BOXING.

Taranaki Daily News, 9 December 1926, Page 13

BOXING.

THE ART IN ENGLAND HEENEY BEATS STANLEY. (From Our Own Correspondent.) London, Oct. 28. Mr. Lionel Bettinson believes that the club has got one of the most promising young heavyweights that has happened for years. His name is Donald Shortland, and he is of Sheffield. He has certainly been caught young, for he is not yet 17 years of age, though he stands more than six feet high, and weighs something in the neighbourhood of 14st. I understand that young Mr. Bettinson has taken Shortland under his wing, and that the Yorkshire boy will be taught his trade by Alec Lambert. Shortland, made his first appearance at the N.S.C. last Monday night, and he was put up against Tom Fow-ler, who has had quite a lot of experience. Fowler, on one occasion put the German heavy weight champion, Hans Breittenstraettor, down three times in one round in an affair at Berlin, and he has qualities W’hich would serve to test the worth of any youngster. Shortland beat Fowler, and his display exceeded the highest expectations. He showed that he has more than an elementary knowledge of how boxing should be done, and he proved that he can take punishment, which capacity is the most important of all. They tell me that Shortland is a very sensible young man, and I have hopes that he will make his mark. Sheffield, these days, is something of a big noise, and I am pleased to see that on the loth of next month Frank Maurier, who put up such a brave show against Alf Barber, is to have another opportunity to distinguish himself at headquarters. He has been matched with Johnny Murton, of Plymouth. Tom Heeney, the New Zealander, is perhaps not such a good boxer as Jack Stanley, but at the beginning of the week he beat the Deptford heavyweight on points iu al5 rounds contest. I cannot say that Heeney has appreciably improved since last time I saw him. I should say that he is less slow, but he has yet to acquire the art of punching. If he could punch as hard as such a big and strong man as he is should do, he would make most heavyweights sit up and take notice. However, with his glorious youth and keenness, he may yet win a place among the first rankers. A Welsh bantam glove wielder is on his way to Australia. By name Billy Grubb, he will find plenty to do —real hard labour. Jim Mace, the stylist who flourished many yeans ago, would find much to delight him could he but see Teddy Murton, English feather-weight, in action. Old timers who saw him dispose so artistically of the American coon, Ancel Bell, at Melbourne recently, en thused over the deft and skilfullyexecuted work of the white man, and many were the expressions of admiration elicited as he constantly plied his lelt hand, his one-two punches to head and body, and side-stepped in a manner seldom seen in the ring these days. The coloured one must have wondered at the variety of blows received, and after a few rounds (nine) became heartily fed-up, and took the easy way out of slinging one a bit low. The referee had no alternative but to rule out the darky.

An interesting line on Aussie Billy Grime’s chances in the United States glove world was given in his recent bout with Filipino Pedro Campo at Sydney Stadium. Campo has met and whacked top-notehere Buch as Joe Tiplitz. Joe Dundee, Jimmy Goodrich, and Danny Kramer, elite of American pugdom, and in disposing of the Filipino in so decisive a manner the Australian has accomplished something really great. Campo, it is stated, has not yet recovered from the dizziness produced by the blinding flash of the Australian’s gloves, which found every breach in the darky’s armour and wtre placed with much wile when and where Grime willed. Campo must be a very gsitty little fellow to see out 20 rounds in the face of such a disheartening task, even though over the Matter rounds hie opponent refused to further punish him.