AT THE SYDENY STADIUM.

NZ Truth, Issue 437, 8 November 1913, Page 3

AT THE SYDENY STADIUM.

Strenuous, Exciting Contest. Dave Smith Outpoints Pat Bradley. .-.' . , : . - . . The' Mew Z^jaiander's Remarkable Skill and' the Irishman's Indomitable Bravery. • ' jinßtafßorxer-Major.")

It^;ma^c.have been possible to crowd -anoi|ier ten «»r. a dozen people into. Ite. Stadium on' the night of the Smith-Bradley fight, but this depon©_nrt could nol se*;' where. The terraces were'*'a seiaes of rwi.of pink faoes ■ end on the fiat thors was not a vaicalnt inch- of space. Everybody- Who' was anybody was there and many of the watching, throng had come front -othei (mates and even from New Zealand. Jt was a crowd cateu*uced to warm the hearts "of the ' competitors and made Snowy Baker look upon a tup-penny-ha*penny ovexrinu.V 'as a merry jolf e. The people flowed, m from soon atftcr six o'clock f r»*m every avenue . that leads towards the now. worldfamous Bay. Every .preparation had been' made to cope with a big- attendance; there isn&ver. any ■neglect m IMb dfreetian and the inflow, is nsualty^as. orderly as the . stead^".' ..', stream that . -.. fiMs a •ehihreh without harry r?-or-'dteinrbanoe. •;: A line slv«*'-^ah4? a perfectly' 'well-behaved' tsmt^t< • '' • ;Tbj_r< Occftsrton was one- o<i undone in-.-terest Dave "* «3tnith,' the mid-heavy weight champion* , is one of the best men who- ewer- wore -^dov^s, while Pat Bradley is qt^^'tfofcairtSc figure m fistianarf a "nttt^tjtn . build -with an extraordinary PjW&r m. bis blows. Since •h*T cnmcPoown here from his t^ppoGasT^ooni'e m. California, he- has 1 Jfcten • .^ery man who has been opAd to him. Smith had practically aaroe. though he had once to to 'tbo German- American, Pstpke, sick mtcn who only went' into Hie ring to keep faith' with tbe-pnblic. Kle w^s' beaten, m America by EddY rMcGoorty and a^flukeof flukes. Naturally, "theretore, the interest m Saturdky",n*gbt,s fight wa_s-»«xtea_ord_mary. There, must haw* been* at least 14/OOfr people m the place, and fully 6060 failed to gain admissioa. The tram, service was. quite Inadequate, and' thotmoad^.pX which I vas.a tmit^ had. to walk U»«wJ»oio w*y^^twi_a,'wttfh>i every cab a_nd motor- car |a was lii' commlssiiWu -^ • ■""' '■■•'. ' -" As' moat -people^ -a»n^!i#^»ft»ehsa_(d,Bradley had-«__wfchrtfcrjr TO^Saßteeasrtth Smith. Hs fooght wttb, tremendous vigor and foolish berimes, but he scarcely landed an effective blow. Hewas a_haa_)B dsngproria and sesseral. times gmtth had * vwar narrow eecape -from , -ona .-of fwtnging r%tti\lops. But Xtaasafe -wonderful foot and bead '^ar-k tosjit hto-o«t vt vm! danger wbile hte -gnaxdlug w^nosmetMng* h_tn mf__>A ____L _X*___aCm_-\ being better tbameswrr'lJecCoßs. Ha. Punished JBradtey wecfM teS& A) Hat could "not drop him. la* «_tona fenock , hlnv out A^a^eutSr^o cut Pssirs*. left, eyebvoW -with a right bandar, a_qdqong befo)SisV4be'>end tfaat^ego^ww srhsohrtety . closeg.and Me face w*a-a *ot eat ot. plumb, and be shed t_b_> jp_*y copt-« <**sty%from. noso-and. oaocth. . It became jgaJafjal -to- -#a*<^wtHog«yc a mtfn being-at>-iaiiiii_iisty"poufatwd,-and-he rn^ght well ba*»~eedesef& thetoaaei' m aAer th* t__B_Kb^HmmL It was-mis-takettibrascerj, and tho wonder, waa> thsct idte teataor am* principal, twwnsWl^ Jimmy HnemlL dfrLnot-efry tho -dhtps^j after atxr of thivlast *»or 4 *«ou__i.d_i From, tot to last the «b__b» >oan«.i Ichdsnan waa- outclassed 4cnd_; osdy punobfav ha* for Ba_lo. YetV would pecsist, smeb^seesned toy nswrloee -hope of landiaara- JasodkHcoitt wiA-1 lop. Smith was nearer m twwbie^and: ivE^wer tiho'loßSt bit ygmx—tA -or auiUuos^J In close ww*^ where TVadtoy 'wa_s..isjc» 1 pected to Ivtem sm em*, shetw, Smitb-J shone 'even better than at lewr'-Mwagec.' He foM^xt tbreogtmot with niro 3oOg- ' meat and skill •*__& a. oootoanwtiat wsjj , renmrkable. Nenkr has be. ehosm to»i such ; advantage, except In t_fte " v anet| thing. His Uovnrwcosß tE_t»-or-tl__^«oio- j wincing sort, afibott tbecy soszlced Fat, Itadly. 7! That ,to not to say 'that tiiayJ would -not have (tone-so- to-almost anyother man ; for on tbe pasnte^of txsasb--ness * and swe-sTootedaeas Bradtey-

Ijeaus even-, tho late Jinr< Burgc. It looked impossible that he- could survive as he did, aye, and fought to thexcry last moment. Smith was. a tf to 1 favorite, -but very ; few people" wanted to r.aclc Bradley and there probably were not .twenty soys. put on him. Contrary to some people's expectations, there was very little difference m the weights, Smith being 11.6% and'Biadley rLVk, so that Smith can easily make tbe new mid-dle-weight limit, 11.6, m which case 'he should become champion of^ the world, for nobody takes much notice of McGoorty's defeat of Dave. He^ couidn't catch Smith that way-again-iii a dozen tries. y A": FINK APPETISER. The-appetite of the huge crowd wa-s whetted oy a really exciting periiminary of fifteen two-mmuie rounds between Soldier Garland and Fritv. T-hiering. "When, At the end of the 15th, referee Mick .Dunn patted Garland's head as the winner, be did just the right thing. Garland well deserv--ed his success, for » he . had taken on a man who has thrown a scare into all.the welters and ltatl quite recently done great things m the K.O. line; and had beaten him by sheer -skill and patience. Both men were loudly cheered as they left the ring. •-. .- ■ 7 ' THE COMINGOF THE CRACKS Haxdl^ had the pr^imipary pair, threaded- their' way. , through the throngs that filled even the alleyways, <»n their way to the dressing rooms, than a mighty roar of cheers "greeted Pave Smith as, led by the smiling Wally Weekes; the. ma.n who put Dave m the, game as an and has been behind him m all his fights hera he wormed his way stage wards. Trainer Stanley, ' Snowy Smiles and Tom Townsend were .the -champion's othei attendants. Smith had hardly reached the S.E. corner and waved his acIcnowledgements, before another" tre--mendous sh«\ut tly appearance oT Bradley. Pat was «qaired by Jimmy Russell (bis trainer), Cousin Joe Atcheson, I«es O*Donnell and t.harlie Dun, the Watson Bay letter -carrier, who has been his- pal ever' aihec the young Irishman > came here and "went •to live with Dunn's folk at "Watson's." Both men showed splendid condition : and- must have* carried it -too, or they'd never have been abi» to stand the tre-. -mendons strain of those strenuous rounds of fierce endeavor, and, •In the case of popular Pat, of dire stress and ' bitter, -punishmentr A The Irish lad bad his usual rnddyycolor and calm facial • aspect and, looked ■ fit 10 ngbt for. the crown ;of -Brian Boru. ; Smith's back . and indeed the whole, of , his columnar ,forni. were, a. dream ot muscular manhood. His face— owing 'to tbe removal of bis. store t&tts when 4te fights— -woe©. Its usual look of winrtry sadness and throughout thoee fast rounds it never alterod bmring the* hair- ©ettingr-teuzled and a frequent .look of boredom as he stood stratnin»j .against Eats puoixixig and' calmly re-t those dangerous azxns^ _Smt^s oooineas was the subject «C anucb comment Nothing flucded Mo* sor.' upset his plans; not even \'a gteae, ■xisttt he well knew .had. only to, y«k *Husb on -tovthie point it.'gtasedl did. ay zoogfcly, oyrltt with, a. thnd bdgh up -e___< tb» skuU. These^ occashwia were rsr^, bussewet. and the head was gehenDr sneeptog arway when It did bajtpea*. and »Bo.ni__niu>h.lng. tbe impact Bradley lest no time when they wane told by referee Arthur Soott to "boec aon." He- tried a left book at the bod3fc, tjet Smith was away and promptlyback with two~bea*y- rights' Uwtbe <_%_, -Bradley was not easy to hit, aa.,t_n Addled round bent well over to' Uaai ri^it wttb his strong left poisadt far*ws .swing to the jaw and trembit-ig H£__a -» hound ht'the leash, from the rigUDty *of 113 -attitude. When h* thought EttC ?was Just about ready, to hit, Dtcwsj tab>-a gentle- embrace an_t, t<Atdm the sUuggPng axma, After the^ •second of tbofle «ir4lcww»-a- tpacueudmus «oax went m> an- Bradley was» <9een ta Jrarl tbe left -fax the break, ft nss aj •stlft paneti. said hmded » tlw jacat* •Smith bad not expeetediaoy bitting mi rtbft beeak. and-tnte- pasnch riled hbn iafj boocbseenxexK^. and be stopped any flol-i bnsinesa by drtvlng tbe h_ft; \ -into Pstfs face- '«_peortodly, aendmg-'bte -ibead bade with a nasty Jar-awL cso_h - *hajr him to stand and blialc tbe water l '■oat of lmveyea, andsnin He got go- ■ ing again' and reached the ear with a> ! ttg_ht that -looked good ta ;, the crowd and made them roar Uk**. ' m flood time. ■ Smith's re-, spacese. was Omee more pe_aß_>ot jabe t» 'the dial, Bradley standing atratghuma, 1 trytar^tn «ot arsasing^on tn retvuen. Ha, : dH. get tho neck, with *oe pretty hardleft swing just as the^ goog- rwng. The.first rocmd was, as well as the others succeeding it— SsdOtTß. D&vefn footwork and.goasd were so, .aptondld tn tSo fltact quarter of th*. neoond that Bradley lowered. hla beadJ

to try and get m and land, one from the 'bent and butt-in attitude he showed so much of when fighting Audouy tbe second time. He swung a tremendous wallop, but- Dave back -moved it, and smiled sadly as he jabbed the nose and smashed a right to the ear; a terribly hard punch. Dashmg m, Bradley swung madlj-, but short, and Dave glided m aac*. cfajTOe<l that deadly lefL arm; but -while Smith was attending to it, Bradley brought the right over to the ear pretty 1 hard, and the house roared its lierce excitement. It was I evident that most of the gi^at thrcng thought that Bradley had only to hit Smith once to /win outright; and they deemed that every blow was the one.' T"wo left drives, with all the spring ot the lithe body and the weight of the muscular shoulder, and a right that followed like lightning, drew the ruby from Pat's mouth and nose. Smith was as cool as a corpse, and proceeded to jab the face off Pat, who fairly rocked on his feet; but always came m and m relentlessly. Fat went m with tremendous swings at the ever-rawing head, to open the third; but could never 'land a blow, though one left annihilator, got as: close as to ;?ra*e the .very point as the champion threw his nead back. The gasp of the crowd at the nearness of j disaster roused the slumbering: devil in -1 Dave, and' be jabbed rhe nose with stinging force, and then pVoceoded to j deal out tremendous punishment with both hands, till Pa^ reeled imder it till he got fresh . footing,' and then he swung desperately . at the jaws; bur Smith; was away, and, propping suddenly, he hurled a right that look the cheek instead of the point, aa.it was meant to. The 'same hand banged to the body, and four times the left plumped on to the nostV. but Pat cot 'he right across to '.lie ear pretty hard. As he always does, Dave made the re-? ceipt of- a blow the excuse for a volley. l»ul Pat straddled m, trying off-chance swings; .Day-« was Vi. olcver, ' however, blocking -the left oeai.tifutly. and back-moving th-> right. Bradley again came at his man m the fourth, as if he thought the job dead easy, and meant to get through with it quick and lively; but Dave's straight left was still doing business at the old stand, and he timed a right - to the jaw, and lauded with great force; the house fairly gasping, and then expressing amazement at Bradley's extraordinary hardness. Any other man would have .mne down and out to such a blow, and yet Pat took dozens such with no slgo of suffering, and nothing more than a reeling stagger. He .did this now, wiped his glove across his crimson nose and mouth, and swung, killing, left and right; but Dave was away out of reach, and as Pat plunged iv, head down, he , timed him perfectly with a 'terrible uppercut to the face; and this he repeated m almost every succeeding round. THis•exact judgment as to the very spot -to chfeck his retreat.7 £nd slam the

right up into- the in-plnrornuc faoe wits admhrable— from tbe p«int of view ot his friends. The move was repealed m a few second*, and iVadley got dosperate iUJd went after Smith wtth a. do-or-dle cxpeeAston. For the first and only time Ik. forced Dave to smother, and for a couple of second*, rarvny people thought he was m tronhle; but he get out of the altitude mnartly, and jablMHl the face, driving Pal into position for an attack than waa free and l.cry. Ono stinging right that followed a left to the nose, split the corner •if Pal's left eye. and a flake of skin was also knocked «.ff the same cheek Bradley tried to gat into a wrvlng clinch, hut was fought off. The referee wont over and spoke to Bh«lU>y m his corner, during the spell: what he «*id. or on what subject, did not transpire.

In the 'fifth there was some hooting at Pat on account of bis shovmg his bead under Smith's chin as they - wrestled together. He also made desperate efforts to sling one on m tne break; and what rule he broke by so doing is matter for discovery. "Clean break" is-an unwritten law, and li&rd to define anyhow. For my part, J reckon that when two men separate they have- broken, and each should be y prepared to defend himself; and 1 fancy this is referee. Scott's reading, too. Hitting while the referee is actually pulling a pair apart is a diK<jrent matter; and' that Pat did so m the -sixth: Smith ducked back, and the swing caught Scott on the nose hard -enough to make him feel it tenderly and look -very admonitorily at Patrick. The fighting m the seventh was cal.crulated to give the qnlookers heart disease. It was fast and furious, and Pat went near the point several times, with punches that would have put Smith to sleep for 24 hours if he hadn't just succeeded m bead-moving and back-steppiitg them. Pat got om. tremendous right to the body, and. 1 Smith stuffed Pat's ruddy face full -of" boxing gloves travelling at a thousand miles an hour! One right xo the ear* was a deadly punch that made even? sturdy Bradley look sick. A few un-, reasonable people hooted Bradley -be- « cause he did not instantly and coro-l pletely step back when told to dc*-so.< The house was seething with ex-* citement. Not that Bradley was do-^ ing any . damage or that Smith wasf ever m real trouble; out because Oh* broad-shouldered Pat Irept peopte omj tenterhooks by making it appear pro-' bable that he might beat J_toat_bCsV beautiful defence and knock bim ont-j T^ie Bth and 9th were crnelly exciting-, rounds and the gruelling Btadksy I°^ was som^liing to marvel at. His left* eye was now closing so that he could ' not, see Dave's deadly upperents^when* head to head and these kept the ruby; ..owing copiously f roni mouth and • nose, while, lightning crosses never allowed that eye to run dry. By the-: : 15th round Pat was tota>lly blind on!, that side. ■ Instead of coming back to his man, Smith went farther away as .the bat- ; tie proceeded and m .the tenth and eleventh Bradley was a sorry srght. But still be stuck grimly to his task and would not allow his towel to be thrown m. He figured that he was strong yet tujd might still bring oft the knock-out he lias -ate^ys felt sure m his own mind he coaW put over oti to a man of Smith's style. Kut he found the said style a lot different when opposed to it than it appeared as tin onlooker. •Smith plainly showed that he wished he could knock Pat out and save himseK the more disagreeable task ot knocking bim about, and one or two of his swings arid smashes at the point would have done it, but that Pat at last begiln to use his head a bit and stall from them. It was a great pity to see AU continue and it wsouid have been no disgrace to Pat. had he recognised the inevitable and yielded. i:m his optimism was little dimmed if his signt was, and ho tried still for that wallop. One effort was a terrific 1-a Blanche that Dave miraculously, ducked>nnder. The manvseemed to be pre-

doit. -„..-:-•-■.•.-:-.- 7 -.-"-- -\;'-- The oniS' sign that Smith had to -show that he^heen m a sc|^ii^-as a^ very slightly puffed left djee^j H^| was so interested m kefepingj^oard on> "that left- swing that he allowe<_Tan occasional -": right oveiurm . .to . land, there^ Bradley's- face \vas pretty badly majck-^ ed, but it will be clean again m a_-v tckA and the money was worjh the hiding. Well, rather*.

pared for any Hort of attack! Jaiekc (loantities of rosin hud to ).-. requinH-ioned to corer '.'..c red paiebos upat by Bradlasy, and every round Smith got mor< ami mnre the upper hand; and yet the crowd was kept on piius a_nd ncedtat* — for mid not I'at<<oi the pouch? During the 19th and »>».h the tension could tki felt In the air ruid ii.card m the almost hysterical '.oices. When the gonjer mng out for ih* reKsa-Uon of hostilities the cla_»»rw were utmost screams of intense relief; for right up m the end there were thousands of Smithitcs who feared lh;<t Bradley might, eve.n m the last few xeconds. jwt a. punch mi that would discount all Smith's superb science, long-continued defence, and ma^niflcent a^rgrxvuiion. Dave f. -uarht the battle of his life, and Bradley cm claim the credit of having compelled him io-