BOXING SPORT IN ENGLAND

Taranaki Daily News, 24 June 1931, Page 12

BOXING SPORT IN ENGLAND

GARLAND, BROWN AND BALDOCK. "PHIL SCOTT MATCHED AGAIN. (By Eugene Corri. —Special to News). London, April 10. Jack Garland may never win a place among the champions, but, whatever his future, he will long be remembered for his magnificent display of courage against Al Brown at Manchester last Monday. We may claim that seldom in the history of our boxing have we had so many great “little” men. How they poke fun at some of the physical giants. We, of course, knew that Garland was as game as a pebble. Our friends in the Army will assuredly vouch for his pluck, and, besides, Garland being an Irishman, it is natural for him to fight to the last gasp. I remember him when he was quite a lad. Then he was the very best of his poundage in the Army, not only as a boxer but as a fighter. Before he went over to the professionals he won an amateur title, and I did not blame him in the least when he decided to make a business of the ring. Perhaps as a paid fighter he has fallen below expectations. I personally thought he would win higher distinction than he has done, and I confess that, when he was matched against the coloured gentleman of Panama, I felt that he was attempting too much by far. It will ever be to his credit, however, that, though beaten, he went the full distance fifteen rounds against a truly remarkable man. Before he returned to Paris, Brown declared that Garland had given him one of the hardest fights of his career; and I have an idea that , he, more than the little Irishman, was glad when the end had come. For his part Garland would have it known that no fighter ever hit him harder than Brown did. Few boys could Or would have taken all that came Garland’s way without once wincing. It has often been said that Brown is no puncher. That is quite a mistaken notion, Brown is a silent puncher, and therefore a great puncher. The boxer who gives off a lot of noise and clatter does not know the art of punching. Most times he hits with the open glove, which is as unfair as it is ineffective. Brown so conserves his power that there is a wealth of meaning and purpose in every blow he shoots along. There is definiteness in all he does. A GREAT FIGHTER. I rank him as one of the greatest negro fighters I have seen; and I can go back for years and years. Garland will never meet such another, and I shall be sorry for him if he ever has to take so much punishment as was meted out to. him at Manchester. If there be a limit to human endurance, Garland should have been counted out before half the distance had been covered. Brown hit him from every conceivable angle, and with such force as to leave those at the ringside amazed that he survived. I was, of course, expecting Brown to win, but I was more than pleasantly surprised that Garland was on his feet when the last bell went. Such was his courage and the magnificence of Garland’s performance that he has been invited to fight Johnny Cuthbert for. our feather-weight title. Garland is keen to meet the Sheffielder, and, knowing Cuthbert as I do, I take it for granted that the title-holder will fight the Irishman without question dr quibble. Cuthbert is never happier than when he is in the ring, and he could wish for no more desirable opponent than Garland. I hope they will be matched in the very near future. And, now,' after this week’s affair at Manchester, interest in the coming fight between Brown and Baldock has increased appreciably. Not a few are saying that, since Brown could only beat Garland on points, Baldock’s task cannot bo as formidable as was supposed* X am not unduly fearful of the chances of Baldock, but I am not with those who will have it that Brown has shown everything he has. I suspect he has still something up his sleeve. Not by any means docs Brown imagine that Baldock will be easy. On the contrary, I know for a fact that he has decided that, if there is one man in this country who can beat him, that man is Baldock, who, by the way, is said to be already in great shape. I am glad that all preliminaries have been satisfactorily settled, and that the fio-ht Will bo staged according to programme. The National Sporting Club, in common with most promoters, ha# spent more on fights than it has made, but if the contest between Baldock and Brown does not fill Olympia next month, I shall despair of almost any fight yielding a profit. Sb far as I have been able to gather, Baldock will not be seen in the ring until he meets Brown, but the coloured man will have at least one more bout, with the idea of keeping him thoroughly tuned up. OUR SMALL MEN. It would be a great triumph for our boxing if Baldock beat Brown, and also would it be further proof that Our little fellows are of the best in the world. Kid Berg and Johnny Peters are still keeping the flag flying gaily in America. As for Berg, there would appear absolutely, nothing left for him but the world’s lightweight championship. Peters haS ceeded our highest expectations. The other day I had a letter from an American friend, Who declared that no cleverer English boxer had visited the States thah Peters since Jimmy Wilde first made his appearance on the other side. I feared Peters would find the going too for him in America. 1 neVei for a moment doubted his boxing ability, but the boy who cannot “mix it” in the States oftener than not meets with disaster. It is especially gratifying to learn that Peters has triumphed by sheer skill* ' When Charlie Smith, of Deptford, learned that Phil Scott had been definitely matched with Larry Gains, and that they were to fight at the Leicester football ground, in June, he was, not Unnaturally, bitterly disappointed. I must say that he is entitled to feel not a little sore. We know that he is not all • that a heavy-weight who aspires to championship honours might be, but his claim to meet Scott for the title has been for long conceded, and really, since Scott has decided to come back, he should have first made sure that he was still the best of his country before signing up with Larry Gains. I can well understand that, if he fought Smith, there would not be a grert deal of money in the fight, but, while Scott must be allowed to gather as much hay as he can, his position is not Such that he may pick and choose. Smith has for long advertised ,-his certainty that he can beat Scott, and Scott, after his display at Wimbledon last summit against Stribling, should have taken the earliest opportunity of proving that he is a better man than his challenger. A TRIAL TRIP. If only to test himself, I should have thought that he would have been only too pleased to light Smith, for then, if he beat Smith, the public to a man would have declared that, of all our heavy-weights, Scott was best fitted to go to war with the coloured Canadian. Scott may take the view that the fact

that he has decided to meet a man who has already proved his Superiority over Smith is the best possible guarantee of his determination to show that he can still hold his own with the best. I sincerely hope that is th© only reason why he prefers Gains to Smith. When Scott crumpled against Stribling I felt sure that he would not pull on another glove. I did not even dream of his coming back. He tells us that he has kept in training, and that between now and June he is sure that he will gam perfect fighting fitness. Maybe, but lie would be a wonder of wonders if, having been on the shelf for a year, he made mor© than a moderate show against Gains. I hope my fears of a repetition of Wimbledon are not justified, but I should be much happier if Scott had given us an opportunity of judging his present worth before matching himself against Gains. A very large crowd will no doubt go to the Leicester football ground, but I am afraid the majority will be on tenter-hooks. Scott was defeated by Gains in the second round.