BOXING

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17745, 15 January 1926, Page 10

BOXING

NOTES: AND COMMENTS BY

“CESTUS.”

There wasn’t much of a crowd at Sydney Stadium when the Victorian middleweight, Alf Stewart, met dusky “ Tiger ” Payne for the second time, but it was a thrilling fight (says the “Bulletin”). “Tiger” is probably the wildest swinger in captivity, and after a few rounds he seemed to have worn himself out. At the end of the tenth session the referee asked him if he was fit to continue. But he always hopped up from his chair seemingly as strong as ever. Moreover, his apparent helplessness on the ropes, two or three times, was assumed, Stewart's punches being taken on a rolling head, with not enough 'weight in them to have damaged a white man, let alone a coon whose mug is nearly all heavy bone. Payne is a sullen-looking negro—there is no smile on the face of this “ Tiger ” —and his methods are crude, but there is a lot of fire in his swings, and only Stewart’s, cleverness with his head-sway enabled him to preserve his chin till the fourteenth round. Then the white man was too tired to protect himself and was dropped for six. In the fifteenth a hurricane of punches sent him down for the count. ♦.* Harry Persson, heavyweight champion of Sweden and better known in European ring circles as the “ Slugging Stonemason,” has arranged to engage in a series of bouts in New York under the tutelage of Tex Rickard. Persson, who weighs 190 pounds, has never been knocked out. lie is only twenty-three years old and, for a pugilist, a person of superior education, being a graduate of Stockholm University. « >: « That enthusiastic young Scottish nobleman and boxer the Marquis of Douglas and Clydesdale (says “ Sporting Life ”) proposes to form a boxing club under his own name in Hamilton, where he hopes to gather together the nobility and gentry of the spacious county of Lanark to meet on equal terms in the ring the miners and others who have to earn their living by manual labour. If his project receives the support he hopes the Marquis will place at the disposal of the amateurs the Hamilton Palace Riding School, in which he has had fitted up for his own use perhaps the finest regulation boxing ring in the kingdom, with every requisite equipment. One of the most interesting women I have met lately (says a London writer) is Mrs Burge, director of The Ring, Blackfriars Road, London, where so many historic boxing contests have been held. Twenty years ago Mrs Burge was one of the Sisters Lloyd, a popular music-hall “ turn.” For the past ten years, however, she has directed the destinies of the curious building that was once a chapel and has since been the cradle of more boxing champions than any other place of its kind in the world. Since Mrs Burge took it over The Ring has opened at least three times a week; this means that she has witnessed as many as 12,500 different fights! She was telling me that she personally supervises the “ try-out ” of overy aspirant for fame who comes to her notice; indeed, she knows more about boxing than many boxers! “ Another step has been taken toward the elimination of unsatisfactory boxing decisions in New York, it was learned to-day,” says a New York telegram dated November 16. “It was the indefinite suspension of Andy Griffin, veteran referee, and A 1 Commachio, licensed judge, for their action in awarding the decision to Charlie Rosen over Lucien Yinez, European lightweight champion, several nights ago. Ringside opinion was almost unanimous in declaring that Vinez had won the bout easily.” The New Zealand Boxing Council might well ponder over this decision with a view of similar action here, if newspaper reports of some Dominion decisions are to be accepted as correct. The latest instance comes from Napier, where, on Wednesday evening. Loveridge (New Plymouth) secured the decision over Hay (Hastings). “The verdict,” says a Press Association message. “ found few to support it, the general opinion being that Hay got home by a fair margin” # Two boxing commissions in the United States which appear to be determined to enforce reforms—that is as far as politics will allow them—are California and New York. The former recently decided that far too many permits were being granted and that the number would be considerably reduced ; and that for the future big guarantees for fighters would not be permitted. In case a fighter’s remuneration called for more than 500 dollars, he will now have to sign to fight for a percentage. The New York Commission has decided that the pay of referees, judges and medical examiners shall be substantially increased; that 50 per cent of any money taken in connection with an advertised charity tournament shall be handed over to the commission, which will see that the advertised charity receives the amount; that- decisions of bouts on points shall be abolished in favour of deciding bouts by the number of rounds won and lost. The last-mentioned is a radical departure from a custom which came in with the Queensberry rules, and the result if successful will probably lead to the system being adopted in those other parts of the world where boxing bouts are held. It has come at last. It had to come. Tired of the exorbitant demands of the boxers, Tex Rickards, who recently opened his new Madison Square Garden. a 5,000,000 dollar building, in New York, announced that henceforth, so far as the cauliflower-ear brigade was concerned, if they wanted to box in his premises then they would box for a’ percentage of the takings. No more guarantees, said Rickard. If you don’t like the percentage idea, then go somewhere else. There has been a tremendous falling-off in attendances all over the States, and, as promoters are loud in their outcry against the demands of boxers, it is believed that Rickard will receive solid backing from them in the stand that he has taken. “ Rickards,” says the “New York Tribune,” “may find that his reform campaign will deprive him of the services of several highly desirable performers, not a few

of whom are so well fixed financially that they can hold out against the new scheme of things. But Tex believes that with the co-operation of other clubs and other promoters he can win out in the end.” Rickards says he is not worrying because, as his new building has been constructed with an eye to other attractions besides boxing, he is easily able to carry on. In California, where they started off with a big bang when the new law allowing ten-round bouts came into force, promoters have been so badly bitten that some of them are going back to the four-round bouts, which are both attractive and cheap, and consequently can be run at a profit. As it was, the American promoters who, b.v bidding one against the other.

created the big purse evil, and as they sanctioned the champions having lengthy spells between genuine matches, it is only fitting that they should reap as they have sown.

When the referee at the fight at the Albert Hall, London, between Harry Mason, holder of the European and British light-weight titles as well as the Lonsdale Belt, and Johnny Brown, ex-amateur feather-w’eight champion, gave his decision in favour of Brown, the spectators received it with such strong expressions of disfavour that for a time the possibilities of a general riot loomed largely. To make matters worse the promoter of the contest (Mr H. Jacobs) entered the ring and expressed his disapproval of the referee’s decision, stating that that individual would not be permitted to officiate again in any contest organised by the Albert Hall Syndicate. “ It was,” says London “ Sporting Life.” “ the most amazing and the most disastrous thing that has happened to British boxing and British sport for a very long time. We can remember ii«*t.ances several years ago of a referee giving a decision for one man and the promoter instructing his M.C. to announce the other boxer as the winner, but we have never heard a referee’s authority called in question as it was done publicly on Thursday. Is this the new British idea of sport and sportsmanship, or is it the latest way of killing boxing—or attempting to do so? The first teaching of sport and sportsmanship is to accept a referee’s decision as final, and. however much one may disagree with it, to respect it as the unbiased opinion of an honest man. Mr Moss Deyong, who refereed the contest, has been appointed by the * Sporting Life and Sportsman ’ for many important matches, because he has our confidence alike as a capable referee and a fair.” However, the matter did not end there. The council of the British Boxing Board of Control met, and also present by invitation were representatives of the Referees’ Association. The meeting was held for the purpose of considering the action of the promoter as mentioned above. The board after full consideration, decided that no certificated referee be permitted to act in future at any tournament promoted by Jacobs. WORLD’S CHAMPIONS. AN ANALYSIS. Mr F. P. Brown, boxing writer for the Melbourne “Sporting Globe,” who left for America several months ago 1 ] under commission from Stadiums, Ltd., to secure talent for Australia, supplies his paper regularly with very interesting articles on boxing and boxers in the United States. One of his most recent articles dealt with the champions of to-day, about whom he writes as follows, from New York:— Men rise and fall daily in this land of gilded fisticuffs. Of those on the topmost peak, Dempsey, Berlenbach, Greb and La Barba may be considered legitimate champions. Mike Ballerino, Pinkie Mitchell, Jimmy Goodrich, Mickey Walker, Kid Kaplan and Phil Rosenberg are liable to be dethroned any time they risk their titles against legitimate contenders. (Goodrich lost his last week.—Ed- “Globe.”) Walker seems the least likely of these to lose his crown. He received a decision over Dave Shade when Shade outpointed him a mile, and it seems that he will have to be knocked out before he will be dethroned. Walker is tough and game. He will take some knocking out. I cannot speak for the others as I have not seen them in stern action.

Chick Suggs stands out as the best feather-weight in the world at present, with the possible exception of Billy Grime; but Babe Herman. Jacky Fields and Honey Boy Finnegan might all beat Kaplah. A 1 Brown (coloured) would be likely to defeat Phil Rosenberg. Yet none of these lads can get a title match. I mention them because they are outstanding. There are probably half a dozen men in each class who would have a chance of winning from the men who are holding titles more by good luck than ability.

Dempsey certainly stands out as the star heavy-weight, and the odds are on him beating any opponent in quick time. Berlenbach has one hurdle to face yet, and if he clears it he looks like holding his title for a while. He is re-matched for the title against Jack Delaney, who has twice knocked him out. (Berlenbach won on points.—Ed. “Globe.”)

Delaney is not an attractive fighter, but he has been a spoiler of champions. He is a hard-hitting fellow who is patient enough to endure and defend until he gets a shot at his opponent's chin. If he connects —it is curtains.

If Berlenbach keeps on improving he may go into the Ketchel and Darcy class- Australia can take some pride in his success, as he is the product of Australian Dan Hickey. Harry Greb must be a wonderful fighter. I have not seen him work, but he takes on all comers and fights all the time.. Flowers is the only man whom he does not want. tD fight.. Greb is said to ignore training rules. He likes the bright lights and the gay life. He hops from one stand to another—and fights. Yet his energy and his staying power are extraordinary.

Fidel La Barba is the outstanding champion at present, although he is at the head of a class that is not over popular, the fiv-weight class. I say this because he is just nineteen years of age. and has all the fighting life before him. He is a conscientious youngster, a stern fighter and a real sportsman. He does not know everything about the game by a long wav, but what he does know he knows well. His defence is sound and his left hand countering is a treat.

He holds the title, and at the moment it does not look as though anyone were capable of taking it away from him. He cannot slip back. He must go forward. T am sure that he will be a fighting champion, and Fidel and his manager both promised me that Australia will see him next year whether he is the champion or no.

That is how things stand at the moment, yet so suddenly does a man rise in this country that any one of these men may be dethroned by some obscure young boxer at his next start. There is no mercy for the loser here. A loser is shoved back into the ruck, despised and forgotten. Champions as a rule make the most of their day and try to keep out of danger. There are only three champions really willing to defend their titles—Berlenbach, Greb and La Barba. These men stand out in contrast to Dempsey, who wishes to preserve his artistic nose. Tack Kearns is too shrewd to allow Walker to start against anyone who is not hand-pick-ed. The balance are not worthy of serious consideration but for the fact that ihev are title holders.