THE AUSTRALIAN RING.

NZ Truth, Issue 580, 29 July 1916, Page 11

THE AUSTRALIAN RING.

Reminiscences and Records.

(BY "BOXER- MAJOR.")

Copyright: All Rights Reserved by tha Author.

BOOK 11. —CHAPTER 92,

Meritfcn of Herb McKell has brought forth another story of him, from Mr. A. Sr Burnie, "Star" office, Teniora., who writes:

Sir, — The following facts you may publish m your interesting "Records of the Ring" column, if iyou think them worthy of publication/ It struck me as being so coincfdental^that the late Bill Lindsay and Herb JtfcKell's names should be mentioned "by you almost In the same issue of "Truth." Lindsay thought the world -of McKell, and always maintained that Herb was the gamest man that ever entered the ring, also his sterling qualities as a man m and out of it. Bill and I were both on steamers trading from Tasmania, when he heard of Herb's death, and he was not long m collecting a substantial . amount for the widow. McKell's sideshow was a big attraction at the shows m Tasmania, and wrjter remembers well how he became so popular on his first visit to Latrobe Show. It happened this way: A rival boxing show was m full swing, and their tent had a small hole m it, through which the boys used to peep. One poor little fellow got a terrible

smash m the face by one of the champions (?) inside, and McKell witnessed it. Ho got another boy to get him a batten, with a nail m it. and made him. put it up to the hole. Smash again, but no laughter from inside this time! Out rushed the bully, but one may Imagine his astonishment to see Herb standing there with his batten. I though MoKell had killed him at tho time, and he did not use the batten, either — Just plain stoush.

P.S. — Was very sorry indeed to hear of Mr. John Norton's death, but we all have to go. some day, for the great reunion.

I sincerely thank my friendly correspondent, as well for his interesting story as for his kindly reference to our late revered chief.

While rooting around for the answer to Maori Mat, which was given m a recent Issue, I came across the story of that desperato fight at tho Gaiety, on Monday, November 18. 1801, between Billy McCall, Australia's then champion heavyweight, and Jim Seatilan. of U.S.A. It was a gory and torrifle combat, and well worthy of space m these records, apart from the fact that up to now I have scarcely made any mention of that really good flght -

er and square man, McCall. Here is my report ; as it appeared m the "Sportsman" .of the following Wednesday: ' ' • . .

It was 8.60 p.m. when Billy McCall, the Afmldale heavyweight, entered the ring attended by Jim Barron, McAuley Howard and Sturgeon. Jim Scanlan, of Plttsburg, Pa., U.S-A... soon followed, with Tom Mitchell, Abe ; Willis and Bob Turner as his seconds. Both men were heartily cheered, and looked as fit as possible, and proved it by the result, for none but thoroughlytrained men could have gone through what they did without keeling over under the strain. Tim Nolan, the heavyweight bruiser, was appointed by the club to act as referee. A good referee is hard to get, owing to natural disinclination to risk police proceedings and public opprobrium, and so we must peri'orce put up with the best we can got, and Tim Nolan is not a star Jn the act. He means well, and is honest, but he is too slow by a hearseful, and his deHberateness m getting out of the way cost him a hard whack m the back on one occasion, and a heavy fall on his latter end on another, while it cost Scanlan the worst blow ho got m the wholo light— the one that started his nose bleeding, if it did not break it, for McCall smashed round Nolan's shoulder while Scanlan was. waiting, hands down, for the huge bulk to shift aside, and could not even see his opponent. No man could have shown to advantage m refereeing a flght where one contestant spent four-fifths of his time lying on or hanging on, or pushing around his opponent, as McCall did, and who would not get back beyond arm's length when separated from his foe In the incessant clinches; but. Nolan made the worst of a bad job, and often parted them when, both hands free, they wore swopping whacks or Scanlun was simply standing fending off McCall's wild swings. Jack Hanley kept time, and Wally Weekes held the watch on the lOsec. item. The men were weighed m the ring, the Yankee mother- naked, and neither lifted the beam set at 16-1 lb. It would be absurd to attempt to describe the flght by rounds, for there are no such things where Billy McCall is concerned. I took copious, notes, but reference shows that they are all pretty well alike; mad rushes by McCall, swinging left and right, leaping smashes, nearly all easily guarded by Scanlan, un arm grip, cuddle, hug, shove and push, broken by the referee; and ditto repeato. J Scanlon showed great cleverness m side-stepping and evading, and wonderful skill m parrying. But the greatest scientist m the world could not keep McCall out all the time. He swings so continuously, carries such extraordinary condition, and seems so impervious to punishment that he's just got to get there now and then, and that is what the gallant young American found. Ho had foolishly agreed to a clause prohibiting In holds, though there is no such rule m Queensbury, and he evidently dreaded being done up on a foul — he, a stranger m a strange land— and so, hundred of times, when McCall was shoving him around, head down ami one hand on Scanlan's arm, shoulder, or round his back, he, though having both hands entirely free, refrained from hitting, when many a time It would have meant "out!" and a win for the visitor. When he did uppercut once or twice under absolutely fair conditions, the McCall heelers hooted and yelled, and a couple of those m his corner got half-way Into the ring m wild, unreasonable protest. A fairer lighter than Jim Scanlan nover wore a glove, and to howl at him was a display of both ignorance of the game and discourtesy to v gallant gueat of the country. The visitor has a good left and he drove It into McCall's face often enough to docply discolor both his eyos and bring- the red stream In sullen flow, and hard enough to Jolt his head back frequently. Ho also made sure connection with temples, cheekbone, ear, neck and head with his smashing right, on muny oecaalons. But he might as well have banged at a wooden Indian for all the effect he had In slopping McCall's career. Billy is a lesser Joe Goddard. and not half, so good a target, and though on a j score of occasions he had him wob- i bly and gasping (moat of 'em as much from hlB own terrific exertions as from I Sennlan's blows), he always recovered and never fought so tenaciously, so furiously, so uninterruptedly, as aftor a whole-souled punch In the nose and a smush on the ear from his manly opponent. Aa early as the second round Scanlan was bleeding from the mouth from an overarmed swosh from the shapely navvy, and had to clinch and GraecoRoraan to save his Jaw. And so It wont on to the bitter end. Though often appearing terribly distressed while In hIR corner; with heaving Hunks and closed oyos, the New Engi lander came out of each spell with i\ bound and light smash at hla man and kept In most of the time, banging ! either arm round or over Indiscriminately. The American might meet him flush and hard, or cross him terrifically, but only once was he able to drop him. and that not until the 16th round, when v straight left as ho rushed disturbed nix balance und a right on the point dumped him hard on the boards, slightly cutting his olbow. He took the full count on hla knees, and got up to meet two ringers, and then fltfht Scanlan to a crawl. In this round two of McCall'B seconds were particularly objectionable and well might hnve taken a lesson from veteran Bnrron, who lay along tho edge oi? the platform us cool and calm as a corpse m a chllllnK-chamber.

Tho men trUid donperately for a finish In the nineteenth and twentieth round*. Hut neither could hit hard onoufth, and. Indeed, ao perfect was

Scanlan's defence that JJcCall scarcely got one punch home out of a regular cannonade of swings that he fired. Scanlan landed a few full-arm hooks and several right smashes, but the powder had run low, and McCall took them almost unconcerned, and kept up the' double-action battery till the gong brought respite. — :Then after the dingoes had let Jheir hofrllng lull somewhat, Nolan,took tho audience into his confidence" and told them why he gave the fight to McCall on; points. It was a fair-- decision, though a draw would have made Nolan more friends and not have rbbbed McCall. Still, he did most of the leading and was after, or rather on, his mmi all the time, and though Scanlan had all the science, and stopped about three million hard 'uns like a maitre d'armes as many sword cuts and thrusts, and landed the cleanest blows, he didn't land enough to out-count the 'tornado of the Tableland. It was a badly made match from the start, and it is a thousand pities that the adventurous lad from the Great Republic should have been steered up against the hardest man m Australia, as he undoubtedly was. I heard remarks last Monday night as to how Ceorge Dawson and others would have dealt with McCall, but I can tell all these people that tho same Billy McCall would worry and beat a stand-oft boxer like Dawson, to pieces, inside ten rounds. He has all the toughness and tenacity of Goddard at his prime, while ho hits faster, and is not a tenth part so easy to hit, his ducking and smothering fooling even a cool tighter like Scanlan continually. The Dawson type want their man at arm's length, where they can jump m and hit and out again. They might jump m onco m a round, and hit too, but by tho ghost of Tom Sayers they'd never do it again, hod do the "ln" and the hitting for tho rest of tho round! Scanlan could have been found half-a-dozen matches before he came to McCall. with men he could hope to boat. It would be as much as Kid Cartur could do to beat McCall (If the latter didn't draw with him!), and Scunlan is no Kid Carter, and never pretended ho was. (To be Continued.)