BOXERS AND BOXING.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16662, 18 February 1922, Page 10

BOXERS AND BOXING.

AUSTRALIANS IN LONDON. M’CGRMICK’S GRIEVANCE. (Secial to the “ Star.”) LONDON, November 24. Albert Lloyd, at the National Sporting Club at the beginning of the week, made his first appearance in this country since he came from Australia, against Arthur Townley, of Birkenhead (writes M. Eugene Corri). After the glowing accounts of Lloyd, T was very disappointed with him ; he was nothing like so good as he had been represented. He is no mean boxer, of course, hut he is not a wonderful boxer, and he has no unusual punching powers. In taking the leads of his opponents in the gloves he is clever : there is generally much soundness in his defence ; but in no particular. in my opinion, is lid a master. He is not so l ast on his feet as his countryman. Cook ; he has nothing like the same aggression: and really, had Townley made every use of his physical advantages he might have won. Townley is not what you would ©all a pugilistic whole-hogger. He lacks confidence in himself. A\ ere this not so I am sure he would enjoy quite an exalted position. He ia given to putting the curb on his punches; he is without the thoroughness which it is necessary for a champion to have. T have known him to pull out a- great right hand, notably when lie shook Fred Fulton from bead to tee. but against Lloyd lie never once employed it to the fullest possible extent, and. worse than all. he forgot that he stood ever so much taller than the Australian and had a much longer reach. I almost despair of Townley' making completely good. If he had taken the ring at the club strong in the belief that Lloyd had yet to prove that he was an exceptional fighter; if he had boxed as .1 am sure he can box, he would not hav© been a loser on points. There was no excuse for Townley, for he was in very good condition ; he was temperamentally wrong. What the future of Lloyd will be in this country T do not profess to know, but he will have to improve considerably on liis showing on Monday to reap an opulent harvest here. Wells, Beckett, Dick Smith, M’Cormick were all present, and if any of them doubts his abilitv to beat Lloyd I shall be surprised. It is, of course, just possible that the Australian did not do himself full justice and he will prove! to be a vastly better man when next he appears. There took the ring before Lloyd one Cyolone Bert Jarvis, also of Australia. How it has come about that he is dubbed “Cyclone” I am at a loss to understand. He proved to be a very harmless sort of person against Seaman Hall, of Chatham. His knowledge of the game was very poor, and from the start he was obliged to play the part of receiver-general. He had endless courage, but a fighting man must have more thau pluck, else he must serve as a chopping-block for the other fellow. Hall punished him severely, and the contest was very properly stopped after Jarvis had been sent down four times in the sixth round.

T expected that M’Cormick would seriously quarrel with Mr Jack .Smith for stopping the fight with Kid Lewis, and T was not disappointed. On the principle that sometimes it is cruel to b© kind. T would tall M’Cromiok that he has no real grievance. It is very true that he felt himself full of fight, but. the condition of his eye was such, and he himself, barring some accident, was so sure to lose, that the intervention of the referee was wholly justified It would be wrong to efci courage M’Corrnick’s ideas, and he will do no sort of good by enlarging upon, bis misfortunes. Against Beckett the excuse was that he lost because he knocked his hand up. and T am rather afraid that the “Bov ” haa a weakness for pugilistic controversy. That he is ready to meet Lewis again T can well believe. It is possible that he will have his desire. hut lie will never heat Lewis if he does not cultivate a different frame of mind. Ho must realise that if he is to beat Lewis it will Ik? by boxing and not by bolding and mauling. Lewis knows too much for him when there is little or no regard for ceremony. The future of M’Cormick is in his own hands. Tf J were he T would trv to think less of his achievements ifil America and more of what he has done and is likely to do in this country