The American Ring.

Otago Witness, Issue 1639, 21 April 1883, Page 21

The American Ring.

Br Maori.

The popularity of tho most brutal and severe clabs of pugilism seems at present very universal in America, principally owing to the notoriety Sullivan has attained. I reter to the modern style of "knocking out" with hard small gloves. Tn days gone by it was the custom to punish and defend only with the weiponß given by Nature, and this was deomed repulsive and unbecoming to our civilisation ; but at the present pugilism ia conducted in a more brutal and inhuman manner than ever it was by the addition of hard gloves, and nothing is done to prevent it. I have tho national love for boxing, but I abhor and am disgusted with the reports of the doings of tho "ring" in America. I give tho following barbarous description of a "set-to" from an American paper :—" Thirty men who had paid five dollais each for a tickut dropped, one by one, into an up town hall, botweon midnight and one o'clock on the morning of February 10th, and paw Jim Connelly and Jack M'Connoll .slog each other with small hard gloves till tha referee thought there would bo danger in lotting them go on. More blood was shod in any one of tho four rounds than wat, spilled in Sullivan's fight with Ryan at Mississippi city. From the first exchange thoy fought like madmen all over the ring landing terrific blows. When three minutes wero up and tinio was called^ both were battered and bleeding. Thoy went into the second round no less desperately. The hard glovea cut their faceb and breasts, and each seomod bont more upon disabling hia adversary than defendiug himself, The bl<?od

covered their faces and dripped down their chests. The oldest frequenters of prize tights prusent said they had never seen so desperate a slogging. The men came up gamely for the third round, and were hardly at the scratch before they went at it again, giving and receiving tremendous right and left hand blows on the nose, mouth, ears, and chest. They were supported to their corners when thi« round had lasted three minutes. When th* minute for rest was gone and time was called! for the fourth round they faced each other determinedly, but both were weak and neither' seemed to have the advantage. In the g*v* and take that followed they mustered their spirits and drove their fists with what force* they had left against gashed and swollen faces* and bleeding bodies. They came up again at'the call for the fifth round, but so disfigured and exhausted that the referee stepped into the centre of tho ring and ordered the fight to be stopped." When I read the above I felt proud that we have none of this sort of thing in the Colonies, and I was pleased to see Professor Miller when challenged by Hicken to fight decline to do so, and show he was a man above such cold-blooded and unmanly action; but at the same time retaining his position by offering to box him with soft gloves at two to one. It is bad enough to have to fight when compelled by circumstances over which you may have no control, but it is a fearful degradation for men to attempt to bodily disable each other for " filthy lucre." I congratulate Professor Miller on his wisdom, as also will all who have auy regard for athletics. The great difficulty in America seems to be to get a man to stand up before Sullivan, they all being frightened of him on account of his being such a " bruiser. 1 ' The papers are full of telegrams about people who are talking: about meeting him, and altogether Sullivan is the hero of the hour. The New Zealand pugilist, Slade, seems to have an aversion tomeet the terroriaer, in spite of Fox's protestation b to tho contrary. The following are copies of telegrams in American papers under sensational headings, and show the interest at pre« sent displayed in getting someone to meet Sullivan. There does not seem much truth in them, although there is a probability of Coburn meeting him with the soft gloves in a friendly match to test the advantages of the old and new schools :—

"New York, February 19th.— A reporter saw Coburn last night. He said : • I don't want to fight anybody, and I don't want to do anything contrary to law, but I don't propose to have Sullivan talking of me in the way he i» doing. It is my opinion that for ten years tocome I will be too good a man for Sullivan towhip, and there is plenty of men who will back me against him for any amount, I think I could show him how little he f-nows about scientific fighting, and whether ' we old uns ' know anything about it or not. As the law is now, there doesn't seem to be any possibility of posting a challenge here, and I had thought my fighting days were over, but I can't stand the crowing of this youngster.' "New York, February 17th.— Coburn says he is ready to fight Sullivan with or without gloves, in room or ring, forsooodol to 10,000dol a side. Those who usually make matches are terrorised by police threats. "Nkw York, February 20th.— Fox said to a reporter yesterday : ' Coburn meant fight. He came in here with blood in his eye.' ' Does he stand a fair chance with Sullivan? asked the reporter. 'First-rate. Coburn is • good man. Sullivan is not so anxious for * right as Coburn is. Of course 1 don't say that he is afraid, but he don't seem to care about meeting Coburn.' 'Do you think a match will be arranged between Sullivan and Sladef ' Yes, I do. Some of Sullivan's friends think Slade does not mean business, but that's a mistake. He does mean business, and is almost as anxious to meet Sullivan as Coburn is. "