BOXING IN BERLIN.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIIC, Issue 14211, 30 May 1910, Page 6

BOXING IN BERLIN.

"MUST NOT HIT HARD." The "Pall Mall Gazette" reports that the first boxing championship meeting took place recently in .Berlin on a Sunday evening. There were four classes —feather, light. middle, and heavyweights—ami some novel features distinguished the contests. Owing to police orders the rules contained a notice that competitors must not hit too hard or they would be disqualified, and the police were there to see this rule carried out. Below the stage sat the audience drinking the inevitable beer. When-a small quantity of blood was drawn by a couple of rather spirited light-weghts, the promoter of the contests assured the lades present that they must not mind the sight of a 1:1tlo red fluid, as ij_did not hurt the boxers. In i°ront„4« the audience, was a band. The pliers were silent in the intervals, but as soon as a bout began, the band struck up a martial or lively

air. and the result was that many of the combatants, feeling that they were in a ball-room, introduced into their leg work a dancing motion which, though slightly comical to experts, delighted the spectators. Especially popular were the antics of one boxer who timed his hits to lit in with the music of the band, and thus brought. down the house. One light-weight who hit his opponent such a smack on the nose that lie hastily sat down on the floor, was warned that- the next time it, happened he would he ruled out. A Berlin paper after the contests, denounced the sport as lit only for hooligans; Englishmen could keep it, but Germans did nut want such a brutal pastime-.