BOXING AND BOXERS

Taranaki Daily News, 8 June 1932, Page 13

BOXING AND BOXERS

THE SPORT IN BRITAIN. TUCKER DEFEATS HICKMAN. (From Our Own Correspondent.) No belittloment of Tom Tucker is intended (writes Eugene Corri) when I say that, together witli many others, I feared ha would be unable to beat Charlie Hickman a second time at the Crystal Palace. I thought Hickman would have so benefited by his previous experience against the rare old man of Bamber Bridge that he would steer clear of the rather obvious punches of Tucker, and outbox him. It seemed, however, as though Hickman were overawed by the occasion, and, like so many other past and present heavyweights, suffers from nerves. He began in such a diffident way that he simply courted disaster. There was no life in his fighting, and the wonder is that he was not put out long before the eighth round. Tucker made a complete capture of the biggest crowd ever seen at a conlost at the Crystal Palace. Long before the men took the ring, scats were at a premium. Thousands were turned away. It is remarkable how Tucker, about whom London knbw next to nothing until a few weeks ago, has become such a tremendous draw. He is bound to have several other fights at Sydenham, and I hope that, when he has got through the programme provisionally shaped for him, he will have made quite a nice little fortune. Jack Petersen, who was one of the onlookers, would like to try himself out against the Lancashire warrior, but he has already committed himself to a fight with Tom Toner, and negotiations are also afoot for a fight between him and Harry Crossley for the cruiser title. As much as £l5OO has been put on offer for a bout between Petersen and our light-heavyweight champion, and I shall be surprised if the two do not meet within the next couple of months. The Stadium Club have made a handsome inducement for a fight between the Welsh youth and Reggie Meen, but I understand that the Desborough giant will not make known his intentions iu regard to Petersen until he has been to Egypt. For the moment I am most concerned with the future of Hickman. I am afraid that, for a time at least, he will have to continue as a booth boxer. A NEW STAR. He has missed his chances in a manner most surprising. After his second defeat by Tucker, he will have to start all over again. There is no doubt that he has boxing ability far above the average, but he has led us to suppose that he is of the temperamental kind. Hickman until last Monday night did not suggest that he was at all nervous. I thought that his upbringing in the booth had made him proof against any conditions. He should not despair, however. He is not more than 22, and he is passably rich in thr physical qualities that go to make a fighter of high degree. But, at a moment when most was expected of him, .lie. was overshadowed as a rising pugilistic hope by Jack Doyle, who, until recently, was in the Irish Guards, and who last Monday, when making his debut as a professional against Chris Goulding, of Barnsley, pulled out a punch in the first round'to knock th- Yorkshireman out. More, he showed the spirit of a real fighter. For, having taken a couple of terrific punches to the neighbourhood of the jaw, he waded in to reduce Goulding to helplessness. It will not be pretended, however, that Doyle has more than an elementary knowledge of boxing. He is, in fact, so very raw that the suggestion he should measure himself against Petersen is ridiculous. lam sure that Dan Sullivan, hi's manager, has no. such idea. As a matter of fact, it is not proposed to ask Doyle to fight more than six-rounders during the next few months, and in the immediate future he is to apply himself to a course of instruction, which he obviously needs. Doyle is a magnificently set-up fellow. He stands some four inches higher than six feet, and I should say that he scales fully I's stone. Io date lie has had 28 fights, and has won each by a knock-out. For his next opponent I suggest Jack Pettifer. He is in good hands, and, being no more than 10 vears of age, he should go fat. COLOUR PROBLEM. I hate anything in the nature of a quarrel, and hope that the difference between Ted Broadribb and the Board of Control will be quickly patched up. The trouble whiph has led to the resignation of Broadribb from the board, as perhaps you know, has to do with the board's ruling out of Cuthbeit Taylor from title fights on the ground of colour. To the average man it does seem not a little strange that laylor has been barred. He fought for, and won, an amateur title, and was a member of the British team at the last Olvmpic Games at Antwerp. Popular impression is that the colour ban was lifted when Larry Gains and Donald Mc'Corkindale fought for the heavyweight championship of the British EmThe Board of Control contend that firiit did not establish a precedent in the matter of colour. They point out that they had no alternative but to countenance the Gains and MeCorkindale contest as being fo- a title, in-as-much as Gains was accepted as champion of Canada, his country, and that, when he took the ring against the South African, a title was automatically at stake. I am assured that the board will not depart from t'hcir rules, which will not permit the acceptance of a man of colour as a rightful contender for it championship. It would be well if the board gave a full explanation of the position of things. Meantime, there will be much sympathy for Cuthbert Taylor.