BOXER GRAVELY INJURED.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXIII, Issue 18762, 29 December 1930, Page 9

BOXER GRAVELY INJURED.

Fierce Contest In Sydney. LOSER SENT TO HOSPITAL. United Press Association —By Electric Telegraph—Copyrlgh* (Received December 28, 5.5 p.m.) SYDNEY, December 28. At the Sydney Stadium, the middleweight championship of Australia changed hands last night, when Jack Haines (11.4) collapsed in the tewelfth round, after a terrific battering by tho Victorian, Ambrose Palmer (11.5&). Haines was later admitted to St. Vincent’s Hospital, in a dying condition, due to a rupture of a bloou vessel beneath the skull. An operation was performed early this morning, but his condition is very low. The contest was most sensational. Fourteen thousand persons were present. Palmer was master of the situation throughout. His terrific rips to the body, and staggering hooks to Haines’s jaw had the champion hanging on almost every round. Palmer forced the fight from the beginning to end, Haines several times unsuccessfully appealing for a foul. The climax came in the twelfth round when Hair.es was down three times, and finally fell on the canvas with a sickening thud. This is the first time he has ever been knocked out.

LATEST REPORT. HAINES SHOWS IMPROVEMENT. United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright (Received December 28, 11.30 p.m.) SYDNEY, December 28. The boxer Haines is slightly improved. CHAMPION BATTERED TO FLOOR. Jack Haines, who was dethroned as middle-weight champion of Australia on Saturday night at the Rushcutters’ Bay Stadium, was born at Hay, N.S.W., 23 years ago. During the last two years he had had an almost triumphant career, battering many Australian and imported boxers into submission and disposing of others by knock-outs. He had been hailed in some quarters as another Les Darcy, and it had been suggested that he was a worthy aspirant for world championship honours. At the begining of November he met the Victorian champion, a Footscray youth of 19 named Ambrose Palmer. Haines, following his usual custom, carried the fight to his opponent, and in the earlier rounds dealt out severe punishment. Palmer, however, took all that Haines could inflict on him, and over the second half of the fight established definite superiority. The verdict, a draw, was very generally described as flattering to the champion, Haines. The gate receipts totalled £I3OO, the largest at a contest in Australia for a considerable time.

The two men met again in a title bout on Saturday night before a very large crowd. Palmer again dominated the situation after the early rounds, repeatedly driving the champion to the ropes and forcing him to hang on. The radio reporter at the Stadium stated in the eleventh round that Haines appeared to be very tired. As soon as the twelfth opened Palmer rushed his man to the ropes, and halfway through the round Haines went down. He rose early in the count, only to be .sent to the canvas again. Haines was up again at six, but was then knocked out and had to be carried later from the ring. The big crowd accorded Palmer a boisterous ovation on defeating Haines at his own fighting game. PROMOTERS PERTURBED. NEW ZEALAND’S ATTRACTIONS FEARED. SYDNEY, December 18. The possibility of a slump in Australian boxing by reason of the fact that all the leading exponents of the fistic art are being attracted to New Zealand is causing concern among those who manage the sport on this side of the Tasman. If possible a brake will be put on the operations of the representatives of various New Zealand associations, which, it is said, have had a free run in the past. It is complained that Australia has been doing all the giving, and has received nothing in return. The manager of Sydney Stadiums, Ltd. (Mr Griffith), said yesterday that he fully realised that the time had arrived to curb the New Zealand agents in some way. “In the past,” he said, “we have permitted agents to enter the stadium, have the run of the dressing rooms to interview boxers, and We have treated them splendidly. Our fighters have been engaged and sent away at a time we did not wish to lose them—often when they were at their prime. The publicity which the stadium receives in New Zealand is of no use to us. The stadium certainly receives publicity, but all of it in New Zealand. “To my way of thinking this is the wrong way to go about things. I am prepared to assist New Zealand associations, but I think I should have some say as far as the boxers under our banner are concerned as to the nature of the contracts. More than that, I think that commissions should be paid on all engagements into the coffers of my company.” Mr P. M‘Hugh, manager of the Leichhart Stadium, agreed that it was time the Australian authorities took a decided stand to prevent the poaching of the New Zealand associations. “I have my plans for matches,” he said, “and I am not going to have them upset by anyone. I won’t have anyone butting in and spoiling my matches by sending away the best fighters. Even now I am working to prevent a certain move which has for its object the departure for New Zealand of one of my star men.” “Of course it will be impossible for promoters here to prevent the agents from interviewing boxers and their managers, but it is probable that the contracts will be so worded as to prevent the men from securing local fights without a guarantee tnat they will not leave for New Zealand without permission.