BOXING.

Taranaki Daily News, 24 December 1923, Page 10

BOXING.

The secret of America’s success in ring warfare is that American pugilists specialise in making constant and sustained attack their main defence (says a writer in Smith’s Weekly). Tappers, be they ever so clever, are discouraged. Style and deportment cut no ice with the ring arbiters. An ounce of aggressiveness is worth a ton of science. The novice stalks out with the set intention of knocking his man over. If he fails l , he is given credit for the goodwill at least. AH the top-notchers are punchers. Dundee is regarded as being the lightest hitter of them all, yet he spreadeagled the tough and durable Criqui several times during their bout. I am firmly convinced that the keynote of Australia’s decline in ring prestige is sounded by our referees. They attach too much importance to trivialities. The shifty boxer, who stalls and covers up and backs away is allowed too much latitude. The real dyed-in-the-gunny-sack aggressive fighter, who is always moving up to his man, is over penalised in the matter of misses. Australians have the brawn, the pluck, and the stamina. Let, the referees encourage the natural fighter, and discourage the fellow who knows too much to be hit, and I am sure that in a very short me we will produce a crop of fighters vor thy to compete with the world’s best.