BOXING.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 10301, 4 November 1911, Page 5

BOXING.

There was a very fine attendance at the Theatre Royal'on Thursday last, on the occasion of the Christchurch Club'k fourth competition of the season, but the building was not full, though in view of the excellent programme provided this should have been the case. The event which undoubtedly proved the draw was that between J. Hagerty and A. C. Maxwell. Briefly, the reason for matching them was owing to the dissatisfaction expressed by the New Plymouth Association at the action of the Selection Committee appointed by the New Zealand Council in selecting Hagerty to represent the dominion in the lightweight Australasian championship. Hagerty did not compete at the NewZealand championship meeting, whereas Maxwell did, winning the lightweight event. Hagerty succeeded in winning the Australasian championship at Brisbane, and on his return home the Christchurch Sports Club was successful in inducing the pair to meet. The first contest of the evening was between L. Cade (winner of the New Zealand middle-weight championship) and J. Sharplin (winner of the Canterbury middle-weight championship). They met at oatch-weights, and Sharplin's 81b advantage was more than Cade could give away. Sharplin i« bigger and stronger than Cade, and I should say a more versatile boxer and a harder hitter. To sum him up in a few words, he is a particularly hard proposition to tackle. He will meet S. Fitzsimmons at Christchurch on Show Day morning, and will then be tried out to his full extent, for Fitzsimmons is a husky lad with a vei-y dirty left.. Cade did not box up to his recent form, but this no doubt was due to the circumstances stated above. Though somewhat one-sided, the contest was of a most interesting character, the action being fairly fast, and there was plenty of variety to relieve- the bout of any suspicion of tameness. The Hagerty-Maxwell bout was hotly contested after the preliminary "feeler." It opened comparatively quietly much, I am sure, to the surprise ot the bulk of the onlookers, who, being conversant with Hagerty's fast and fiery work, fully expected a lively time from the first gong. ■ Instead it was Maxwell who opened the ball. No doubt ho had been posted on Hagerty's style and methods, and fully expected the first move to come from the Timaru lad, but as it didn't, he commenced the attack. That Hagerty had been cautioned against Maxwell's slee;p-produc-ing right was very evident trom the manner iu which he kept under c.over. He would take no risks; but as Maxwell, emboldened by Hagerty's apparent reluctance to join issue, made play more freely, Hagerty bored in in his customary style, and shot in rapid rights to the body and left hooks to the head. It was a fairly even round, with the honours slightly iu favour of Hagerty. In the second round the pace , improved, and half-way through Maxwell drove iu a body punch which got home iu the right place and caused Hagerty considerable distress. It was a very severe blow. Hagerty, however, established u good lead in this round, and increased it in the third, in which he landed a terrific right to the head, and for a moment it looked as though it was all over with the New Plymouth lad. .Hut he pulled himself together in the gamest fashion, and, as Hagerty made no attempt U'follow up the advantage, Maxwell mad a a. good recovery. It was not till the fifth round, that Hagerty really let out the high-speed gear, and then only for a few seconds. But how many times hit Maxwell in that brief period it is impossible to say. The blows were delivered with such rapidity as to render an accurate tally out of the question Then he went back to the steady methods with which he had opened proceedings. It is not to be thought that Maxwell was idle during these rounds. Far from. it. He got home some clean left** which had a good deal of powder behind them; but, as Hagerty constantly went to close quarters, Maxwell's superiority in reach, so far from being of service to him, was actually a handicap. Hagerty would not bo shoved aivaf, and in consequence while he ivaa piling up points Maxwell coiild do little more than rub his' gloves against the back of Hagerty's head or thump his forearms in desperate attempts to force away through Hagerty's impenetrable smother. When the fiual round opened Maxwell's only chance of winning was by the knockout route. He tried desperately hard t& ftCCQmpJiisJt

Hagerty off his feet by his iievy and increasing assault. it is true tliat he did not get home a great many clean blows, for Hagerty's de'fence stood the battering very well indeed, but he gave- Hagerty precious little opportunity to do more than defend, ft was one of the greatest rallies that J have seen ; because it was so well sustained; bub it was not within the powers of tho average man to go at such a terrific pace for a full round, and in tho last minute Hagerty got a little baek. He had had a very bad time though, and more than once if lie did not hold his opponent he. went suspiciously close to doing so. It was a very strenuous battle, both being used up at the finish; but there is no doubt as to which won. On points Hagerty had. a fairly big lead. He scored "considerably more, than his opponent in the hiiting department, in four rounds he did the bulk of the attacking, and his defence was the sounder. At the same time he was never in the position, to be able to ease up. He was extended all through, though at the same time he did not box at his customary speed nor in his customary style. He showed a wholesome respect for his opponent's powers and suited his methods accordingly. Maxwell displayed the utmost gameness. He was up against a style which prevented him from showing' his undoubted powers to their best effect, hut he kept pegging away knowing that he always had"the chance to " bring home the bacon " if he could succeed in getting homo just once on the right spot. Both lads were vociferously cheered at the conclusion of what was one of the most vimful and stubbornly contested battles seen in Cltristchurch. The professional bout between Williams and Mayze was tamo by comparison with the two amateur bouts. This was Mayze's first appearance as a professional, as it was his first appearance in the ring for a couple of years or thereabouts. His long absence from the hemnen so.na.re has impaired his powers if Thursday's display is a true record; but somehow Ido not think it is after witnessing, his two try-outs. Ther-i* is nothing out of the ordinary about. Williams 1 " as a boxer, which therefore makes Mayze's poor display all tho more inexplicable. Ho was beaten in nearly every round. • His leads were few and weak; twice at least lie had Williams Bhaky, but made not the slightest attempt to improve the position. I am quite prepared to admit that the event was to the Hiring of a section of the spectators, for the reason that it was a clean and straight-out exposition of average boxing in what many regard as being the correct style. From my point of view, though, it was slow and spiritless and a long way below what one looked for from the contestants.

Exit Bill Lang! A big, strong man, that is all; not a champion pugLhst by anv means. Supported and boomed by' Mr H. D. M'lntosh, he secured a prominence ne wa-s not entitled to on performances. He was given, ample opportunity to "make good, bat he failed most miserably, and the end has; come with a knock-out in short order by Sam M'Vca. . Hock Keys and Hughie Meeghan met for the light-weight championship of Australia at the Sydney Stadium on October 21, and referring to the contest the Sydney "Sun" says:—Hock!. Hock! Hock! The cry that was familiar to ringsiders six or seven years ago resounded through the Stadium last night when Hock Keys, the once premier .light-weight, returned to his old love, and put up a remarkable fight with Hughie Meeghan, the lightweight champion of Australia. But although .his effort was astounding, and one that will live for many year* in the memories of those who had the good fortune to be within view of the enclosure, it ended in the old, old way —the serving of youth. After leading —and leading to a great extent in twelve out of the fourteen rounds fought—he was in such a position that a knock-out was required to deprive him of the laurels. The necessary punch was forthcoming in] the fourteenth round, and Keys was sent inio dreamland for longer than the stipulated ten seconds. It is doubtful whether, in the history of the ring in Australia, the holder of a title has been made to look so cheap as was the case with Meeghan. Good fighter that he undoubtedly is, he appeared like a. novice against Keys. The tactics which have stood him in good stead all along, and which have enabled him to win over many good and tried men, availed him nothing. The smother, which has proved impenetrable and assisted him. tremendously, was valueless. Keys penetrated it, and without much trouble. He jabbed, booked [ and swung, and nine out of every ten | punches found their mark. Meeghan f tried to block them, but it did not matter how he endeavoured, or what tactics he brought into play, Keys got home. When the champion formed a block for a particular punch Keys altered the delivery, and the glove invariably found a resting-place. The scene at the finish was a remarkable one. When Keys had recovered and was ready to leave the ring the thousands gathered round, and. cheer after cheer rent the air. The crowd realised that he had given them his best and they were- sorry he had lost. It was an almost unprecedented scene after a most remarkable contest. "Cyclone" Thompson cabled Mr M'lntosh that he would be leaving Vancouver for Australia, towards the end of this month, and that he would bo accompanied by a heavy-weight, but omitted to mention the name of the individual. Under the Frawley Boxing Commission of New York State no club or promoter will be allowed to pull off boxing contests on a race track, ball ground or open lot. George Godfrey, probably the best negro heavy-weight of his time, until liis light was put out by a much better known man—Peter Jackson—left a son, also named George. He is a middleweight, and, though I have not caught sight of any of his performances in the ring, lie must Have some standing, as he stands ready to meet any man in his. class, but particularly picks out Sailor Burke (who recently defeated Papke) and Willie Lewis. How these American papers do disagree 3 to be sure, in. no-decision bouts! Recently Tony Ross and Sam Lang-ford-met in a ten-round bout in New York, with the result that Rross was sent to the mat for the count in the sixth round. Some of the papers said that it was a one-sided affair, others that it was a terrific battle, la this connection the following from Vew York "Police Gazette" is of interest: —lt may be of some consolation, to Tony Ross to know that the man who punched him into insensibility the other night expresses in most fulsome words his admiration for the Italian's gameness. Langford said he never punched a man harder than he hammered the Italian ui the fourth round. "I hit his jaw a dozen times," said the Tar Baby, " and was surprised when ho didn't drop. I was winded when that round ended, and that was why Ross out-pointed me in the fifth. 1 took it easy to repair my bellows, so that I could stop him iu the sixth. Ross is dead game." A man with a punch is dangerous right up to the final call for corners, and a number of instances are on record of a seemingly hopeless defeat converted into a win all on account of one punch. The latest instance occurred in the contest between Jou Rivers and Johnny Kilbane. Rivers is the Mexican feather-weight whose friends have loudly proclaimed him to be the coming champion. Certainly critics have praised the lad to no small extent as a smart and clever boxer who would hold his own in the best company. Well, Rivers iiud Kilbane met at Vernon, California, on September 4, and"Mor fifteen rounds Rivers held a decided lead in each round. In fact, Kilbane appeared to be about all in, with the finish likely to come at any moment. Just after the sixteenth round opened Rivers overbalanced in sending in a right, and Kilbane, seeing a chance, swung a desperate right to the jaw. It 3YP»t jtaais. •ind.„.jy.g,s.,toHowed by a right

to tho body and another swing to the jaw. Some five minutes later Rivers regained his senses. The result was due to nothing more than carelessness arising from over-confidence. I might remark that Kilbanc is the boxer who was responsible for putting Abe Attell out of work with a dislocated shoulder. By cable we received tho brief announcement that Matt Wells, the English light-weight champion, had secured a decision over Abe Attell, the world's featherweight champion, in a tenround bout in New York on September 120. By mail particulars of the match have come to hand! The agreement provided that Wells should not weigh over 9st 91b at live o'clock, ami in referring to tho match the New York correspondent of the London " Sportsman " said: "Attell professes yet to be an Bst 101b man, but he is much closer to the light-weight limit, and in • this case will probably be 9st Tib. " A ; cable to the paper mentioned said tints " The contest was declared by everyone who witnessed it to have been 1m most interesting, fastest and cleverest tor a decade, even though Attell was completely outclassed almost from the beginning. The science_ shown by Wells was an absolute revelation to the spectators, of whom no fewer than 7000 were present." Matt Wells, the English light-weight, champion, is right in the forefront now, and is receiving vastly differeut treatment from the critics and the fans from that accorded him by them on his first visit to the States. It only shows w r hat a win over an accredited man can accomplish for the victor. Wells left the States ' with scarcely a word from the critics—unhonoured and . unsung, in fact. In his native land he immediately went hot on the trail of Freddy Welsh for the English championship. Wells secured the match, and won on points, and by a good margin at that. Returning to America, he wa» seized upon by the Press agents and belauded to the skies, not that probably he was any better as a boxer than when he left a few months previously, but simply because he had scored a win over Welsh, and if they didn't know Welsh or had never seen him, they at least knew him by repute, and that was suffi- ' cient excuse for them to hail Wells as a real champion. Now Wells, who a fevr short months ago, though boxing regu. larly in the Eastern States and receiving very brief notices of his exploits, in one jump is right at the top of the ' light-Av&ight ladder. Ever since landing m New jXork he has issued invitations to Wolgast to meet him. hut nothing resultecl until after Wells's recent match wth Donovan, when WolgMt came forward and agreed to a ten-round bout in New York. Tin's, of course, will not be for the championship, and, the chances are that the men will meet at catch weights, in wdiich Wells should have several pounds to the good.