BOXING.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16307, 23 December 1920, Page 3

BOXING.

NEWS AND NOTES,

(By "OESTUS.”)

At the National Sporting; Club.u on ' November eO • Jim ” Higgins defeated Billy fynon on points for the nautam-weiglir, championship. of GreatBritain and a pum of £ 7OO . It wad a splendid exhibition of boxing, anti , the result liras in. doubt until the end. An eliminating contest in connection Mtli bio bantam-weight chaannionahin opk place on October IS at the NaivWrl , S P ort ‘ n S t* 10 boxers enga 0 ..d being George Clark, of Bermond,ant flll y Uynon,. of Merthyr, bouth p ales, who were matched to box twe;% oiniii rounds ,nt Bst 61b for S a s'de and the club purse of "m * a farther consideration wna that the winner should meet Jim Big- • °f Scmtland, for the bantam"‘fight title and Lonsdale belt. This vvas the third time the pair had met, though not at the bantam-weight, their nrenoufl m aches taking p taiw when they ware in. the Bst division, and each Wine ( Dark was,the. winner. On this occasion, however, Eyuon, punching ftitli the greater accuracy and-power and dso with the more frequency! established an early lead, whiclv Clark could never, wipe out, though-he nut m some strong work’in the last four or hvo rounds.

Georges Carpentier may not be tho greatest, boxer the world lias produced (says the English ■ boxing writer, Corinthian ”), but there is no clenymg (ho magnetism of his personality* His victory in four rounds over thd veteran Battling Leviiisky at Kow Jcreoy, before 30,000 people, was a votegouo, conclusion, bar accidents, yet match; created jvorhUvide interest, tor tho main reason that the attractite J'renchmau was one of the actors ut tho-drama. Carpentier is undoubtedly a .grows boxer. His record is indisputable evidence, but if he .were aa wonderful as Sam - Langford was at his best, and lacked tho strong person* Biity he possesses,-.the, match would have been just an ordinan? affair, simi* lar to that which marked tho bout be* eween Langford and Tiger Smith, at tho National Sporting Club. It was not because Carpontiei' 1 was merely, meeting Levinsky that 30,0(10 filled the arena. The vast majority came to see ot what timber was the man who is logically the legitimate contender for Lie title .at present held by Jack Deinpsey, Carpoa tier's iutectious smile is worth more than Joe Beckett's lighting face. The vjJue of happiness is wonderful. Billy Wells has made more friends and money by his pleasant. laugh than have men with scowling visages. Johnny Basham is a great favourite. with the public because of ins happy school-boy ways, and Carpentier is a captivating young gentleman to the admirers of good looks, chivaU roua ways, and straight sportsmanship,

Noting the absence of “Jack” Dempsey at the match between Carpisitier and Lewinsky, the Now York oor. respondent ' of- the Loudon “Daily, Telegraph, nought out Dempsey? b manager, “Jack” Kearns, and ‘inqmrocl the .reason. This was his explanation;—“ T’ll tell you why,” repliod Kearns. “The butcher doesn’t go to see the lamb, the lamb comes to visit the butcher. Jack’s abattoir is all' set for the Freiiclmian. We can’t' spring the trap before the, mouse is inside, but once the Frenchy sticks Ins moving-picture fare inside those ropes it will ho ‘ Larry, turn the crank.’ ” “I may add, in passing,” remarks the ‘'Telegraph” correspondent, “ that Lewinsky's manager the day before the fight said much the same thing about I.cvinsky’s super-excellence ovei Carpentier—it is the way American boxing managers have of ‘ boosting 1 their goods.”