BOXING.

Taranaki Daily News, 17 July 1920, Page 3

BOXING.

BECKETT WINS. WELLS GOES BACK. CARPENTIER'S LESSON. London, May 11. Joe Beckett, of Southampton, is still the | British heavyweight boxing champion. "Bombardier" Wells, at Olympfa, London,; in the presence of a vast multitude, made a! desperate effort to repeat the Carpentier i knock-out in something over a minute, but Billy ! Wells is not Georges Carpentier. He cannot bend the bow of Apollo. The effort miscarried, and from the moment it failed Beckett's victory was certain. People have been and guessing; what was it that Carpentler told Wells? The Frenchman cabled a few- days ago to Mr. Cochran: "Tell Billy to remember what 11 told him." What was the secret? Wells doubtless remembered, but he told nobody. Obviously, what the Frenchman told Wells j was what everybody knew who suw the marvellous encounter between Carpentier and Beckett. Ou that occasion Beckett, stepped Into the ring with the intention of spending the evening there. It was quite clear—and his own subsequent utterances left no doubt upon the subject:—that he intended to occupy at least three rounds in preliminary sparring. But wtihin three seconds of the opening Carpentler drove his left, first hard into Beckett's face. He did this three times before swinging a tremendous right to the joint of the jaw, and the flght was over. Billy Wells did not forjret wh;:t Carpentier told him. The ring was hardly cleared when he put a stiff lead with his left hand >nto Beckett's face. But the blow was dellrered without the Gallic venom. It was clearly experimental, and Wells was either In doubt as to its efficacy or as to his own ability to put It in properly. His wavering mind was betrayed on the instaKt. The attack was not followed up. Weils, indeed, showed every evidence of a desire to follow it up. but he fought like a man who was trying to remember something that he had never nulte clearly understood. lie had missed his tide. Taken at the flood It might have led on to fortune, but he is not the -man to seize the phyehologienl moment; nor is Beckett, who fights with the determination of a true British t bull-dog, the man to be Bet down by a half* : hesrted attack. All the rest of Well's journey was bound' in shallows and uncertainties, and when Beckett, In the third round, went for him with both hands he came heavily to grief. The Gallery, who cannot get it ou: ,of their heads that he is Apollo, were disappointed ; but tha betUr jjian won.