Truth BOXING—AND THE ASSOCIATION.

NZ Truth, Issue 60, 18 August 1906, Page 4

Truth

BOXING— AND THE ASSOCIATION.

Published Every Saturday morning at-Luke?s Lane (off Mannersstreet), Wellington, N.Z. SUBSCRIPTION (IN ADVANCE), 188, PER ANNUM.

SATURDAY, AUGUST 18, 1906,

In reporting last week's championships, held under the auspices of the New Zealand Boxing Association and the direct control of the Wellington Centre, "Truth" took occasion to animadvert on the rule promulgated by the Association, under which a man who is held by another man renders himself liable to disqualification if he strike that man while so held. The Conference, m making this rule, claimed that it was provided to prevent the "holding" that has become so prevalent m the game of late years, much to its detriment as a sport, and which some boxers have actually studied as a branch of the art. Indeed, one or two— notable Tim Hegarty, the 9st 3ft crack of Australia— have made it a big factor towards their success, using it to wear down their opponents. The holder can be disqualified, too, if he persist, which is comforting ; but that is little' satisfaction to a man who, having both hands free, should be allowed to seize the opportunity of getting m punishment on the offender. There is another unique rule of the Association's own manufacture that prevents "a second or other oerson" from claiming a foul on behalf of a principal. The boxer must claim it himself, presumably even, if by the foul , he ' may be ' ' dead to the world ." This is patently a silly rule and was probably enacted to preserve order at the corners, where some seconds— or snore often "thirds" or * 'fourths"— have sometimes made, pests of themselves 'by their clamant cries ot "foul." But that could have been obviated by a rule that there must be a second who is recognised as m charge, land he alone, besides his principal, should have a right to claim.

'At the time of last week's carnival the opportunity of the presence of the delegates from other centres was takeWto hold a meeting with a view to further revision of the rules. ■It was also resolved to recommend the Council to approach the Government and request that it be made illegal for any boxing competitions to be held m any province without the consent of the local centre. The object of this is to prevent those fakes, for which, every true sport must feel abhorrence, and which at one time were wont to be put up between two tough citizens —usually pals and partners— who would travel the colony on the game; one going to, say, Auckland, there getting the ear of the press and issuing a challenge to all and sundry, iwith & saving clause "Bloggs preferred " which Bloggs would immediately accept with snorts of defiance and much uncalled for heat, and he would

shortly arrive O ft the battlefield. Both would hark and snort and by and bye would come to terms for a match "suitable to both" sides" (vide local papers). They would meet before a crowd of gulls and box a shameful schleinter— unless-, by the grace of the gods, one put a cross on the other, when, the public would see something for their money ! It is desirable that this sort of robbery and the gang of toughs and crooks it induces to come and to remain m the colony should be suppressed, and the Association may be fairly trusted to see to it that it does not become unnecessarily monopolistic and overbearing, if it gets the power sought for vested m it.

The conference w.ent further and passed two more home-made rules that have less to recommend them and which, it is to be hoped, the Council of the Association will refuse to confirm ; though, as most of the Council were at the meeting, this seems to be hoping against hope, unless the members reconsider the proposals and look at more than one side, as they seem not to have done so far, though acting with the best intentions. The first of these proposals is that m future competitions ther contestants shall box 6 two-minute rounds instead of 3 three-minute rounds. This is, of course, completely abrogating the Marquis of Queensberry rules, that have so long and so wisely governed amateur boxing contests. It is sug[gested—or rather was passed the other night— as an additional means of obviating brutality. On the face of iit this is an untenable view ; for a man who knows he has only to "stay" two instead of three minutes at a time will be absolutely certain to set a faster p^,oe and try to stop his opponent at the earliest possible moment. There is certain to be less sparring and . more slogging if this rule becomes law. Besides which— and this is a. very real danger— the men will be less likely to trouble to get into the thorough condition for short rounds than is absolutely necessary to going the pace for three minutes on end. It should be almost needless to remark that this means greatly increased exhaustion and infinitely more danger of physical injury to the unfit candidate. Moreover, our New Zealand representatives, accustomed to two-minutes .rounds will be placed at a tremehdou|^i.sadViUitage wJ'tn they travel to lands where the rules have not been so light-'T.ciirledly turned topsy-turvy. An argument that also applies to the rule that bars a held man from hitting.

The other proposal is open to even stronger objection. It provides that competitors will be required to weigh only* on the first night of a gathering and not on both as has been the custom. Now this is simply absurd, as anyone versed m athletics could say. : Almost any healthy athlete, finedrawn to make a given weight at a given moment, will immediately thereafter commence to climb back to his normal poundage at a rate that would astound, these amateur lawgivers. Let them be told that for a hearty man of lOst Bib, "walking about," to get down to 10 stone and to put on the > Bft s again m a day thereafter nothing to surprise those who have known it to be done. George Dawson, "Gentleman George" of Sjdney, a very hard man, too, and one who never drank or overfed, would take off 7fts to fight at 10 stone and be back at 10.7, after a hard fight, too, next day at noon. Take, then, a "natural" 9 stoner ; a lad who has not to waste to box thereat. He meets a man of his own stamp and ge,ts into the semi-finals, while a big fellow of 9.7, wasted to 9 stone, meets a mug and does likewise By the next night the natural man will be called upon to give the other 6 or 7fts, and that, at those weights, is a tremendous handicap. The rule applies all round and should never be carried out. Xet men stick to their class and not waste to get m among weaker men M"^**}"" to, it is their own look out if they suffer.

The fact that practically the whole brains of the Ministry patronised last weeks gathering and found the sport interesting and amusing, is matter for satisfaction to the Association and the broad-minded public. Several members of the Cabinet expressed the pleasure and gratification they felt that the grand old sport could ba ami Was carried out m such a business-like and decorous mariner. One other thing the Hon. Mr Millar and others, who were opnosed to t\\e idea when first promulgated by ; the Wellington Centre, now admitted, was the advisability of bringing , over Australian crack boxers of good repute to educate by example the local aspirants to fistic fame. They the necessity for such demonstrations* of how to do it. if New Zealand amateurs are to take a place m the forefront as exponents of the .sport.

Before dismissing the subject, the opportunity may be taken to refer to an absurd, old-womanish tirade that appeared m the • 'Daily Telegraph," published at Napier. After abusing the ■ sport and all. , connected with it like some elderly spinster of acidulated nature, the outcome of stagnant virginity, the paper comes to the kernel of its woe. This is that its real objection to the recent gathering is that the Press Association was "utilised as a means of 'booming' these exhibitions which, when not prearranged for the downfall of 'mugs' and when, consequently, the principals for some reason or another are m earnest, are brutal displays of the old. prize ring type. We do not think it is the duty of the Press Association to wire away, to the newspapers of the colony ac,counts of such contests." There now ! There is a nasty hard smack for all you top-notch people and ordinary citizens, to the number of several thousands, who patronised the boxing show ! Now will you be good ? But the strange part of it is that one of the proprietors of the paper that thus speaks, editorially, so disrespectfully of the Press Association and its work, is actually a director of the Association. Only the bare results of the contests are sent and it may be wondered what would be thought, by his directors, of their ! renrpsentative m the capita}, if lie I Tailed to wire to all (the subscribers; 'to the Association, a* report of an

affair that stirred the puise oi xim city as did this boxing carnival ; and which was attended by practically the Government of the country, all the leading citizens of Wellington,! as well as scores from other cities who journeyed special!^ to do so ?