BOXING AND BOXERS

Taranaki Daily News, 27 May 1933, Page 4

BOXING AND BOXERS

, THE SPORT IN ENGLAND. JOHNNY KING’S IMPROVEMENT. , (From Our Own Correspondent.) London, March 30. After the workmanship way in which Johnny King polished off Henry Poutrain, the French feather-weight, at the beginning of the week (writes Eugene Corri) it is hardly surprising that Lumianski, manager of Al Brown, should be credited with a readiness to match the Panama negro against the Mancunian for the world’s bantam title. It is said, with what truth I do not profess to know, that Lumianski would like to have such a fight staged at one of London’s football grounds. I should have thought that, if King is to fight Brown, the bout would be put on in the neighbourhood of Manchester as a matter of course, however, it is better- to wait and see what happens. I have not the least doubt that Brown will fight anybody round about his poundage. He simply thrives on fighting; and in that regard may well pass as the most wonderful of all worldbeaters. There have been few countries in which he has not risked his title.

They tell me that King has improved no end. Certain it is that Manchester never had two such rare little fighters as King and Jackie Brown. And now about open-air fighting. If all present plans mature, we shall have a boom summer. Wales will, of course, lead the way, through the medium of Jack Petersen, who is to begin with Muller at Ninian Park next month. During the past few days the heavyweight champion has been sounded in the matter of Jack Doyle, and something near to alarm has been expressed that Petersen would require a guarantee of £5,000 to fight the young Irishman. It is apparently forgotten that, if he were to be beaten before he completed his Welsh campaign, which calls for three fights between now and August, he would sacrifice almost as much money as he has asked to accommodate Doyle. Five thousand pounds certainly seems to be an enormous sum of money these or any days, but, if Petersen has not the fault of modesty, it is a fact that he has already been offered as much as £4,000 to fight Doyle. FULL UP. I suspect that. the champion, through his counsellors, has asked for so much as to leave himself free to carry out his present commitments. It is hardly fair to him to inundate him with offers at a moment when he is pledged to a full programme. My advice to Petersen is to wait until he has got through his three fights in Wales, before troubling his head about any challenges. Surely, he has got enough' on hand already. ‘ And, besides, before a match between

him and Doyle were made, surely it is necessary, if the public is to be con-: sidei’ed, to see whether .Doyle is better for his coaching by Descamps. As he was against Bouquillon, he has no substantial claim to a fight with Petersen. A very likeable young man he is, to be sure, and one with a tremendous punch, but he must be considered to be a very doubtful quantity until he has been put through his paces. That a Petersen-Doyle fight would be a decided draw may be taken for granted, but would we see a fight really worth the while if they took the ring ? Before Doyle makes a bid for the chimpionship, he must be tried out. Then, if he makes completely good, Petersen will have to sit up and take notice. It would be a pity if the public were invited to accept Doyle for other than what he is—a youngster with a personality, but, so far as we have been able to tell, still rather deficient in skill. I suggest that Doyle be found work at once, and that for the time being Petersen be left to carry on in Wales. I see that Jeff Dickson is prepared to pay Petersen £5,000 to fight the winner of the McCorkindale affair at the Albert Hall, if the champion, for his part, will put up a side-stack of £2,500. The offer has the virtue of novelty, but, from what I can gather, it does not appeal to Petersen as a sound commercial proposition. DEMONSTRATION NEEDED. Now this about McCorkindale and Stribling. First, they .must convince the British public that one or other of them is the very man for Petersen by making their fight next Thursday something enormously better than many we have seen lately. I do hope they will not disappoint us, but I have a feeling, deep down in me, that unless the pre-siding-'official employs a strong hand, it will fall short of being a great contest. Stribling can box delightfully, but it has ever been that he has had a weakness for holding, and generally playing up to the whistle, after the way of a fighter reared in the school to which he belongs. As for McCorkindale, he has not quite lived up to the showing he made against Larry Gains. In his recent bout with Neusel. he was terribly sluggish, and, as a consequence, he lost many camp followers. McCorkindale has a habit of assuming grogginess when, with half an eye, it, is plain to see that he is as strong as a bull.. He must know by this time that Stribling is about the most difficult man to hoodwink. If McC6rkindale is to win, it will be by boxing, and the freest use of his left hand, which is obviously his strongest weapon, whether for offensive or defensive purposes. If the South African is beaten, he will have slipped

far down the ladder. Stribling has got much to do to win all of us over to him. If he is beaten, he will find this country far less of a happy huntingground. It is because they have so much at stake that I am rather surprised they are troubling their heads about Petersen.. They are not in a position to make other than immediate commitments. First, they must make completely good next Thursday. If they do, then will be the time to trail the British champion. Petersen may regret that he is more or less tied up until Aqgust, but on second thoughts he will perhaps decide that he has done the best for himself. I, personally, think that he has made a very good deal. In the matter of Doyle, I do hot know what, to suggest' There seemed to be some likelihood of his getting to grips with Reggie Meen, but a fight with the former champion would scarcely edrry him any further, for the good and sufficient reason that Meen came near to burning the last of his boats by losing to Charlie Smith at Bradford last Monday. Much as It might be desired, I do not see how Doyle can count upon Petersen for his next opponent. He must have at least one fight, and win it in an entirely convincing manner, before he can hope to get the Welshman in the ring. The trouble is to find the right man fori Doyle. It is being said that Tommy Tucker, who is to make another appearance at the Crystal Palace on Monday night, would oblige the young Irishman. Of that I have no doubt.