THE KNOCK-OUT BLOW.

Otago Witness, Issue 3016, 3 January 1912, Page 64

THE KNOCK-OUT BLOW.

DECLARED TO BE ILLEGAL. FUTURE OF PRIZE-FIGHTING. (From Our Own Correspondent , LONDON, November 18. The promoters of boxing contest* are very much alarmed at the decision of the Birmingham stipendiary that the proposed contest between Moran and Driscoll for the featherweight championship of the world would be a prize light and therefore illegal. It is understood that the case is to be taken to the Appeal Court. The proceedings were instituted by the Chief Constable of Birmingnam, who summoned Moran and Driscoll to show cause why they should not be bound over to bo of good behaviour and to keep the peace. Gerard Austin, the promoter of the contest, was also summoned for aiding and abetting the combatants. Mr J. E. Hill, prosecuting for the police, contended that what was contemplated was a prize fight, and that the chief constable was justified in stepping in. The men, were engaged for a contest of 20 three-minute rounds for (in addition to the championship) £2OO a-side, a purse of £2600, and a gold bolt of the value of £SOO. The winner was to receive 60 per cent, and the loser 40 per cent, of the stakes, and he calculated that the one would take £1660 and the other £IO4O. Holice-consta ble Hall said that before he joined the Police Force he belonged to the 21st Lancers. While he was in the army he was a boxer. In 1900 he won the heavy-weight championship in the Cavalry Brigade at Aldershot. It was a common thing for combatants or their second*, when the gloves were handed to them, to knock the padding into the fingers or back to the wrists. This was done as a support for the wrists and to put the finishng touch on the knuckles. Describing the condition of men after a contest, ho said they would be exhausted, their eyes would .most probably be stopped up, their lips cut, blood .would be flowing from the nose and mouth, and there would be bruising on the ribs, nock, and body, as the result of vicious biting. Mr Marshall Hall, K.C. (for defendants) : Is it a fact that the “ knock-out ” blow is never felt by the person who gets it? — I believe that is so. Lord Lonsdale said the contest would be fought under National Sporting Club rules, with 6oz gloves. Cross-examined with regard to the knock-out blow, Lord Lonsdale said: “ It is absolutely unknown to me, exoept in one way. I have had it three or four times, and have given it several times. It is a blow that happens to coma—that knocks you out. _ There is no particular blow that is a knock-out. I do not think it nee<J # be of particular force. It is the accidental position of the blow.” | Mr J. E. Hill: Do you mean to say that

a light blow would knock a man out?— It might. More often it is a blow of considerable force?—Yos. Naturally, it must be so when quick men are engaged. A man goes into the ring to subdue his opponent ?—I do not know what you mean by “subdue” You might often win a boxing contest by not hitting your hardest. s The man who deals the knock-out blow is probably the winner?—l do not say that is not so, but it ii not always the case. If a man is so incapacitated that he cannot recover in 10 seconds he is. regarded as knocked out. There is a lot of humbug talked about the knock-out. REFEREE’S OPINION.

Mr Eugene Corri said he accepted the position of referee in this particular match, and would conduct it under National Sporting Club rules. It was not absolutely necessary that the man who received a knock-out blow should lose the match, because he might, and very often did, recover under the 10 seconds. If he saw at an early stage that one of the men was clearly outclassed, he would stop the match at once. It was the object of the referee to stop anything approaching brutality. It would be his intention, if the match took place, to see that there was no brutality. Mr Bruce Logan said he had received four knock-out blows in one match, but in each case he had recovered being being counted out. He did not expereince any physical pain. The more skilful an opponent the less likely was the knock-out blow. It was better to box for points than for the knock-out blow.