His physical advantages, combined with a greater knowledge of ring craft and considerable superiority in science, proved too great a handicap in his favour and under tho circumstances Lester’s defeat was far from surprising. The men were matched in London by Mr H, D. Mclntosh, Lang coming all the way from England and Lester, from America to most in the Sydney Stadium. And what a sight tho big amphitheatre pu*-sentocl, paen-eq trom top to Puttoin with a solid mass of spectators who had ■ cheeTiuLy paid high rates for their seats to see tho meeting of Australia’s champion with Tommy Burns's much boomed lighter. Both boxers accepted 'Snowy” Baker, Sydney’s well-known physical culture. teacher, as referee. In Lang s corner w’ero Mick Dunn, trainer, Harry Nathan, and 8.11 Turnei. Lester was looked attot by Le& O’Donuell, trainer; O’Oonnor, iveliy Mansfield, and VVoarne* tho American who is to fight Jack U’Neill shortly. LESTEK’S EORoEFUL TACTICS. . Frpm tho Sydney "Referee’s” account of tio battlo it must have been as strenuous as oven tho most ardent ring lover could have desired. From the very outant Lester -kept boring .in with th© utmost gameness, and, although many wild blows j wore expended on the atmosphere, others j landed —notabuy leit..and right swingS'to •the body, a good' number of which were placed through th© agency of a clever “shift”: that had: Lang thinking many a time. L . Lang never lest track of things for- a moment. : He remained cool as could b© when tho heat was greatest, ana jabbed thas- left of his. homo as opportunity ofr • fered, and brought right or . left to th© jaw, < tho former finely crossed here and there. . ' Occasions were not few < when the Australian tooled tho American’s lead, and sent in'a-heavy right; but such a man bl iron is Lester, that ho would shake the effect off on the instant almost, and tear in to give or take some more. : 'Bill Lang led several nervous-looking bfts in th© opening round. He was prob. ably trying to feel his i man. Then a few harmless • exchanges ’ followed, beforo Lester fairly started his rushing, driving a left to tho stomach. Lang stabbed his sinister weapon to the body and Lester swans to that elbow of Lang’s which, fruarflod tbo ribs even ns a plate of iren, Lang’s subsequent right swing to th© head was tho best punch of all to thi© stage. • , i Tho second saw Lester forcing and the other man every bit as willing. D.ows were hammered in with a will and a weight. Once Lang’s fiercely swung right brought up just behind Letter’s ear with foroo ■ enough to annihilate an ordinary man. Jack clinched and recovered so quickly that he landed , his nght on Lang’s jaw. crowding him to the ropes. In th© third round Lang had all th© best of-matters and, baulking cleverly, shot in ono to Lester’s jaw and Lo&ter went .down to the count of nine, but, on rushed in agrin only t<>bomct with a right swing to the* eye. In tho fourth round Lester used his head suspiciously and was cautioned, after which Lang’s eye began to bleed freely as the remit of a bump. In the next round Langs first good blow was a right inside swing to the , jaw, but soon h© caught a left to the | stomach which sent him stepping pack- j wards in the air almost to half tpip to ; the boards, where he heard “Three be- ; fotc rising to get. to it as Willingly v .as ever, Tho crowd were very good to the , American, who was urged and eucourng- * ed frequently; but his opponent had the . points of every, round after, the first, j though when hostilities ‘ceased one appeared to possess as good a chance of success as th© other. A SENSATIONAL. ENDING. Unfortunately the battle, _ which had been determinedly ; and torridly waged, and fairly bristled with most exciting occurrences, came town-abrupt-termina-tion in the sixth round- Lester swung a heavy right from well back, -as he had done many times previously, to his opponent’s body, but the protecting .loft elbow was there again, and tho American’s arm hit that big bony’ fend with - a crash. Immediately Lester reeled away, loaning' to tlie side-from which ’tho apparently” maimed weapon hung limp. ..Lester was then walking to mid-ring, his back to the enemv. Suddenly the crowd roared. - ; "Look out, Jack!” Lester turned, and I seeing Lang bearing down upon him; menacingly, resnonded to-an impulse and sank to one knee—the only way to elude the threatened trouble that suggested itself to his mind, untutored in tho. comnlete code of th© ring. "One, rivo”—up to four the. count could be heard. Thon Bsferce. Baker walked over, and. declaring Lester disqualified for dropping to the boards without receiving a blow, proclaimed Lang tho win-; ner. Going down without being ©truck is an offence against the Queonsberry rules for 1 which no excuse can be accepted, and no , leniency is allowed. . ! . “TVe are permitted to do thatiu America,” protested Jack Lester. "I would sooner have died than lose my j ch nnco of winning that way.” I But it was no good—he erred, however i unwittingly, and had to suffer the punish-j ment. i Subsequently Dr McDonough examined \ Lester’s arm in his dressing-room, and stated that on unusually severe jar Imd sent the circumflex-nerve* up nf*ar -the ehouldor, against the bone. "The poor fellow must have been in terrible pain,” remarked the doctor.. AN EXPERT’S'OPINION. ‘Writing his impressions of the‘contest Mr, W. W. Naughton, the great authority on ring matters, had the following:—"Tho fight itself showed that Lester has several of the-qualities essential to a successful pugilistic career, ■ ll© has pluck, and he can stand a hard punch. ‘'The degree of punching force he possesses cannot be determined until he learns to strike out nt the’ proper instant. In

this respect he might well take a leaf out of Lang’s book. Lang, who appreciates the value of timing, catches his opponent while tho latter is stepping in or rushing, and thus gives power .to his attack- . . ! Tho best punch of ' the bout, in my opinion, was a heart blow delivered ;by La.n.g in the second round. Lester fairly bumped info it. “Now, as to tbo statue of affairs when Lester drove the tender muscles of his arm against Lang’s elbow in the, second round. .From my, viewpoint, it : looked like anybody’s fight. Lang certainly was not improving as the rounds went on. He floored Lester with a right cross in the third.' but after that ' the same' punch, though frequently delivered, was devoid of sting. ' ~, . “Lester, while as rnahful as ever, was operating with a sameness which made him easier to avoid, and both men wore slowed down to some extent, owing to the pace. .Whichever way I look- at it, it seemed an even thing, and it is to be hoped they Avilh get together again some day.”-