BOXING

Southland Times, Issue 22188, 2 December 1933, Page 15

BOXING

NEWS OF THE WEEK.

(By

“Veritas.’’-)

FIXTURES AHEAD.

December 2—H. Lister v. F. Parker, at Greymouth. December 4—Rayner v. Franklyn, at Invercargill. December 16—Rayner v. Hawes (feather title), at Blenheim.' December (probable)—Double heavyweight programme, Nicol v. Parker, and Singleton v. Campbell, at Invercargill.

Monday night’s attraction at the Civic theatre promises to be well received. It is a long time since a pair of feathers Rave been matched here. Rayner and Franklyn are stated to be in the first rank of their class in New Zealand, so they should be well worth watching. The following, culled from the N.Z. Sportsman will interest Invercargill boxing fans: “The Council of the New Zealand Boxing Association met last week and decided to officially invite the Australian governing body (the Australian' Amateur Boxing and Wrestling Union) to send a representative team of amateur boxers to the Dominion next season. As yet no itinerary has been arranged, but in the event of the invitation being accepted, it is believed that the visiting team will be asked to make two appearances—possibly in Wellington and Auckland.” It is worth recalling that the S. B. A. put in its claim for the next Australiasian “meet” to be held in Invercargill. Will the locals be passed over? When “Tiger” Joe Franklyn and Percy Hawes fought at Gisborne last Friday night the South Islander’s national featherweight championship title was not at stake. This was due to Franklyn’s non-compliance with the rules when he neglected to forward his challenge in writing to the council, through the local association that had agreed to promote the contest. Such is the correct procedure. The council then considers the challenger’s credentials and, if these are satisfactory, the champion is usually called upon to defend his title. As a matter of fact the Council had previously instructed Hawes to defend his title against Rayner at Blenheim on December 16, and in fairness to the champion, the controlling body declined to permit the Gisborne people to involve the title in the contest.

“Midget” Wolgast, who won world's flyweight championship recognition when he outpointed Jackie Brown of England—a verdict that was hooted by a London crowd two weeks ago—lost a points decision to Bobby Leitham, the Canadian holder of the British Empire bantamweight title, three weeks before he beat Brown. Wolgast was 2] lb the lighter man when he met Leitham.

Barney Ross sent all the way from New York to Chicago to have his barber cut his hair before the Canzoneri fight. “I always have Harry Gilbert cut my hair before going in the ring for a fight and I sent to Chicago for Harry to come to New York and cut my hair and watch me beat Canzoneri for the second time in three months.” The Chicago barber is Barney’s token of good luck. The fight fans lost another colourful character when Referee Lou Magnolia passed away in New York recently. Lou was in Hollywood a short time ago and worked in the picture “Madison Square Garden.” He also appeared at the Hollywood arena and worked a bout as referee and made a big hit. Leo Lomski, an American cruiserweight, who attracted great crowds in fights with Mickey Walker and Co., is now a stevedore, finished with boxing and whatever finance he made in the ring. Mickey Walker, former world’s welter and middleweight champion, who lost his title against Maxie Rosenbloom for the world’s cruiserweight title two weeks ago, still wears the same knickers when he fights as on

the occasion when he beat Jack Britton for the welter crown in 1922. John L. Sullivan, the great American heavyweight, was 34 years and 11 months old when he lost to Jim Corbett—the feat giving Corbett the right to call himself world’s heavyweight champion in any part of the world. That was on September 7, 1896. San Bernardino, Calif., Oct. 13. — Jack Dempsey, former heavyweight champion, returned to fistic battle last night and knocked out Leslie Grimes, an Australian light-heavyweight wrestler. Dempsey, serving as referee in an exhibition between Grimes and Frankie Schroll, Fresno, shoved the Australian aside as the two wrestlers sought to slug it out rather than wrestle. Grimes, angered, swung _at Dempsey. The former champion blocked the wrestler’s swing with his left and crossed with his right. Grimes hit the canvas, out cold. Dempsey helped him to his corner and called the wrestling match a draw. DEMPSEY’S GROWL TOO MANY “MACHINE MADE” BOXERS Jack Dempsey recently expressed himself as disappointed at the development of “ machine-made ” boxers. “Where are the miners and the blacksmiths of other days?” he asked. Now we don’t get real men in the ring, but merely the products of physical culture and gymnasium specialists.” Dempsey is right to a certain extent (comments an Australian writer, “Last Round”). But he is one of the reasons why he also is wrong. He, like others in the boom period of boxing, wanted every million dollars he could get. With such big money going, especially for heavy-weights, is it likely that prospective boxers were to be allowed to develop muscle and stamina by sheer hard work—perhaps for years —when there was a chance of getting some of the cash by taking a course of scientific development under well-equipped conditions? There are too many scouts searching for prospects to permit of their doing so, even if they desired to continue. Money the Big Magnet.

Money is the big clement in boxing, particularly in America, and there is too much to be made by handlers forthem to let a likely prospect continue in his own ways. Thus we find many a man coming to the ring lacking the powers of endurance possessed by Dempsey and some of the older chainpions; and perhaps not so well equipped as boxers. Not all, of course. America sets the pace in many sporting avenues by reason of having so much money to provide for participants. And from them is demanded something better than the last—“ Records are made only to be broken’; “Champions are made only to be knocked over"; “Speed, speed, and more speed” are some of the slogans with which the public are fed to attract them.

The craze for sensation has brought by degrees a decline in the general standard of boxing—noticeable even in Dempsey’s time—until to-day it is but a shadow of what it was in the days of the miners and blacksmiths —and even bank clerks—referred to by Dempsey. For high-speed action is not always effective boxing. Too often it is little more than crude slugging. Weighty, no doubt, but not guided by the mentality that governed the actions of such men as Dempsey’s patterns. Those men went through the real mill —experience. And those who reached the top were those who learned as they travelled.

All things being equal as regards weight and other physical attributes, the legitimate boxer will beat the slugger nine times out of ten. One such beat Dempsey. Tunney was no miner or blacksmith; but he had a brain which showed him the weakness of the present “free for all” system. And when he tried his orthdox boxing on Dempsey the title changed hands. Nor could Dempsey regain it at a second attempt.