BOXING.

Otago Witness, Issue 3017, 10 January 1912, Page 63

BOXING.

A GREAT BOXING MATCH. Tlie boxing mutch between the two American negroes, Sam M’Vea and Sam Langford, was brought off on the morning of .boxing Day at the Sydney Stadium, and attracted an immense crowd. It is • estimated that the attendance was ..almost , equal to that at the championship contest between Johnson and Burns, though the prices werp much lower. hour hundred constable were on duty. At tli#> ringside wore many well-known sporting men and representatives of the great public bodies. ( Tommy Burns, who three years ago lost , the champion ship of the world to J chnson | in the same enclosure, w'as amongst the i spectators, and so was tho Victorian, Bill | Lang, - who had been beaten at different times by both the contestants. “Snowy Baker acted as referee, and as Langford and M‘Vea stepped into the ring, each man was greeted with rounds of cheers. Langford’s admirers were particularly demonstrative. They knew that he was the light heavy-weight champion of the world, and that he was regarded by many as Jack Johnson’s most formidable rival. M vea, on tho other hand, claimed the title ot European champion, having made Paris his headquarters for a lengthened period. At a comparatively recent date he fought a draw with Langford in tho French capi- . tal, and each man on that occasion considered that he won on points. M’Vea was much the heavier and taller. Iso weights wore announced, but it is likely that M Vea scaled 14st and Langford 12st 71b. Their , heights are respectively sft lOim and oft ( 7in. Some delay occurred while tho men : examined each other’s bandaged hands, and ifc was a-quarter -past 10 o’clock when the contest commenced. As they wont to the centre of tho ring, Langford seemed fat, while his opponent appeared in perfect | condition. The opening rounds were rather quiet, Langford was trying to get to close quarters, but M’Vea cleverly kept him off. j Langford was down for a second in tho fourth round, after some lively exchanges, i Ho came in flat-footed, with his legs spread j out, while M’Vea moved about on his toes, j The blocking on both sides was clover and | quick. M’Vea hit just as tho gong sounded, , but apologised, and both men wont to then . corners laughing. Langford s elbow was in evidence in the next round, but it was accidental. M’Vca’s loft kept finding its wav to Langford's nose and eyes, but had little power behind it. M’Vea was well ahead on points up to this stage. Lang- j ford then began to force tho pace, and landed time and again with both hands at long range, while in the clinches he ne\ei | missed a chance to use the kidney punch. ; M’Vea smiled all the time, while Lang- I ford was in earnest, and on the aggressive. He started to walk to tho wrong corner , when the gong sounded. The round wan Langford's. His elbow was again the cause ( of a remonstrance from the referee in tho sixth round, but. it was plain that no offence was intended. The - rowel was with 1 Langford, who was now rapidly making up tile points ho had lost at the beginning, though tho exchanges and counters were 9> quick and clever that it was impossible to sav which blows reached their destination. In tho seventh round M’Vea swung with his right and missed. For an instant he was off his balance, and defenceless; but, before Langford could take advantage of the opportunity, ho ducked out of danger. They were about equal now. It was plain that Langford was trying for a knock-out, while M’Vea was boxing carefully for points. They were almost even so far; first one prevailing and then the other. Blood on M’Voa’s lip was the first sign that the men had used each other roughly. Tho twelfth and thirteenth rounds w ore much the sam; Langford landing heavy blows at short range-, while M’Vea s left constantly sought his opponent’s right eye. Langford seemed tho fresher when the fourteenth round commenced. M’Vea was content to break ground, and keen Langford at arms’ length. The fifteenth ! round was M’Voa’s, though both were .it:II strong and active. From this out M’Vea went ahead again, though Langford tried do'pcratcly to end the contest. ‘ There had been no brutal elements, and the, crowd’s sympathy was with Langford, as i it, had been with Burns in 1908. At times 1 they stood up, and yelled th'rn reives ; hoarse. There was plenty of hitting on both sides, but little damage, Langford ! alwavs shoving M’Vea round roughly in ! the clinches. He had slightly the better of I he sixteenth round. Langford’s right j oy© was closed completely at the end of j the eighteenth. M’Vea had been con oentrating his straight lefts on it from the : thirteenth round. Langford ft forehend j was swollen too. M’Vea showed little j damage. Strange to say, M’Vea dosed j the same right eye in tho nineteenth round, ! 0 f their Paris match. At the end of the stipulated 20 rounds the referee gave a decision in favour of M’Vea. The verdict was received with a good deal of hooting. There is no doubt, however, that the verdict was correct according to the canons of

boxing. They were a well-brained pais, of natural athletes. M'Vea has already fought Joimspu throe times. Twice hy was defeated on points after 20 rounds, and on the third occasion he was knocked out in the last round. After the match it was learned that M‘Vea had injured his right thumb early and was unable to uso the hand effectively. Langford was undoubtedly handicapped through in-lighting being prohibited by the polico regulations. Burns, who was present at the ringside, .slates that he was surprised at the verdict going to M'Vca, as Langford did all the forcing and fighting. In the opin.on of the jrofereo, “Snowy” Baker, it was “the greatest and clevcireet heavy-weight contest I have seen. I think Langford was handicapped by the clean break, and would have done much better if the fight had been ‘all in.’ I .regard him as the greatest little fighter of today.” Wihat the veteran Larry Foley thinks is summed up,in the words, “Good decision, good fight. M'Vca won with his straight It ft.” JOHXSON-M.‘VEA FIGHT. SYDNEY, January 3. A movement has been started amons commercial men for the purpose of testing the legality of the Johuson-Jf'Vea fight. Mr MTntosh has decided that the Johnson-M'Yea fight will not take place in Sydney. He has accepted a tempting offer for the ‘ stage of the Paris Hippodrome on the night of the Grand Prix. NEW YORK, January 4. Jack Johnson offers to fight M'Vea in Paris in July, and to fight Flynn previously. PRIZE FIGHTS. SYDNEY, January 5. The Bishop of Bathurst, commenting on prize-fights, said Australia’s national' pride should rise against 'the country being made a cockpit for coloured pugilists.