BOXING

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18906, 5 July 1923, Page 4

BOXING

M’QUARRIDMCLEARY CONTEST.

The professional boxing contest between Paul M’Quarrie and Brian M’Uleary took place at llis Majesty’s 'Theatre 12 mouths ago (on June 26) 1922). Tho light was for the heavy-weight championship of New Zealand. The dispute between the Otago Boxing Association and the governing body, Hie New Zealand Boxing Council, following on ihe decision of (he referee (Mr J. Kilniartin) in awarding tho fight to M’Quarrie, has not yet been settled. It may be said at once, however, that (in the'opinion of one boxing writer) the Otago Boxing Association has received extremely cavalier treatment by the New Zealand Council, and that tho council has not one single argument to support it in the attitude it has taken up. The council, in fact, has quite shown its inability to control boxing in the dominion, and if tho affiliated boxing associations permit it to continue its arbitrary attitude then the sport of boxing is likely to receive a severe set-back. It may be of interest very briefly to cover the incidents of the fight and the subsequent events. The position which arose at the fight was the result of a number of mistakes by tho officials, but these do not really affect the actual decision by the referee. First, the referee was not wise, as it turned out, in going over to M’Quarrie’s corner at the end of the tenth and eleventh rounds and asking him how his hand (which had been hurt) was lasting. Secondly, the referee was not wise, at the end of the eleventh round, when he quietly informed Mr S. S. Myers (master of ceremonies) that M’Quarrio had hurt his hand. Thirdly, Mr Myers certainly .did not realise the position when he at once went to the front of tho stage and announced that M’Quarrie had hurt his hand—that they would have a doctor in—and indicated that tho fight had ended and that M’Cleary had won. Fourthly, the uproar which ensued quite upset the timekeepers, who forgot to sound the gong and exceeded the. minute interval by about 30 seconds. Certainly M’Cleary thought that he had then won (and so did your contributor). M’Cleary went over to M’Quarrie’s corner and put out his gloved hands, but I could not say that tho two men actually shook hands. M’Quarrie, however, then stated that he had not “given in,” and demanded that the fight should go on. M’Quarrie. was quite within his rights, and tho referee said, “All right—box on.” If M‘Cleary had claimed the fight there and then he might have had some justification for his claim, but there is no question that ho would have been disqualified if he had refused to. “box on.” M’Cleary was knocked out in the thirteenth round, and the referee awarded the fight to M’Quarrie. M’Cleary appealed against this decision, but the Otago Association said that there was no ground for an appeal—that the referee’s decision was final. The winner’s end of the purse was then paid to M’Qtiarrie. M’Cleary then appealed to the New Zealand Boxing Council, which declared the fight a “no contest” and ordered that tho stake-money be divided equally between tho boxers. This instruction was forwarded to tho Otago Association. Then the lengthy trouble arose. The Otago Association stoutly held its ground—refused to obey the instruction of the council—and a few weeks ago the council disqualified the executive of the Otago Association and asked the association to appoint a new executive. The executive, in an endeavour to settle the trouble, resigned in a body, and a complete new executive was appointed. The council, however, is not yet satisfied. It maintains that the new executive was not properly elected. In tho course of a long Air W. G. Atack, secretary to the New Zealand Council, wrote, inter alia:—“The council is given to understand that at tho meeting of the 0.8. A. at which this new committee was set up members who came under the disqualification resolution of the council were present and took part in the proceedings, and that the former secretary (Mr H. Divers) was present and recorded the minutes of the meeting. If this information is correct, then, in the council’s opinion, the meeting was not properly constituted, and the council's requirements are not complied with.” An extension of time has been given to the Otago Association to enable it to further consider the question. That is the position to-day. The whole attitude.of, the New Zealand Council is not in tho interests of sport—personal feeling has been iv -duced on both sides—and the sooner the . .abated associations lake stops to elect a new Now Zealand Council the better for boxing as a whole. It may be added that M’Quarrie stiff retains the winner’s end of the purse (notwithstanding the decision of the council that the stake-money be divided equally between M’Quarrife and M‘Cleary), and that the association dares not match M’Cleary for the heavy-weight championship of New Zealand. If it does, it is quite on the cards that M’Quarrie will move to obtain an inmnetion against such a fight taking place. For the simple reason that, by defeating M’Cleary. lie won and still holds the New Zealand championship. The following remits will probably come before tho next, annual conference of delegates from Hie affiliated boxing associations : 1. That the time has now arrived when the N.Z.B.C. shall appoint a professional secretary. 2. That tho headquarters of the N.Z.B.C. he removed from Christchurch to Wellington. 3. That steps he taken for the affiliation of the NyZ.B.C. to the International Amateur Boxing Federation. 4. (a) That all correspondence between Brian M’Cleary and the 0.8. A. in ro his contest with. Paul M’Quarrio. held at Dunedin on .Time 26, 1922, he submitted to tue annual conference; (b) that nil correspondence between tho 0.8. A. and the N.Z.B.C. relative to the M'Quarrie-M’Cleary incident ho tabled at the conference; (e) that all correspondence between Brian M’Cleary and the N.Z.B.C. in connection with his appeal against the referee’s decision, over his contest on June £6. 1922, he submitted to conference ; (d) that ati inquiry he held by conference into the disqualification of the officers and committee of the 0.8. A.