THE BOXING RING

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 136, 30 August 1927, Page 12

THE BOXING RING

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A Southern writer states that it is j rumoured that Pocock, who won the j amateur middle-weight championship j jit Invercargill this month, intends j turning professional. Tunney and Dempsey have both j commenced training for the title bout j in September. The champion has been ■ loaned a luxurious 51-roomed country club on the shores of Pox Lake, Illinois, for a training camp. Jim Broadfoot had his sixth professional contest last night at Hamilton, when he met Nelson McKnight. The fight went the full distance of ten rounds and was awarded to the Aucklander on points. He is thus still undefeated since turning to the professional ranks. • * * Still another old-timer has announced his come-back to the boxing ring. The latest is Jimmy Wilde, who states that he was never better than he is now and is confident that he can beat any flyweight in the world. Wilde lost the flyweight championship of the world to Pancho Villa, in seven rounds. BIG MONEY Estimated statistics on the Demp-sey-Sharkey fight are:—Estimated attendance, 80,000; estimated receipts, £ L'-O.OOO; Government tax, £20,000; State tax, £10,000; Dempsey’s share, '-50,000; Sharkey’s share (estimated), £43,000; estimated expenses, £122,000; estimated profits, £03,000. Darby O’Connor, the visiting Australian feather-weight, made his New Zealand debut at Wellington last Wednesday, when he met Tommy Griffiths. The decision went to the New Zealand, boy on points. The fight was very close and interesting, and the way in which the Australian twice dropped Griffiths —once for eight and again for nine—greatly impressed the judges. Mr. Val Barker, president of the Ajnateur Boxing Association and secretary of the International Amateur Boxing Federation, says it is certain that all nations, members of the federation, will be debarred from boxing at the Amsterdam Olympiad next year by the decision of the Olympic Committee that amateurs can be paid for time lost. ' There must be no wavering,” says the ‘Sporting Life.” “All amateur organisations in Britain must resolutely combat the proposal, which strikes at the very foundation of amateurism. If necessary, they must boycott the Olympic Games.” ‘•MANY CUSTOMERS”

The Dempsey-Sharkey fight has done one tiling lor tne pugilistic game; namely, it has won it a place in the editorial columns of newspapers, states a New York message. "People who are dissatisned with the conauci and results of prize lights have an inalienable right to stop attending them,” the “Herald-Tribune” commented editorially. "The dispute about the right to meet Mr. Tunney in Chicago in September brought something over a million dollars into tne cashier’s office at the Yankee Stadium. The impending battle between Mr. Tunney and Mr. Dempsey will in the practised opinion of sporting authorities, cost the spectators £OOO,OOO. Prize fight promotion is a business and a highly profitable business.”

"Public support of boxing is harder to knock out than all the champions t»i the past and present combined,” the "Times” said. "There will be much argument and many customers will vow their\determination never to attend another fight. But when Mr. Tunney enters the ring to defend his title, the same customers will be there.”

The secret of Mike McTigue’s newfound hitting power, which enabled the rejuvenated Irish light-heavyweight to bowl over four out of five opponents in a row, culminating in his four-round knock-out of Paul Berlenbach, was told recently by Mike’s new manager, James "Joy” Johnston. It’s all in the stance; that is to say, the position oi the feet, according to Johnston. "Mike used to carry his right loot 18 inches or so back of his left,” said Jimmy. "With his feet so wide apart there was little or no power in iiis right hand punch. It was a punishing blow, but it lacked snap. l knew that all he had to do was to bring that right 'foot up about 10 inches and pivot on the ball of it, which would get his full weight behind the blow.” According to Johnston, after altering the position of his feet McTigue at once began knocking sparring partners flat, so they both knew* that McTigue, a veteran of the pugilistic wars, had finally found the one thing lacking in his fistic equipment—a kock-out wallop. British ring fans are going into ecstasies over a new boxer, Petit JJiquet, a Belgian bantamweight whom they are acclaiming as a marvel and a coming champion. Biquet lacks six months of being 16 years old. Despite his extreme youth he is described as "a brilliant boxer already,” with pemty of defensive skill and packing a punch oi considerable power. lie recently scored a win over the London examateur, Phil Loloskey, regarded as a good one among the little fellows of Engand. The London magazine, "Boxing,” says; "He has exceptional stamina, and, being enthusiastic, it is certain that he will never neglect his training. He has already been labelled a new and budding Carpentier, and while we have to confess that we were not privileged to have any personal inspection of ‘Gorgeous Georges’ during the hero’s fistic infancy, we strongly doubt that the boy who became heavyweight champion of Europe and the present illegal holder of the Gant Gold Gup was anywhere near so ably equipped at the age of 15J as Petit Biquet is to-day.” The editor of the same paper describes the little Belgian as "the revelation.” Instead of the stage being the ruination of pugilists, it is the natural ■ happy hunting grounds,” and should make them, says Gene Tunney, world’s heavyweight champion, who has tried it himself and should, therefore, know. Tile only trouble,” Gene says, "is that they go at it only with the idea of having all the fun they can.” This statement followed publication of a remark from the venerable William Muldoon to the general effect that no champion who squandered his time fiddling about vaudeville houses and movie studios could hope to retain his boxing honours. "He must,” Muldoon said, "defend his title at least three or four times a year to be really effective.” Gene answers: "I have a sincere regard for Commissioner Muldoon and consider him one of the leading authorities on boxing and boxers, but there are exceptions to every rule, and I think I am one. Study my record and you will notice that I did not have one real fight in 10 months before meeting Dempsey. Then I fought Johnny Risko in Cleveland, a year ago last November. I have not reached the peak of my physical powers, have yet to fight my best bout, and contend time a man who lives as cleanly as I i«n Will not become stale or lose his «kui or punch. Remember that I don tne Bloyes four times a day on the stage, with good sparring partners, and whi?° r f b , oxing than I usually did daily Millie training to fight Dempsev. I Step into the ring inside* of a j had to .I* eady for any challenger if I j

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