BOXING.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume I, Issue 252, 27 November 1914, Page 2

BOXING.

RECENT EVENTS ABROAD. Another member of the" team of French boxers now in Australia, in charge of Mr Ancinell, has met with defeat. Seven rounds saw the termination of the contest held at the Melbourne Athletic Pavilion recently between "Herb" '-McCoy, Australian light-weight, and Marcel Denis. From the outset McCoy, who was in fine condition, assumed the aggressive, and proved himself far the superior in ring tactics to his opponent, who appeared somewhat flabby. The Frenchman, whose boxing at times was rather wild, nearly met defeat in the fifth round, during which he went to the boards, and took the count for 9sec. Denis was plucky, but he received such a trouncing from the Australian that in the seventh round the towel was thrown in from his corner.

HOLLAND DRAWS WITH DYER.

"Fritz" Holland, the American boxer, is. now settled in Sydney, met welter-weight "Fred" Dyer, the Welsh "singing-boxer," in Brisbane a few days ago. A Brisbane report of the match states that .Holland seemed to be "playing to the gallery during the first ten rounds, and Dyer piled up points, with lefts to the face. Holland improved during the later rounds of the fight, but Dyer's footwork and boxing generally were too clever for the American. The. contest was given a draw, and the referee's decision was received, with hoots and howls. A stone was also thrown into the ring."

AMATETJBS AT THE FRONT. Referring to the casualties among British' boxers at the front, some of which have already been mentioned in The Sun, a London paper says:—"The sad news has come to hand of the deaths of the gallant Captains Champion de Crcspigny, of the Queen ' s ? avs > an< * Garstjn, of the 19th Lancers. Captain de was a fine boxer and all-round athlete; those who were perr nutted to see his contest with Lieut: Huntington in the semi-final of the 1912 Navy and Army boxing pionships will never forget the Homeric character of the battle. General Allenby, in a letter to the late captain's wife, stated that Captain de Crespigny died a heroV death. The brigade was hotly, engaged, and oh the 'Bays'' fell the brunt of the fighting. Be with a few men, was holding, an important tactical pointy and he held it till every man was killed or wounded. Captain Garstin, although not so accomplished a. boxes- as de Crespigny, nevertheless acquitted himself with honour in the Army championships at Aldershot, which were held early, this year. Captain the 9th Lancers, who wounded in a desperate and successful attempt to penetrate the German linesV '-was a middle-weight finalist in the recently-held Navy and. Army championships.'r.-The intrepid courage he displayed then against far superior skill was'' a subject for favourable comment by the pressmen who >xere present. »»■■-•■

MEHEGAN'S LATEST DEFEAT. Here is a summary of the contest in which "Johnny" Griffith, the American light-weight, knocked out '■' Hughie'' Mehegan in Sydney a few days ago From the first round Griffith demonstrated his superiority as a boxer. His left found the face repeatedly, and ; Mehegan >s smother was ineffectual against Griffith's versatile attacks, which included left and right hooks, with uppercuts interspersed. His clever footwork nullified Mehegan's attempts in the fourth round to make up the arrears in points. By powerful swings to the head in the-fifth round Mehegan forced the fighting, but was dropped with an admirably-timed left hook to the chin. Mehegan rose at nine, and was sent down again as the bell rang. He was gamely fighting a losing fight. Mehegan made an unexpected rally in the sixth round. Although severely punished, he got home heavily a couple of times. In the*seventh round Mehegan was kept busy blocking left and .right hooks. In the eighth round Griffith landed with force on both sides of Mehegan's face, and soon afterwards found an. opening for a right uppercut y which sent Mehegan down and out for about four minutes. Both winner and loser were heartily applauded.'' AMERICAN HAPPENINGS.

In addition to those matches which were chronicled in The Sun last Friday and Monday, the American mail brings details of other important happenings in American boxing. These are the defeat by Jack Dillon of '' Jim'' Flynn, who fought "Jack" Johnson at Las Vegas a couple of years ago for the heavy-weight championship of the world j the knocking out of " Kid J » Herman in the fourth round by "Kid" Williams, bantam-weight champion of the world; and thei silencing of "Billy" Murray, also in the fourth, round, by George Chip; .Dillon is said to have got through his task so easily that he won every round but the first, which was even. How are the mighty fallen!* There were men —good judges —at the ringside on July 4, 1912, including the late Mr W. W. Naughton, who left their seats satisfied that but for the interference of the police captain in charge of the contest Flynn would certainly have accounted for Johnson. The white man was wearing the. black down. Flynn has, of course, gone off some since, and probably his latest conqueror has come on. There was so little difference between:DilloH and "Gus'? Christie, whom "XesVjDarpy and "Mick" King have proved ,too much for in Australia, that they met, certainly, half a dozen times, and only once—on the occasion of the first match—did .'.. Dillon get the decision. Each of the other contests went the full time, without a ruling being voiced officially. .

''Kid'' Herman met '' Eddie'' Campi at New Orleans on Sunday, September 13, and: over-scored him so well that his chance of wresting the bantam supremacy from. ?' Kid'' Williams was voted easily good. But what an awakening those confident- New Orleans people experienced, at Philadelphia on September 29. Williams absolutely killed whatever aspirations Herman had by. knocking him out, as.stated,, and pun : ishing an: exceptionally game, fellow in a manner that, it is stated, was almost unbelievable* Williams lost a 200-dollar

(£4O) forfeit through being lib over weight.

George Chip did not give Murray a chance in their battle on October 1 at San Francisco. When the same two : men met before, Murray outpointed Chip during the first ten rounds, but it was different on the latest occasion. Chip exhibited no fear of Murray's blows, and went right after him, regardless of anything he ran against. A left hook to the jaw ended matters. THE "RABBIT-KILLER." " Corinthian,' '■" 'of the '' Sporting Chronicle," writes: —"I was amazed to read in a newspaper the other day an objection (perhaps it would be accurate to write 'an attempted objection') to the barring of the 'rabbit-killer' blow that Australians have decided to cut out. The. writer even attempted to justify a continuance of the kidney punch. v Surely there is no sport in I which any behind-the-back deeds are so utterly despicable as they are in boxing. I have known high-spirited sportsmen dislike Rugby football because they found themselves Compelled to tackle from behind when such a tackle was essential to the welfare of the side. But that is allowed in Rugby football; it is the law, and therefore part of the game. In boxing it is different, for the rules say very distinctly that points can be awarded for blows landed on the front and sides of the face and body, above the belt. An excellent law that is, too: it insists upon boxing being the straightforward,. f aee-to-f ace, man-to-man pastime it should be. It follows that a man who sneaks in punches lat the back of the neck or on the kidneys of his opponent, who might have slipped in making an'effort, is. reducing boxing to a level that is little higher .than the stage of morality and decency which allows Germans to direct ,big artillery fire upon a cathedral that js being used as a hospital. This baek-of-the-neck and kidney business must be stopped, for it gives to the enemies of boxing an opportunity which they might seize, with some justification, as a substantial excuse for getting legal authorities to put a cheek on the game. Somebody must move in the matter j and if no does, the refereef of professional contests should exercise' what would be a perfect right and disjqualify boxers. wM persistently, pursue a policy of sending' along blows that are not directed at the 'front or sides of face or body,' " ••..:■,.;■■