BOXING.

NZ Truth, Issue 60, 18 August 1906, Page 3

BOXING.

VISIT OF MIKE WILLIAMS.

The South African Champion.

Mike Williams, 'Africa's heavyweight champion, is now m Australia/ looking for big game. He came out on board the White Star liner, Afric, which arrived this week, and he has an ambitious programme m gund. Mike, who is fairly well known m Perth, "is a brother of Bill Williams, now lighting m America. In his recent visit to Perth, when he twice ■beat Bill Doherty .> he gained many friends, who will be interested m watchin- his movements. An old artillery man, he had a good introduction /to the Noble Art m the barrack-room, and three years ago be came before the public at Johannesburg m a fight with Sid Hughes, a Hussar, from whom he wrenched the championship of the British Army,This was at the close of the Boer War, through which Williams saw service. Soon he drifted into tbo Police Force, and made a mark by his tact m preserving the peace of Jci^anesberf. But he pined for the excitement of the ring, and after a few- n>hts he left the Police Force, from which, owins: to the esteem m which, he was held, he had to buy himself out. • :•:

Mike fights at about I2st Blb, and at hurricane. speed. His chief virtues are; bis wonderful endurance of and indifference to, punishment, his swift revivals from stunning blows, . and his .rapid* terrible tooth-handed punches.,

"My best fight," said Mike to a special representative of this paper,' "was with Jack Palmer, champion of England, Mv last of any consequence was with Tim Murphy. /I beat Jack Palmer m eight rounds, but it was he who broke my nose."

"What do you expect to do m Australia?"

"Well. I recently visited England and Ireland to see •my mother m Galwav and to get some fighting, and Trhile there I received a cablegram from. Jack Wren, of Melbourne, offering me a fieht with Squires for £700 and £100 expenses, and, of course, the Championship of Australia. I wired accepting, and, curtailing ihy visit, sailed on June 7. On reachinc Cape Town, however, I was astonished to ret another cablegram, saying I was not wanted. 1 I had very little time m which to decide what to do. and I determined to come on, having already curtailed my visit in' England, and paid my passage through. I am taking a 30,000-mile trip, as a sport, and I am sure that, under the circumstances. Jack Wren will treat me as a gentleman, and that the Melbourne sporting public will give me a welcome." .

"What do you suppose may/ be done?"

"Well, I was told at Cape Town that Jack O'Brien, Champion of the World, was going 'to .fight Squires. Now, although I do not think this can be true, as Jack is already malvincr 600 ox 600 dollars a week m America at his profession as s. sparring partner on the stage, ; yet if..', it tie the case,' I afia" willing to fight the winner " ■ ' • " ."■"■

"You suggest there should be two fightS?" ;; .

"I suggest three. I understand that- Marvin* Hart, a world aspirant from America, is also m Melbourne, and if two pairs were arranged the winners could 'meet for- the final. I am really open to have the first fight with Bill Squires,, but if not, I am willing to ficht the winner. . I had. while m England an invitation to come over and fi^ht O'Brien m America, and. l intend to do so after fighting; Sauires."

"What do you.think of your chances with each of the. three men you have named ?"

"I think I have a good .chance with anything breathing."

. "Sauires, for instance ?" f."Well. m his fight with Tim Murphy—six weeks after I had given Tim A , bad punishment, from which he could not have fuliv recovered m the time— l don't think Snuires was too clever. If Murphy had had a proper three month's rest,' I think he might have beaten Sauires. He deserves great credit for his uluck m standing up. so soon after mv beating, against such a big burly fellow as I understand Sauires to be. to whom ho was givine away 161 bor 1811). A man is naturally inclined to lose heart and shrink back from his opponent if he fights before fully recovering from a previous beatinf. and it therefore reflects no credit on Squires to have won, especially as Squires is a world-fighter."

■ "You have both fought Cripps?" "Yes. And Squire-, has pointed out that I fought 20 rounds before gaining a decision. But Squires must remember that it ' was only my third fight, and that Cripps was one of the cleverest .middle-weights that ever visitted Africa. I was practically, an amateur, and a very poor, local am?.teur at that. Squires, on the contrary, was already a champion when he fought Cripps, and much heavier. If Squires had fought Cripps under the same disadvantages as I fought him, I believe Cripps would, have won. Then, m my fight, the referee did not understand the rules of boxing, and when Cripps, after striking me, fell down and ciinohed me round the legs (as he frequently did), the referee said to me, 'You must not hit when you are clinched !' But I was not clinched. It takes two men to make a clinch, and both my hands were free. But Cripps was holding nic f ibiind the legs. However, I was bound to obey the referee's orders. Then I was further handicapped by my seconds pouring tincture of iron into my eye." ,

"By 'accident ?". "Yes. There was a cut over my eye.v and they were trying to stop the bleeding. Otherwise, I am sure I should have beaten Cfipps m seven rounds, as Squires did." "What of your, chance with O'Brien ?"

"O'Brien is lighter than I, "but cleverer ami more' experienced. Yet I think, as I said before, that I have a' Rood chance with anything breathinjt. I expect to be ready to fight about six weeks after I reach Melbouirne.."-

Mike's parting remark was: "Remember me to the boys, and tell 'em not to forget to have a sovereign on me when the time comes, for I am m splendid condition, and am out for the gaimce. "-Perth "Toruth."-