BOXING.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 10768, 14 May 1913, Page 3

BOXING.

Matt Wells, the English light-weight, who recently was given the decision over llughio Mehegan, has, it is said, accepted an offer from Mr "Snowy'' .Baker to box in Australia. It is reported that Mr "Snowy" Baker inte-ids to open a stadium m Melbourne; that his brother, Harold, will act as manager, and that his old pal, Duncan Farbury, will be referee. Bob Turner, who like his old rival Hock Keys, made a satisfactory reentry into the ring after seemingly being amongst the discards, made a plucky stand against Johnny Summers at the Sydney Stadium on April 2G. For several rounds be showed something of the brilliancy which caused him to be rated as one of the brightest of Australia's light-weights, but youth will be nerved, and the end came in tho eleventh round. Summers dealt out some severe body punishment which did much to demoralise Turner's defence.

Hock Keys, who made such a. wonderful recovery after being to all appeaiv ances completely down and out, met tho American light-weight, Harry Stone, at the Sydney Stadium on April 23. Keys was not in the best form, having to ease up iu Iris training and consequently his form was below par. Stone, husky and vigorous, won by a fair margin. The popular Australian intends to make another attempt to get properly fit, but there are some who think he must now bo definitely placed on the has-been list so far as firstclass events are concerned.

Gunboat Smith followed up his victory over Bombardier Wells by defeating M'Kay, a Winipeg policeman, in New York, in the second round. M'Kay, who Stands 6ft 4in and weighs about 16ist, had gained something of a reputation by his successes in short distance bouts in Canada and some eastern State cities. ( Following is one account of the meeting at Calgary, Canada, on April 2, betweeu Tommy Burns and a big husky opponent named Pelkey :—" Burns got the best of a six-round no-decision bout with Arthur Pelkey. Burns knocked his man down for a count of eight in the second round, and again in the fifth for a count of six. Pelkey put up % good, game fight. In tho opinion of most of the sports Pelkey rates with M'Carty. Burns showed wonderful speed, which surprised the crowd. The contest was witnessed by 10,000 people. Personally, I think Burns' showing tonight proves he has a good chance with any wnite heavy-weight." ( The contest at the Sj'dney Stadium on April 19 between Dave Smith and Jerry Jerome proved a triumph for scientific boxing against crude methods of attaci, backed up by natural speed and phenomenal endurance; Jerome, an aborigine, possessed all the toughness of his race, and throughout carried a. dangerous punch, but, though Smith did not pass unscathed, he never really looked like a loser, and won in the eighteenth round. The match was for the light heavy-weight championship, held by Smith, and attracted a very large attendance. In the eighteenth round Jerome, who was very fired, made a spurt, and, after a few willing rallies, Smith caught the other with his guard open, and, driving left and right in quick succession to the chin, sent the aboriginal down on the full count.

There was every, prospect of a serious riot outside the Empire Athletic Club,; New York, on the night of the RiversLeach Cross contest. ■ The promoters, it appears, sold something like 2000 more tickets than the seating accommodation limit. When the building was full the doors were closed.- A huge crowd of later comers being denied admission, and having paid to see the contest, grew angry and stormed the entrance, but a strong force of police succeeded in quelling the riot after a number of citizens had been clubbed and beaten. The State Commissioners decided to inquire into the affair.

Tommy Bairns, erstwhile holder of the world's heavy-weight championship, was recently engaged 'in a controversy with a minister of Calgary, Alberta. Burns conducts a boxing club, and the Rev Dr Marshall sought to close it up. Mr Marshall conducted his campaign from the pulpit, and Tommy hit back through the newspapers. Marshall stigmatised the boxing bouts at Tommy's club as brutal prize fights, whereupon Burns returned to the attack by declaring that those bouts were not nearly so brutal as the bouts between the youngsters in the gymnasium of the church of which the Rev Mr Marshall is pastor. " I came to Calgary with a reputation, while Mr Marshall appears to be trying to get one at my expense, but I don't propose to let him do it." Burns agreed to publish all the important events in his past life if the Rev Mr Marshall would publish his. London " Sportsman " writer "Oestus " had the following comments on Bombardier Wells after his defeat by Gunboat Smith in New York:—We all like Billy Wells. A more unassuming fellow never_ stepped, and his best trait is that he is no braggart, and never cares to talk too much shop. I am afraid, however, that Wells was never meant for a fighter. One must admire him as a boxer, for he is, considering his size, a very clever fellow indeed with the gloves, but as a fighter, which really means a man with padded hands, Wells must now be put down as a disappointment. . . . Without wishing to be in any way unkind, there is no getting away from the plain fact that Wells while possessing the qualifications of a good boxer, is not fitted to withstand the onslaught of a powerful, lusty rough-and-tumble fighter. The extraordinary reach of the Bombardier is all in his favour as a boxer. His left is long enough to score at out-fighting, and let him keep an opponent at bay and his success would be almost assured. But—and here comes the telling alternative—-let him fail to stand off a competitor, and then comes his trouble. A long-armed man, unless he possesses much speed and stamina, is lost at close quarters when opposed to a dogged, hard-hitting fellow who can take as well as receive. As the saying goes, he gets in the way of himself, and let him be at all soft about the " middle " and he is sure to be beaten. Wells is all right up above, but he has not the body to withstand punishment. This is and always has been his weak point, a fact the men put up against him are aware of. It is hard to have to write all one way about the Bombardier; really there is little else to be said.