REFEREE’S CLAIM FAILS

Opunake Times, 15 January 1935, Page 3

REFEREE’S CLAIM FAILS

Not Satisfied.

BOXING CONTEST

CAUSE OF LAWSUIT

Evidence of considerable Interest to followers of boxing was given in u law case in London recently. The case was brought by Matt Wells, who was a noted professional lightweight boxju- orex 20 years ago, and who has been a referee in boxing contests in Great Britain for many __ years. Wells gave a decision draw in the fight between Lon MeCorkindale, South African heavyweight and Walter Neusel, German heavyweight, at the Albert Hall, London, on March Itf, 1933. After the fight the British Board of Boxing Control withdrew Wells’ licence as a referee. He sought an injunction n, restrain the board from acting on its decision. The long delayed hearing of his case was taken before Justice Avery, and a special jury in the King’s Bench Division.

“lii Matt Wells’ opinion,” declared his counsel, “it was not a question of who was the better boxer in this contest, but who was the worse. He came to the conclusion that they were equal, and declared the match a draw.” Wells’ explanation of his verdict was that, in his opinion, the fight ought never to have taken place. One of the. boxers, in his view, had influenza, and the other had a damaged wrist.

Giving evidence Wells said that for four years he was lightweight amateur champion, and in 1.911, when lie was 28 and a professional, he won the lightweight championship ot Great Britain. Jeff Dickson, promoter of the Albert . Hall fight, asked him to referee it. Wells said he averaged A'G a week for refereeing at the Iting Blackfriars, and lie also acted as referee in various parts of the country. He agreed with Sir Patrick Hastings, K.S., who appeared lor the Boxing Board, that if a referee saw that a fight was degenerating into a farce he should turn the boxers out of the ring. Sir Patrick : Neither man was fighting an ounce after the first round, was he? Wells: In my opinion they were doing their best.’ “There is nothing out of the way in two boxers fighting out of form,” Wells “They are only human beings.” Sir Patrick : They were like a couple of school children weren’t they P—No.

Points for Wells. Sir Patrick pressed as to the opiuion of the crowd, ami Wells about turned to Justice Avory and appealed: “My lord, I am in the ring refereeing a tight, and learn cd counsel is asking me what the crowd is saying! It is ridiculous.’ There was laughter when Sir Patrick remarked to Wells: ‘You get five points for that.” McL'orkiudale, in evidence, agreed that he was not in his form when lie fought Neusel, He wa s suffering from a bad cold. He did hi s best to win. Sii Patrick: Did Neusel seem all right to you. Me Corkindale: The way he hit be did. McCorkindale said he got ,£l5O or £2OO for the fight. _ Opening the defence, Sir Patrick Hastings declared that ‘obviously it was a bogus fight—ho gus in the sense that the two men were not frying. There is no protection at all for the thousands wlio go to see figdits except the referee,” he said. “The license has been taken away on tlie ground of incompetence.” F. C. Donmall, secretary of the Boxing Board, agreed in cross examination that no charge wag made against the boxers that they did not play fair. P. J. Moss, a steward of the board, a member of the Referees’ Committee, and an amateur referee, gave evidence that when Wells was before the stewards 1 e dscribed it is a. poor bout and added that in his opinion there was something the matter with both men.

Sir Patrick Hastings: Supposing a referee finds the men are giving u poor fight and he thinks there was something the matter with l)otli men what should he do? —If he thinks there is something wrong he should turn them ogt. Were you satisfied with his explanation?— No, we thought lie was lying, What in your opinion was the decision which Matt Wells should have given ? —The decision should have been that Neusel won easily. Captain E. V. Chandler, a former amateur middleweight chain* pion of the British Empire and a member of the Referees’ Committee, said that Wells should have ordered both men out of the ringafter the third round.

cuitri me iuuuu. Counsel for Wells: Did yon form an opinion whether lie was Incompetent ’or dishonest ?—Dishonest. It was not that ho failed in his duty because he was incompetent but that he failed dishonestly, corruptly.—Corruptly. Captain Chandler declared that the corruption was ‘talcing instructions from fight managers that the fight was to be draw.” The two men “had to be on their feet at the end of the twelfth round,” and betting men left the ringside before the fight began and were laying even money that it would be a draw. Counsel. You came to the con*

elusion that it was arranged with the referee ? —Furthermore, one of the bookmakers said it was a crooked tight. Justice Avory found that there was no evidence to go to the Jury and entered judgment for ’the hoard with costs. There was no evidence, he said, that any members of the board had acted malici ously or illegally. With regard to ihe alleged libel in the statement published that Matt Wells had been, deprived of .his license, it was a mere bald statement of the decision of t lie board and was not capable of defamatory meaning.