BOXING

Otago Witness, Issue 3801, 18 January 1927, Page 60

BOXING

■O By CROSS-COUNTER

ANOTHER MATCH FOR MURRAY. Latest advice from America is that Les Murray has been matched to meet Billy Petrolle, of Milmaukee. The match was to have been fought on December 20, but so far no word has come to hand about it. A New York journal states that a win over JPetrolle will place Murray right in line for a match with Mandell. The New' Zealander himself, in a recent letter, says that Petrolle is the best fighter he has seen, and that includes Archie Bradley. “ I have seen clever men and heavier sluggers,” ne writes, “ but never one with such a good variety of slugging and clever work. If I can paste him I* am almost sure to get a battle with Mandell. The fight is to be at Milwaukee, Wisconsin. That is where Llew Edwards met his' downfall. I hope I have better luck than he did.” SEEMAN’S RECORD. The following are details of the record of Solly Seeman, who was defeated by Murray: — Born New York City, February 26, 1902. Nationality, Hebrew' American. Knock Outs. —1921, Jimmy O'CcHmel l , 2; Harry Gilmore, 2; Eddie Siegel, 10. 1922, Gene Murphy, 4. 1924, Young Darcy. 2; Charlie Faraci, 6. Won From.—l92l, Mike Arra, 12; Willie Davis, 12; Al Kale, 10; Jimmy Blue? 10; Sammy Vogel, 3; Jack Stark, 12; Tommy' Elm, 12; Mickey Brown, 12; Len M’Farland, 12; Sammy Walts, 10; Silent Regan, 6; Jimmy Tomasula, 2; Bobby Dodd, 6; Hilly Levine, 3; Jack Hausner, 3. 1922, Joe Leofold, 12; Ad Mackie, 6; Danny Kramer, 4; Red Dolan/ 4; Johnny Jordan, 4; Ad Mackie, Dj gg in s. . 4; Young Carmen, 4. 1923 Benny Viera, 4; Lackey Moorow, 4; Bobby Allen. 4; Young Dudley, 4; Teddy O Hara, 4; Kid Johnson. 6; Johnny Jorian 6; Joe Boyd, 4. 1924, Jack Sparr. 4; Frankie Rich, 12; Joey Silvers, 12. No decisions: 1922—J0e ‘Richie 10, Dick Conlon 12. ‘ Ten draws. 1925. February 28—Frank La Fay {lO rounds) won. . " March 9—Chas. O'Connell (15 rounds) won. ’ April 22—Larry Regan (2 rounds k. 0.) . .- ’. ", May 19—Benny Valger (10 rounds), lost June 24—Frank La Fay (10 rounds), won. July 19—Sammy Mandell (10 rounds), ri.d.August Brady (2 rounds, k. 0.) won. ; ’

August 25-Sammy Mandell (10 rounds), lost.

September 12—Luis Vincentini (10 rounds), draw.

September 23—Willie Paterson (10 rounds), won. November 23—Johnny Cicolli (10 rounds) won.

That is Seeinan’s record up till the end of 1925, when he had engaged in 64 matches, of which he~had won 48 (eight being knock-outs), drawn 11. and lost two. Three were no-decision contests. HERE AND THERE. A movement has. been started in New South Wales to form a board to control boxing throughout the State. It is proposed that it should license teachers and trainers, in order to see that such men are properly qualified, this being an important step in an effort to raise the sport to ® better level. Another idea is to abolish betting from the ringside. BOXING IN LONDON. An international contest of considerable importance was staged in London recently, when Joe Bloomfield, of London, met G. Louquet, of France. The Frenchman has the deserved reputation of being an aggressive fighter, and he has met some good men. Bloomfield has frequently flattered admirers, who fancied him for the middleweight honours, but his form is somewhat inconsistent. Against Rouquet r u'- as best, although the manner of his victory left something to be desired. The men had a real fight, and at th 4 end of 10 rounds there was nothing in it. The visitor was all for roughing it, bu Bloomfield kept him off with a very useful left. He dropped hi s man for a short count in the eleventh round, but Rouquet resumed as though he were unhurt. Bloomfield now went for his man in real earnest, and clearly showed his superiority in the thirteenth round. Still keeping up the attack, he ended the fight early in tho fourteenth round, a splendidly-timed uppercut with the left dropping the Frenchman for keeps. The blow was to the body, and the referee saw nothing unfair in spite of a claim of a foul by the supporters of Rouquet. It. is never satisfactory to win when there is any claim of foul, but the referee seemed to have no shadow of doubt about his decision WORLD'S FLY-WEIGHT TITLE. Before January is out we may hear of a battle for the weld fly-weight championship m New York between Elky Clarke, the best man in Europe at the weights, and Fidel La Barba, the Amercian champion. London Snortsman and Sporting Life thus touches on the matter in the mail just to hand. So Elky Clarke, holder of the British and European fly-weight championship and the Lonsdale challenge belt, is to be allowed to box Fide" La Barba, the American champion, in New York without having first to box a trial bout. This is the news cabled by Reuter to London froth New "York, with the intimation that Tex Rickard has arranged to stage the Clarke and La Barba match in the new Madison Square Garden, New York, for January

Tex Rickard who squashed the New Xork Boxing Commission's plan of subiecting Clarke to the ordeal of a preliminary contest or two. He cabled to the National Sporting Club for information as to Clarke’s status, and, armed with an assurance from the club that the Scot was iu every way the best boxer of his weight in Europe, and properly qualified to box for a world’s title, he was able to tackle the New York Commission and get them to rescind their decision and authorise a match with La Barba direct. The contest ’vill_ be given the label of world's championship, though neither boxer holds the title. La Barba beat Frankie Genaro, holder of the American fly-weight championship, in Los Angeles, on August 22, 1925, and, although it was only a 10round bout, all California claimed the cliampionship r their man and the rest of America, after some little hesitation, not only backed the cla.m. but added to it by calling. La Barba the world’s flyweight champion. It is only fair to point out that, but f y a charge of plan in 1923. Genara might have been fly-weight champion of the world instead of onlv the American title.Jiolder when he lost to La Barba. It might be added that Genaro twice beat the fqrmer chamnion. Pancho Villa, but, at the request of the latter’s manager, the title was not at stake. In the circumstances. therefore. Genaro was right in claiming the honour when Villa passed away, as the title could not revert to the former holder, Wilde, because he had retired. AUSTRALIAN CONTESTS. Bert Laws, bantam champion of Ireland, ws beaten in his first effort in Australia, in a 15-round contest, at the Sydney Stadium just before Christmas, by Jimmy Kelly. Other interesting items in the programme were the great battle between Thurbon and Reeves, and exhibition bv Payne and Cook. , After Al. Barron had defeated Dud Pendergrast in a well-fought four-round battle, in which hard knocks were exchanged, with Barron doing the better work, and earning the verdict, decks were cleared to allow ‘"Tiger” Payne give his exhibition. He had tor sparring partner Ray Samuels, and the coloured boy showed out well indeed. Cook unwisely selected Darby O’Connor as a sparring partner, but. being too big for the feather., he was unable to give us any line whether he has improved or otherwise. . ■ The first 15-round contest, between Ted Reeves (9.10) and Billv Thurbon (9.9) was a torrid affair, in which points see-sawed up to the.final session. In these two minutes of willing fighting Reeves did well enough to have been declared, winner, but Referee Joe Wallis evidently hit the popular fancy when he placed a hand on the head of each lad, to indicate that he was unable to separate them. It was a draw.

Bert Laws (8.6), the bantamweight champion of Ireland, did not make good in his initial appearance in Australia. In almost every round of 15 he was shaded by Jimmy Kelly (8.6). -The one redeeming feature about the lad was his wonderful pluck. He was up against it from the first tap of the gong, but never let up in an endeavour to pace it with his opponent. Now and then he landed his right to the jaw. though it was without effect, or he sunk the right into the body, causing Kelly to make wry faces or double up. .When Laws is in -Aus? traha a little longer he-may show to greater advantage.