BOXING. I

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20642, 14 February 1929, Page 4

BOXING. I

By Ceoss-Coukteb.

Jack Paul, the Dunedin welter-weight, who has for some time been in Sydney, where he has been fighting with much success, is coming back to the Dominion in a month’s time and hopes to got a match or two. In the course of an in-, teresting letter. Jack sings high praises of Fidel la Barba—“ as fast as a whirlwind and with 'a punch:, like a steam hammer.” The outstanding event in the local boxing world during the past week was, of course, the departure of Johnny Leckie, the Dominion feather-weight champion, on the first stage of his l trip .to Australia After meeting Glasson and Flatten,-in Wanganui and Auckland respectively, he will leave the latter city on March 'l. Free of the shackles of any set contest. Leckie will be in a position to negotiate with those in control, and beyond doubt he will participate in several big bouts, At present La Barba is fighting at about 8.8, and whether he will be prepared to concede weight to the Dunedin boy is open to doubt. However, there are other; champions against whom he will be, matched, and it will take a good boy to beat him.

Tommy Griffiths intends to leave the Dominion early in March, and in all probability he, will be matched against La Barba. Griffiths may not appeal to Australian audiences to the same extent as Leckie will, for the reason that he does not “mix it” in the way that his schoolmate does, but his will-o’-the-wisp tactics will bewilder some of his opponents. Both Leckie and Griffiths have now stepped on to the street of adventure, and their progress along it will be followed with interest by supporters of boxing throughout the Dominion.

In contests with Willie Smith, Fidel La Barba, and the hard-hitting. Filipino, Kid Johnson,'’ Billy Grime should, if he has retained his form, prove capable of making whatever money he might have lost on what, unfortunately, turned out to be an unsuccessful American trip. His decisive victory over . the Italian Galbusera on January 19 was no real test of the championship quality of Jack Carroll (10.41), holder of the Australian welter-weight title, but his overwhelming defeat of the American, Jack Spar (10.51) at the Melbourne Stadium on the following Saturday indicated.-that. CarrolHs not only the most improved boxer Victoria has produced for five years, but that he is, indeed, a first-rate performer and a worthy holder of the title (says the Argus). Ho again failed to demonstrate a knock-out punch, but there were indications, accepted by many of the spectators as such with a round of applause, that ho n as treating a severely-punished opponent with generosity and withholding a coup de grace througli some spirit of sportsmanship which may in the circumstances have been a mistaken one.

i announcement . that Lacbic M Donald and Tommy MTunos have been matched by the Otago Association would make pleasant reading for local followers ot the sport. M'Donald has shown considerable improvement as a result of the experience he has gained since he last tought in Dunedin, a fact which is emphasised by his two wins over MTnnes. On each of the throe occasions that these two have met a fine bout lias been witnessed, and the margin between them has never been wide. It is some-time since boxers of their weight have been seen in a local ring, and the change from bouts between lighter boys will no doubt be appreciated.

One of the most sensational wins recorded in Sydney for some time was that. Roberts, of Newcastle, over the rilipiiio boxer* Johnson* whose TV 1 ,. vl ctories over Herman Gillespie and Lharlie Glasson since his arrival in Australia had caused him to be. rated as a bqjer entitled to matches with the best men of his weight. Thus, when he was given an engagement with Roberts, many anticipated tiu'.t the Newcastle boxer would share a similar fate* to Johnson’s other opponents, and this was probably ‘ •o£ / the attendance at Rushcutter Bay Stadium. Although Johnsons weight was announced at 9st, with Roberts seven pounds heavier, the rilipmo did not appear to be the lighter man. They boxed carefully for a few seconds, then Roberts staggered his opponent with rights to the body, following these deliveries with telling left hooks to the jaw. Johnson crouched against the ropes and fell. He. did not take advantage of the count, and immediately resumed, whilst Roberts rained every mauner-'Of blow upon the Filipino. Four times Johnson sank to the' canvas, then he staggered towards Roberts, clinging to his legs. _ When Johnson was down for the fifth time in two minutes of th'e opening session he took the full count. .

Speaking at a meeting of the New Zealand Boxing Council last week,.Dr P. F. M'Evedy said that before he left England he had been to Albert Hall on two big nights. The bouts on the whole had been well controlled, and were quite good,, but he still did not think that the standard in England was better than that m New Zealand; in fact, if anything, it was better in New Zealand. “Morgan,” the doctor, “ would have cleaned up’ any man f his own weight that I saw on those two nights. There was nothing to compare with him.” Dr M’Evedy also stated that the Belgians were?.very plucky fighters, and were appearing in many bouts in Europe at present.

Though England is not, at the moment, producing any world-beaters in thekoxing arena, the sport would appear to be booming in that country. The Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis has drawn attention to the serious over-crowding which occurs at certain premises in the East -End used for boxing matches. The Theatre and Music Halls Committee of the L.C.C. report that when the police visited the premises, which were originally a picture palace licensed .to s-eat 1200 persons, it was found that the gangways were all densely, packed. The Commissioner states that there appears to be no rstriction on, th-e numbers admitted, and that it is believed that about 3000 persons assemble to watch contests. In the opinion of the police, the conditions are such that, althpugh the exits are quite considerable, loss of life and injury might occur in the event of a fire or panic! The council has no control over buildings used for boxing contests. The announcement that Tom Heency is to. fight Phil Scott in England for the championship of the world will no doubt cause the American authorities to raise their eyebrows in pained surprise. The United States have so long been recognised as the final authority in awarding world titles in the realms of. big boxing .that people have come to acr cept their rulings without question. A title may npt- exist for ; pne particular class, but should an Australian or any other boxer seek to • hold a vacant premiership he repairs immediately to America, where some other: claimant to the title will rise as surely as the morning sun. The winner is’regarded as 1 the world’s champion. Who appoints him to the position is not for us to ask. Hitherto nobody has dared to question the ruling of the gods of Madison Square-Gardens. Now, .however, a gesture of defiance comes from England, and it is typically English —nothing _ ostentatious, not even belligerent—simply a bald announcement that preliminary arrangements have been made for a fight between Phil Scott and Tom Heeney. Phil Scott has not even swum into the American ken, although in the. realms of English boxing he is well known. He defeated Tom Heeney in an uninspiring contest before the New Zealander had made his name, and lie is recognised as a good, hard-hitting fighter without very much science—consequently a good match for Heeney. This move on the part of the English authorities is a significant one., fob it seems, to herald a bid for executive supremacy; and it seems only just that England should gain recognition as the supreme authority for the Old Country is, after all, the birthplace of boxing. It is not to be supposed, however, that the Americans will accept the claim lying down.