BOXING.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19980, 23 December 1926, Page 4

BOXING.

By Cross-Counter. THE LIGHT-WEIGHT TITLE. Les Murray automatically forfeited Ins title of light-weight champion of New Zealand yesterday. It is not expected that the title will go begging for long, however. Purdy and Trowern seem to be the only logical contenders, and it is to be hoped that they will be matched again in spite of the disagreement that has arisen. Failing this match, one of these men could probably be matched .vith Billy Chambers, who, it will be remembered, was beaten in Dunedin by Murray just prior to the latter's departure tor the States. Chambers at the time expressed himself as being keenly anxious to contest the title. THURU—PARKER CONTEST. Marcel Thuru, one of the team of French boxers, and Eddie Parker, New Zealand middle-weight champion, will meet iu Auckland on Tuesday next, Parker arrived in the northern city last Tuesday from Sydney. This contest is quite the best draw the Northern Boxing Association has arranged this year, and it should be the means of compensating for the poor attendances at the last few carnivals. Thuru was very popular in Australia, not only for his work in the ring, but also because of his pluck and sportsmanship. Among his treasured possessions he has a testimonial from the directors *»f Sydney Stadium, the press, and followers of the sport in Sydney and Brisbane, who join in congratulating him on his manly conduct in and out of the ring. He has also a medal presented to him by Air W. Lawless (“Solar Plexus”) “for one of the best contests for the year” against Ted Monson in Sydney. Parker has been in Australia for some time, and has not been idle. Perhaps his host performances were those against Harry Collins, ex-middleweight champion of Australia. If Ivan Laffineur, Thuru’s team-mate, decides to visit New Zealand after his engagements in Australia have been fulfilled, ho should be in demand among boxing association, as he has been highly coinmended for his realisation that a boxer’s first duty is to fight. When he met Gordon Kiely recently he had an opponent whq was the same way inclined and a hurricane bout was the result. Kiely's form was a revelation to the ringsiders, and when ft last ho did fall a victim to the Frenchman’s blow, inexperience had more to do with his downfall than any lack of ability. HERE AND THERE. Most boxers of the present day “burn out” in, a comparatively short time. In the old days of the London prize-ring men won battles at ages at which, these days, they would hardly be allowed to enter the ring. Bill Richmond, one of the earliest coloured fighters, was 53 years ot age when he defeated Tom Shelton in 23 rounds at Moulsey Hurst, England, on August U, 1815. Four yeiys later Richmond knocked out Jack Carter in three rounds. Since winning the feather-weight championship, L. Robinson has not Been over whelmed with challenges for his title. However, there is the possibility that M, Carroll will be the next contender. The bantam of Australia was recently retained by Stan Thurbon though practically outclassed in every round by Tom Swift, the challenger. Sid Godfrey, ex-Australian light-weight chainpion, refereed the bout and should be able to pick a winner. On this occasion, however his decision met with a storm of dissent from all parts of the house. As Godfrey pushed his way to the dressing room, he was heard to remark. “This is what a fellow’ gets for refereeing.’ Ringstem standing by replied, "‘and that •is what, you deserve.” ,Yvan Laffineur, French welter-weight, scored his fifth win in six starts when he knocked out Ted Monson the other evening. His other victims are Eddie Butcher, Jack Cameron, Gordon Kiley !by _ the knock-out), and Fred Brock (by points). Laffineur will meet “Sunny Jim” Williams on Boxing Day. He is prepared to make a trip to New Zealand early in the New Year, if any fights are offering for him. Tiger Flowers, who lost his world’s middle-weight title to Mickey Walker recently, was approached for a match in England, but his terms were of such a nature that the promoter immediately rejected them. The American boxers are so libeally catered for in their own country that the best of them are beyond the purses of the promoters of other countries. “Was the big fight a fake ” asks one Sydney Sutherland in a feature story in an American magazine, thereby keeping up the custom that has obtained ever since boxing was first commercialised. Every time someone beats someone else (or the heavyweight championship of the world the charge crops up that it was a fake. In Sutherland’s story, Charlie Mabbutt, the generalissimo around Dempsey’s camp, ha.s declared that the ex-champion was poisoned from milk left on the verandah in the morning. Mabbutt was ill for several weeks after the fight attacked by the same rash which afflicted the former champion. Sutherland also charges Dempsey with having agreed to lie down before Tunney, but says that gamblers who had backed Tunney heavily also slow-poisoned Dempsey to make certain that he would keep the agreement. “Perfect nonsense,” declared Tex Rickard, when shown this and similar charges which are stirring New York. Dempsey himself said: “I was beaten by a better man. That’s all about it.’’ What is described by one writer as a hesitation waltz in scrag time, the bout between Belgian Ernest Tyncke and “Frisco” M'Gale failed to give general satisfaction. It was a poor contest, by most accounts, and for that Frisco is held to blame. The Belgian always wanted to fight, but his mental apparatus clogged his physical endeavour. He had a noble * right, however, and heaps of pluck. The negro fought a retreating battle, and when ho did not do that he stalled and clung like a burr to a lamb. But he could not stop the non-stop spirit of Tyncke, who went on and piled up a big winning margin. Against an opponent who will come to him, Tyncke probably would please everyone but his opponents and friends. LONSDALE BELT CONTESTS. COLONIALS’ QUALIFICATIONS. The case in favour of colonial boxers taking part in the Lonsdale Belt contests is pleaded by a writer in the Athletic News. “To my mind,” he writes, “there is no reason at all why they should not be given the privilege. The real names of many of the boxers who have won this trophy would read very un-English. They are all, of course, of foreign Jewish descent, who no doubt have qualified by being born in this country, whereas many of the boxers belonging to the colonies are real Britishers. “If a colonial settles down in the Home Country, he should be as much qualified as the Hebrews. The present position is unfair to our own men. Tom Heeney, for instance, is a man whom one would like to see in such a contest. Heeney has put up several very good displays, and one, at short notice against Phil Scott at Southampton, is well remembered. “Heeney is anxious for a return encounter with Scott, and this was premised him if he should beat Bartley Madden. The New Zealander accomplished thU task, but there has been no indication o* the part of the British champion to cov-r the deposit for a match which the New Zealander has had put up for some time. Heeney stopped into the breach when Joe Beckett coijld not go on with his match against Scott, and there were many at the ringside who thought that the champion was unduly favoured when he received the verdict.” g