BOXING AND BOXERS

Taranaki Daily News, 2 August 1930, Page 13

BOXING AND BOXERS

OARXBRA’S MANY FWIITS. It seems as though wc may be forced (writes Eugene Com) to a revision of our estimate of Primo Carnera r after his convincing victory over Christner, who ■ though not an exceptional fighter, even as present heavy-weights go, is at: least a much experienced one. We may’ only be able to judge exactly the capacity of the Italian giant if all restrictions upon his activities are removed; and I shall not be a little surprised if, after his latest conquest, he is not received with, open arms by the many and various bodies who have set themselves up as the custodians of boxing in America. It is necessarily • difficult for anyone of us on this side to say with any certainty what was the real strength of the fights in which Camera had engaged prior to his meeting Christner. ! If records and general data at our disposal might be relied upon, the only conclusion possible is that Camera encountered so many pugilistic nobodies, and that even Christner, at best, is no more than a third rater. But it is one. thing to declare that the: sixteen opponents he has met are of mo account, and quite another to say that any of his contests were in jthe .nature of fakes. _ I have known his manager,, Leon Seo, for many years, and he, is mot.the kind of man to “spoil , the market’’ by any pre-arrangement. The.b position,/as., 1 see it, is this. No heavy-weight -.who supposed that he was in * the; running for the title was keenJy/ inclined . to make a match with him,’ and, ..if Cafnera had not taken whatever..opponents Offered, he would perhaps ’riot have had a single fight in the States-.. ' It may be that his decisive victory -over Christner will not bo held to be of -any serious account, for the' ire'ason that the Swede was short of 15 stone. But any man as heavy as Christner is surely big enough for all purposes. ■ SIZE AND ABILITY. If Camera were more of .a giant than he actually is, I would not. consider him to be the more formidable. If he tfere- to win the world’s title it would, not be merely because he was ever so big. It would be because he had the ability to win it. When Bob Fitzsimmons ruled the roost there were men who in point of weight could have-eaten, him, Fitzsimmons became champion of the world because he was .-a better fighter than the best who could be put up against him. If Fitzsimmons were of- the ring to-day -I doubt whether he ever scaled 12st.—he would tumble over himself in his haste ,to fight Carnera. He had the utmost contempt for mere bulk. Ido not recall the. name of Fitzsimmons, whom I knew very well —I spent many • interesting and happy hours with him when he visited London —with the least intention of comparing him with Camera. But 1 do link up the two by .way of’ proving that the Italian has . not ..become one of the most famous characters of the ring only because there is no one physically equal to him. I am going to'give Camera credit for having done more than we ever thought he was capable of.