BOXING.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20322, 2 February 1928, Page 5

BOXING.

By Cross Counter.

HGENET'S HURDLES. A ROUGH ROAD AHEAD. A howl of sonic description comes after every big money boxing contest, and the lleency-Sharkoy affair has left the usual aftermath of argument. Tho decision caused all tho dissension this time, and from what we have heard on this sido (says the Sydney Sportsman), the New Zealander wa„ certainly unlucky not to bo called winner. But ho seems to have the sympathy of the masses with him and that —to a certain extent—-is better than the gaining of l decision that goes by unnoticed. He figures in the role of injured party; u position that givc rt him greater drawing power than tho man who wins all along the line, but whom people consider is getting breaks from the promoters. Tom, of Now Zealand, is getting anything but that. The lofty niche in which ho is installed in tb° world heavy-weight class, he gained by sheer ability. At the cutset of his American. campaign, he was the victim of a couple of hard to understand decisions with Paolino. Tho.e who paid for tho contest thought he defeated the Spaniard on each occasion and did not forget to ,et tht people controlling the business know. Their sympathy on those occasion it was that pushed llcency into the spotlight. Then his couple of meritorious wins oyer Maloney and Risko gave them something to rave' about, and now tho Sharkey bout has them pulling for him more than ever. He is still well in tho heavy-weight elimination tournament, but must win two more contests to get a bout with Tunncy. Sharkey, Risko, and Delaney are tho other men in tho running, and Hecncy’s next oponent will be tho last mentioned of die trio. Tom whipped Risko comfortably at Detroit and should always do so. Johnny is not a wonder fighter. He is a tough bouncing rubber ball type "’ho never seems to mind punishment and keeps on going Sharkey and Tom would make another great contest no doubt, but from between the lines of their last encounter it looks as though Heeney would outgame and out slug Jack in a "return. Delaney, however, is quite another type. In getting him for his next shot Heeney is certainly not having anything easy served up. This gentleman, whose correct name i s Ovila Chapdelaine. and who was born at St. Francis, Canada, is quite i different style of opponent. He is a harder man lo make a showing with than anyone the Now Zealander has yet faced on the other sido. Delaney won the lighthcavvwcight championship Irom Paul Berlonbach. lie is a fine right-hand hitter, and outstanding in his record are two knock-outs of the late “ Tiger Flowers. , Lately he has stepped into the heavyweight " "division and ha s enjoyed quick victories over a couple of setups. Ho stopped Bud Gorman in two rounds and Sully Monthgomcry in one. His last big bout was with Paolino, which he won on a foul in something like 12 rounds. He i s rather an evasive type of miller and plays all the time to land his sharp shooting" right hand. That he wall land on Heeney, it is certain, and he is hitter enough to test the New Zealander s toughness through and through. Heeney*s trouble will be to reach him. Berlenbach wa 9 a slugging typo of fighter like Tom, and though ho once outpointed Delaney, the French-Canadian complete y bamboozled him with science in their title match of 1926. .. , Hccnev will have to make all .the fighting in this to mi rip match, and his chances of winning will depend upon his strength and weight. Ho will have > n * Delaney in these directions but from a boxing "standpoint will be behind scratch. Should he win. a shot at Tunnoy seems certain for him. Either Sharkey or Risko look easier for him than the cx-ligffi-hcavy-weight champion, and once over Dolan . he should plough on to the title match Dempsey, it seems has dropped out of the running for a "hHc. Ho . t i1!10 to meet Tunnov for the third tmi e in June, but ha; refused Lid is sticking out for In* bout in September. AN ANTI-CLIMAX. if u not likclv (savs a writer in the FGening Post) that Tommy Griffiths and Fi-ank Tavlor will be matched again. They have now met three times, and on the last occasion on Tuesday night th contest Was the worst seen in W ellington since the Fairhall-Uren farce. It is not suggested that they were not Hying. but it is suggested that, seeing they were being weil paid to entertain the crowd they could have made a more spectacular display. Both were far too cautious, and Griffiths, being the more cautious of the pair lost the bout. Taylor had to do most of the leading ’ but neV6 J for his man confidently and seemed to be ui.able to get over the fear of a counter by Griffiths. Thus about 75 Percentof the contest was clinching. Alter the great fights provided by Murray, Purdy, Trowern, and Jamito this was decidedly anti-climax. OLYMPIC CANDIDATES. Neither O'Sullivan nor Cleverley seem to be up to Olympic standard a northern writer remarks). O'Sullivan is fast and clever, but he cannot punch, while his open stance allows his opponent to come in Thus against a boxer who bores -m be would have little chance. Larsen gave him a lesson in the use of the straight left and over the last two rounds put the ’ Olympic candidate out of the running Cleverley does not seem to be able to produce his gymnasium form when m theming. In the gymnasium he can cope with any of the professionals, but in the ring when against a man who keeps coming in he. is not impressive. However, the New Zealand Association will have to send, two boxers, because lurdy has shown that one man has a very bad time indeed. Two men are able to spar and train together, and thus help each other to keep fit. Probably Morgan and Cleverley will make the trip. THE ORDER OF MERIT.

Boxing writers and critics in America have taken up the task of ranking the fighters for 1927 in advance of the annua selections made by Tex Rickard and established as something of a standard by the Madison Square Garden promoter. Summing up the results of a poll amon* newspaper experts, the New York Sun discloses that Gene Tunncy, king of the heavy weights, tops the leaders of all other classes in total votes. Out of a possible maximum of 610 Tunncy received 608 votes. The Sun notes that one untie placed Jack Dempsey at the? top of the heavv-weight list, presumably on the theory that the “ long count at Chicago cost the ex-champion a victoiy. Anothei places the " dark menace, George Godf" Others* in the “ first 10 ” of the Sun’s heavy-weight ranking: Jack Dempsey. 513 votes; Jack Sharkey, 463; Ceorge Godfrey, 376; Tom Heeney, 318; Johnny Risko, 301; Jack Delaney, 247; Paolino Uzcudun. 145; Knute Hansen, 6-, and Chuck Wiggins, 36 The first three —Tunncy, Dempsey, and Sharkey—are in the same order they occupied in the newspapers 1926 poll. Ted Morgan, junior light-weight title holder, ranks next to Tunney - 11 ? tota J votes, polling 601, as compared with 460 for Joe Click, who lost on a foul to Morgan in a recent title bout after outpointing the champion up to the tomteeiith joiind. . . . Other recognised champions lead then divisions with the following total votes:— Mickev Walker, middle-weight, 591, Tommv Loughnan, hght-heavy-weight, 570; Sammy Mandell, light-weight, 066: Joe Dundee, welter-weight, 503; only 13 more than his nearest rival, Ace Hndkins; Bud Taylor, bantam-weight, 534. The feather-weight and fly-weight divisions, which have no undisputed champions. remain tangled in the Suns balloting. __________