BOXING.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 19815, 5 December 1919, Page 2

BOXING.

j Another Australian boxer Ims left j fof New Zealand. This is the heavy- j height Jim Truccy, who stands lift 'liii. He. is to box in Auckland on Dcmx-hi-Ik'v .'", and though his opponent is not • announced it will-probably be. Pooloy. The New Zealand light-weight, Frank ! O'Neill, has won his first ran test in I Australia. At the Brisbane Stadium, on November 22-, ho knocked out E. Andrews in tho sixth round. The following London'cable appeared in the Sydney ''Sun" on November 22: —Replying to a letter from the manager of Jack Dcmpsey (heavyweight, champion), Mr Cochran, the. ivell known promoter, announces that I Carpentier mid Backett arc anxious to meet T>ompsey, and that he anticipated no difficulty in arranging a match' with him and tho winner of the fight 1 between Carpentier and Beckett, and is prepared to deposit a purse of £'35.000. on n, IjO-40 basis, but refuses to increase this, or give either contestant a guaranteed sum. The elongated Australian middleweight, Fred Kay, made nu extraordinary contract when he agreed to meet the American henry-weight, Wiggins, at the Sydney Stadium on November 22. He signed an agreement to forfeit £o>O " should he. at any time retreat from his opponent.'-' This in effect meant that Kay agreed to stand up and exchange wallops with a much bigger, stronger and heavier man. Tho result was that he whs defeated in the eleventh round. Commenting on tha affair W. F. Corhott writes: It was <nicidal of Kay to sign the undertaking referred to above. He is a. boxer first and last and before everything else. Tho greater part of the business of n boxer is to defend himself rather than to attack. Tho idea of one, a s.tono and a half lighter and two inches shorW than his adversary, pledging himself not to box, because that ia what promising never to retreat meant, was absurd. Further. I was informed that Kay entered the ring suffering from an injured leg. This," of course, hampered him still move. Kilbane, the feather-weight cbumpion of the world, recently announced that be intended to retire from the ring at the end of the. present yeiir„ " Possibly," says an American paper. " he mav wait until next Fcbruarv. so that lie can point to the fact that be ruled for eight years. He won the title- from Abe At toll on February 22, IDI2. Since that timc.be has beeii the undisputed champion of bis class. Johnny has only suffered one defeat,, that at the hands of Bonny Leonard. Johnny has entered politics in Cleveland. He is at present running for alderman. Next year lie will lie a candidate for the- position of sheriff." The fine imposed by the Minnesota Boxing Commission on Langi'ord and Thompson for an unsatisfactory display in the ring, ts indication * of tlv< change that is taking place in America -concerning the future.'position uf competitors. Since the Board ot Control announced its determination to move in the direction >.f effecting a. complete change from the old order of things : in connection 1 wrtli boxing tile nen>1 papers throughout the country have ' given the declaration hearty support*. ■ and this Press support undoubtedly . has had its effect upon the various hox- . ing commissions Tlie latest with rai spect to the Board of Control is that • it intends to oreet in New York a ciuu ■ on the same lines as the National . Sporting Club of London. Tho New . York Club, however, will be a much

more pretentious building than the National Sporting Club, and the membership will' be considerably larger. The name of the New York Club is'the Intcrnational Sporting Club, and the building will cost £IOO.OOO, fins amount having boon guaranteed by a “syndicate composed of reputable men. earnest and sincere well-wisbers of the sport.” The president is Major A. J. Drexel Biddie, who in a. recent official announcement said“ Generals and others authorised In sneak have slated that the knowledge of boxing by tbe soldiers of the Allies gave them such ascendency in personal combat with their adversaries that many thousands of precious lives were saved. 'ln© knowledge of boxing developed in our fighting men the willingness and ability to fight at close, range, to give aud take punishment. There is a close rchftion in the qualities required for boxing and bayonet fighting: both demand j agility, quickness of eye, good ha lane*. and control and an aggressive fighting spirit that breaks down or weakens defence. In a few short months tho Arinv, Navy and Civilian Board of Boxing Control, of which I have the honour to be president, has accomplished a. truly remarkable record. Incorporated only so recently as January last., it has succeeded in passing through the New York vScnnto. by an overwhelming majority, a Bill which gives the hoard authority to issue licenses to all professional boxers, promotors, managers, etc., throughout the State of New York, and its passage through the Assembly in January next is virtually assuretl.” Should tbe Board of Control secure tbe powers mentioned in the above announcement the sport of boxing will be. on tbe high road toward that government which lias been so sadly needed, and the absence of which has led to such shameful abuses. When one recalls what has been done for about a century the wonder is that boxing still exists as a. sport. Hint it does is the strongest testimony to its virility. No other sport could have survived such atrocious treatment as it has received from those who have been associated with iL