THE BOXING RING

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 610, 12 March 1929, Page 11

THE BOXING RING

Notes From Far and Near

By '‘LEFT COUNTER” ==

Matt Hatton, the Auckland featherweight, was offered a match with Tommy Donovan at New Plymouth on March 13. but for business reasons he has not accepted. The Westport Association also wanted to* get the pair in the ring, but the Aucklander could not accept. Nevertheless he would like to meet Donovan, if the bout could be arranged nearer this city. One American writer either thinks j that the present crop of heavy-weights ! is practically beneath notice, or that Jack Dempsey is a super-man. He contends that Dempsey could defeat all the present contenders for the heavy-weight crown, in the same ring in the one night, with only one hand —a big order, just the same. Stadiums, Ltd.’s Mistake The meeting of Billy Grime and Fidel La Barba was not of a thrilling description, and the crowd was left lamenting. Willie Smith is to be matched with the winner, La Barba, and the second meeting of the pair should make up for Grime’s disappointing display. Grime was not in form, as was to be expected, and Stadiums, Ltd. should have given him a fight or two before pitting him against Lu Barba. World Title Bout in Sydney? According to Australian writers the stage is practically set for a world championship bout in Sydney between Fidel La Barba and Bushey Graham. Stadiums recently cabled Graham offering him £4,000 to go to Sydney and risk his bantam-weight title against his countryman. A favourable reply from Graham has been received, and a further cable has been dispatched instructing- him to leave not later than March 6, or the bout will be cancelled. Australian papers of that date are not yet to hand, and it is not definitely known whether Graham has left America or not. * * * The “Two-iife System”? The defeats of Heeney and Strib* ling by Maloney and Sharkey respectively caused a great deal of surprise not only oil this side of the world, but also in America, where the critics should know. Heeney has not been rated very highly since his clash with Tunney and his long lay-off, and Maloney was given an even show of beating him. From all accounts the New Zealander was the recipient of a good beating. Stribling was thought, to have a fairly easy thing in Sharkey, but the applecart was properly upset. Stribling may get another chance, as

Heeney makes his second attempt this evening with Otto Van Porat as his opponent. Perhaps this elimination tournament is being run on the “twolife system.” a leaf from the bowlers' notebook. Asking for Trouble For the fourth time Jim Broudfoot and Clarrie Poccok will meet, when they face each other at Westport on March 23. and on April 1 they will resume the tussle at Christchurch. Except for a couple of matches Christchurch has seen little of boxing for a long time, and is asking for trouble in selecting men who have met four times previously. The writer has seen two of the three battles which have been waged so far, and both were good, hard displays, especially the last one at Te Aroha in February. Wills and Firpo to Fight Champions and old-timers are nearly always restless to return to the game. The latest is Harry Wills, the negro heavy-weight, who for years dogged the steps of Jack Dempsey in an effort to get a fight for the world’s title. He was unsuccessful, and during the period of inactivity he went to seed and was easily defeated when he did decide to fight someone other than Dempsey. It is rumoured in America that his opponent will be none other than Luis Firpo, who will also be on the come-back trail, and that the bout will take place in Buenos Aires. If the bout really does take place it should be an exceptionally interesting affair. France’s Rise to Prominence France is taking a place of prominence on the fistic map. Carpentier won the light-heavy-weight championship of the world from Battling Levinskv and Criqui won the feather-weight title from Johnny Kilbane. Only recently Andre Routis won the featherweight championship from Tony Canzeroni, and Emile Pladner followed this up by winning the European flyweight championship from Johnny Hill. Public interest has been revived by the success of Routis and Pladner and it is confidently expected in that country that the latter will finish up by winning the world’s fly-weight title. A message from Paris states that Pladner knocked out Ge.iaro in the first few seconds in a bout for the title. Genaro is not the official champion and it is doubtful if Pladner will be recognised as the title-holder until he has defeated the other claimants.