PUG PARS.

NZ Truth, Issue 935, 27 October 1923, Page 11

PUG PARS.

MesBTB. A. Foirburn and H. D. Johnston will represent the Chrlstchurch Sports Club at the forthcoming conference In Wellington.

One of the first jobs of ttte new committee of the Chrlstchurch Sports Club will bo to deal -with the question of rules and a sub-committee has been appointed for the purpose. The rules question was back of most of the old committee's trouble and lt'a to be hoped thnt the new executive handle the matter with more success.

One that is always on the spot to give any visiting boxer a hand on his arrival In New Plymouth la Snowy Fielding. "Spearmint" ndvlsos anyono m tho game when m the Taranakl capital to give the said Snowy a look up.

Bob Fltzslmmons, of Plhama, Taranakl, wants to flght Jack Heeney for his middle title under any Association and Fit?., is also sure ,he can lick Tom Souter's two colts.' Em. Youni; and Jim Savage, as well as Eddie Parker or L. Cadman. It's up to some Association to give Fltz. a chance of breaking into the pro. ranks.

Following on tho heels of a statement that Lachie McDonald intended to remain m the ranks of the "llly-whlteß" for the time being at any rate, comes the announcement that both he and Tommy Harris are crossing the borderland to professionalism and the Otago Boxlni? Association has matched them for a 15-round bout on November 7. The scrap should bo a ,':ood one as both lndfi mix It In the ajwesslve style boloved by flght fans and it would not bo safe to gamble that the scheduled number of rounds will be reached.

Charles Teoplos writes:— Joe Thornal and myself arc In Tnranakl and Intend opening schools right through tho district for the edification of the "boxing community. Might 1 mention, m passing, that In my opinion the different associations should blvo New Zealand boys more opportunity than they get to go ahead In tho business. While they get no more opportunities than they nr? at present receiving there 1« not tho semblance of a channo of unearthing champions. Take, for instance, the case of young Harry May. This boy. In spitf of many applications by myself for contests, was repeaterlJy without a contest for close on ten months, nnd this promising lad has bptitnn every Australian ho has mt't and has never yet boon mopped—with nil duo respect to visiting Australians. I consider it's not doinn justice to our own boys and to the fans generally to

match Aussies against one another. Our boys m nearly every case have given tho fans their moneys worth by going the distance and by being matched against visiting Aussies they profit by experience. Em Young, of Wanganui, is another boy' who is going to the pack for want of contests. Believe me, "Spearmint," this boy is the goods and the only way to moke a champion or him is to give him contests — and plenty of them. My position m the boxing world does not warrant mo being antagonistic to the different associations, but with all due respect while match -making is conducted on the present system my humble opinion is that In a few years hence New Zealand talent m the boxIng- game will be at a very low ebb.

As lies Murray has been advised by his doctor not to take part m any bouts for a period, the ' Wellington Boxing Association have had to find another opponent for Eugene Volaire en Tuesday next. The match committee's choice fell on Clarrie Blackburn, who has signed up to meet the Frenchman at lOst 31b. The fight should be a corker, as both boys know what the public like, and, what is snore, they give it to them. The pair have met twice previously, for a win for Volaire and a draw. Tuesday evening's fight will be the decider, and as the pair are both well and fit the fans should get a run for their money. So roll up and give the association another record house.

By this time Les Murray has very probably seen the error of his ways m fighting Tdmmy Fairhalt at catchweights at Timaru. In that match he sustained a broken nose — as the result of a butt — and since then he has been forced to lose a couple of good purses. '.'Spearmint's" advice to Les is: Stick to your own class; nobody will criticise you for not fighting welters.

The Otago Boxing Association have matched Alfords, an Australian with a good record, against Graham, the Dominion welterweight champion, and the light will take place next month. At present the visitor- is having the polish put on him by Les. Murray and he shows speed and cleverness m his work-outs. The title will not b© involved. .

A new* heavyweight, Joe Games, has joined Harry Barlow's school m Newtown and Harry says he has tho goods. His weight is 13.6 and height 6ft. This looks as if Chris, Mcßae will get a suitable match very soon. Cleverley, who weighs 11.6 and is only a boy of 16, la a clever boy who will be heard of very noon. Brown and MeArthur are both training hard for Tuesday next. As the gym. is a good and well equipped one they have everything m their favor. There arc over 30 boys now m training under Barlow, and he says he can supply any weights, and assure a good performance. An opening night will be announced shortly and Harry invites all boxing fans to attend.

"Jack Dempsey," says Corbett, "is a nervous lighter. He has a punch, no one can doubt that. He is strong, too, but for my part I don't think he is as good as many champions before him, and I do not consider that he has proved his ability through long lighta, or through numerous ones. I have seen the present .heavyweight champion m two battles since he won the title. He won both, and by knockouts, but In neither one was he as impressive a* I think a champion should be. I cannot help comparing Dempsey to the* men of another era. I may b« called oldfashioned and accused of clinging to those 'alluring olden day*;,' but I can't help that. I know what Jackson, Fitzslmmons. Jeffries. Sharkey, and a host of others could do under all kinds of circumstances. I don't know what Dempsey can do because I don't consider that he ever has been tested. He might, under the severest kind of test, develop into the greatest fighter the ring ever knew, or he might not. That's hard to say; impossible to say. lacking- the teat. I think Jeffries would have whipped him. Jeffries left would have turned the trick. Jeff could take it, I think he could have taken anythintr Dctnpsey could have given, and would have been able still to land a knockout himself." And when Dernpsey's hair whitens, and his championship passes, he'll no doubt say the same thing of tho then reigning heavy king!

Ijist week it was cabled that Luis Flrpo intended taking to moving pictures In order to keep the snarling wolf away from the cottage door. He Is to get £22.000 for lumbering round and having his face "shot" now and •again. They say that the title of his first masterpiece will be "Give mo Another Dollar, tho last One's So L.o\v In my pocket that I can't roach It."

English promoter Major Wilson created somewhat of a .sensation by holding back Hcckett's nhare of the purse In his liout with Carpentior. Ho wanted to probe the matter over, ho •wild. 110 wasn't satisfied that Joe had lost on his merits. Latterly, however, he handed over the £4000 to Beckett, and everything was settled. There's no doubt that Carpcnticr had it on him All ways. The Englishman stated that he did not sleep for three weeks before the scrap. Proving that he was In no way enamored, with his nrospectivo task. And a? soon, as the job started Joe decided to mane up some of the lost sleeping time and reposed on the ring floor. That being* hIH usual position when Cnrpentlor Ik his opponent. •Whether It was a clout on the chin or tho tip of tho elbow. 1 or a pain just below the loft armpit that caused the slumber, we will never be quite sure.

Describing Paul Domsky's fight wiih Eddie Butcher, the "Sportsman 1 says; To begin with. Eddie nutohcr won ovoiPaul Domsky on points. Joe Wallls said so, and n careful onleuljuion of the happenings of each round .-Uso says

so. But there was not a "hundred miles" between the boys at the finish — > even though Butcher's hasty -backpedalling may have taken him over that distance of ring? floor. He literally ran away to a win. Incongruous, it may seem, but nevertheless true. The Westralian ran away and did Something:: Demsky walked after him and forced him into running away but did nothing. That is what happened all through the bout. The whole affair was a chapter of lost opportunities on the young Russian's part. He did not look for the opportunities to win, nor even accept them> when they openly showed up to him 1 . He was as slow and unwilling: to take any advantage of the going as any sane person would be to make a meal of razor blades. Bert Spargo, tho ex-featherweight champion of Australia, who was mixed up m a tram accident m Melbourne recently, has been ordered by his doctor to tako a long holiday.