BOXING

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17781, 26 February 1926, Page 3

BOXING

NOTES AND COMMENTS BY

“CESTUS.”

Purdy and Murray have been matched for the light-weight championship by the Wellington Association. The contest will take place on March 15, and possibly there will be a return match at Napier on April 17. Speaking to an Auckland “ Star ” reporter of his contest with Tro.wem, Purdy said he considered he had a shade the better of things, but had no complaint to make about the decision against him. He was not at his best, however. as he had contracted a chill just before the bout, and had had to lay off training for a couple of days, and he felt the effects of the cold during the bout. “ Anyway, I half expected it," he added with a smile. “You know I'm Irish, and a bit superstitious, and this was my thirteenth professional bout. That was the first thing I remarked on after the decision. Still I don’t think the setback will do me any harm; maybe, as they all tell me, it will do the good." At the Page benefit competition on Tuesday evening it was announced that Brian M’Cleary, who boxed six rounds with Eddie Parker, has been in training for several weeks and is open to meet any man in his class. Football referees, cricket umpires, athletic judges, lawn tennis linesmen, in fact all classes of those who have to give decisions in sport, sooner or later get hauled over the coals by press and public for some decision which in the eyes of onlookers is absolutely wrong. But the man who gets the roughest spin is the boxing judge, or the referee, when he acts alone. The position of a boxing judge certainly is not a bed of roses, nor is the position one for which there are numerous applicants. Rather the reverse, in fact. Always hard to judge, nowadays a boxing bout bristles with difficulties as so much work is done at close quarters and it isn’t at all an easy matter to follow two sets of hands when they are busy at work. One can always understand a disagreement in award when a bout is close, but what one is unable to grasp is a decision in favour of the competitor who has had the receiving end for the greater part of the bout. Eugene Corn, the well-known English referee, who, by the way, has not escaped criticism on more than one occasion, recently said he was present at a bout the referee of which was a thoroughly competent man and whose honour was above suspicion. Yet he gave the decision to a competitor who, according 'to Mr Corri’s view, and the view of the great majority of the onlookers, including many regular ringside patrons, was thoroughly well beaten. Mr Corri wanted to know how could the referee give a decision which was absolutely contrary to the opinion of hundreds of onlookers amongst whom were many men of long experience in the game? He had to admit that the human mind was a queer sort of thing when it came to judging a boxing bout. Judging boxing bouts certainly is a difficult job—probably the toughest of all jobs in the sporting world. A Sydney paper refers to Jim Tibbetts, a feather-weight, as “ one of the cleanest and slickest boxers in New South Wales,” who showed “ remarkable skill in hitting and making the other fellow miss.’’ The other fellow referred to was J. Esler, a Queenslander. Len Johnson, the coloured middleweight, whom English critics regard as the best man in the class in England, made his first public appearance in the ring in Australia at the Sydney Stadium on Saturday, his opponent being Harry Collins. Johnson gave a very clever display, and almost knocked out Collins in the last round. Being a negro, Johnson is not eligible to compete for a Lonsdale Belt. Were he eligible his performances in England leave no doubt that he would be holding the middle-weight belt, and shortly before leaving for Australia he gained a clean cut victory over Roland Todd, the holder. Folio wing this victory he was defeated on points by Jack Hood, a welter-weight. 55 The annual stable lads’ tournament was held at the National Sporting Club, London, on January 4, in conjunction with a tournament in aid of St Dunstan’s. Eight bouts were contested, the Bst class being won by E. Wilde, a younger brother of the famous Jimmy Wilde. S 55 55 A Boxing Managers’ Association is to be formed in England, with the object of protecting boxers and their managers from any unfair treatment by promoters. One of the chief aims will be “not to allow any.boxing manager to accept work for any of his men against a boxer who is under the control or management of a promoter or promoters.” :: The most popular boxer, in the East at least; is Jack Delaney, the FrenchCanuck from Bridgeport ( writes Grantland Rice, who has filled the place as a sports writer that was occupied by the late Walter Camp). Delaney has about all the needed requirements for popularity. lie is a brilliant boxer and he can hit with cither hand. lie is a good-looking young fellow, with an attractive face, and apparently a high-class sportsman. It would be hard to figure Delaney guilty of fouling or any form of muckerism. There js a combination of grace, skill and deadly hitting in his work which sends its appeal to the crowd. 55 55 55

Jack Kearns. Dempsey’s former manager, recently said he was not worrying about the reports that the champion would not consent to a match with Wills or anyone else until after August 15, the date on which the contract between Kearns and Dempsey expires. He said that while Dempsey’s manager he entered into a contract with Tex Rickards for Dempsey’s ap pcarance against Wills or Tunney, and he had Dempsey’s consent to arrange a match. After August 15 Dempsey could make whatever matches he pleased except against 3'iUs or Tunney, If

he met either of them then he, Kearns, was entitled to his usual 50 per cent, and he would claim it. This, remarked a sports writer, opened up an interesting position, for if legal proceedings followed a fight between Dempsey and Wills or Tunney, then Dempsey would be providing the legal fraternity with a healthy picking of his winnings. In fact the whole of his guarantee could easily be swallowed up in legal expenses. Late in the year the California Boxing Commission announced that, for the future, no boxer would be allowed to compete in the State exteept under his rightful name. This decision raised a storm of protest as it was pointed out that many fighters of prominence had been before the public under an assumed name which had become a valuable trade mark to them, and if forced to abandon the name they were losing a valuable asset. It* was also pointed out that quite a number had changed their names for ring work because their own.names hard to pronounce and equally hard to spell correctly. The Commission considered the points raised and agreed that perhaps they had acted a little hastily, revoked its decision, and announced that after January 1 of the present year, all new fighters would be required to register and compete under their real names. In last week's notes I mentioned the success in London of a Dutch heavyweight, Joop Liet, who on January 2 defeated Prestage in a round and a half, and then obliged the assemblage with a song. He is the possessor of a fine voice, and his singing, says a London writer, “ made an even bigger impression than his boxing.” Liet, says the “ Sportsman,” is likely to cause a bit of a stir among our heavyweights. Not only is he a giant of a man, but he is speedy, has a fair knowledge of the game, and can punch. We used to be told that ‘ the fault of the Dutch is giving too little and asking too much.’ Let us revise this bit of criticism in the case of Mr Joop Liet. We do not know that Mr Joop Liet asked too much for meeting the less eminent Mr Billy Prestage, but we do know that he gave all too much fighting for that unfortunate person, and that, as earnest of a wish to give good measure, he obliged with a song. Such a thing is unheard of in these trade union days, ahd we suggest that Mr Joop Liet be listed at once as a blackleg by all self-respecting boxers, British and others.”

OUR LONDON LETTER. (Special to the “ Star.”) LONDON, January 7. Mr Eugene Corri writes: There have been few such judiciously made matches as that at the beginning of the week, between Len Harvey, of Plymouth, and Alf Mancini, the London Italian, who is hoping to get into the ring with Ernie Rice some day soon. Harvey is not yet twenty years of age, but he is so good as to warrant the assertion that Plymouth has produced no more promising boxer. For long he has been quite a drawing card at the Ring, Blackfriars, and when he stood up to Mancini the place was crowded to overflowing. Harvey w'as 10 stone, and at this weight he was at his best. It was a gruelling contest, and it gave many thrills. Mancini came near to bringing off a surprise victory at once, for, tearing in, he had Harvey on the floor. But Harvey is not of the stuff to surrender. and he fought back in the way of a champion, and I thought show’ed himself able to beat a better and a cleverer boxer than Mancini. His left hand was especially good. The result was a draw', and was one that offered no room for quibbling. Mancini thought that he did not do himself complete justice, and the probability is that he will again be matched with Harvey, who I hope will, in the near future, be asked to perform at the N.S.C. lie is worthy of every possible encouragement, and I have not the least doubt that he will go far. If there be such a thing as a natural fighter, Harvey is one. If he improves, as he should do, with time and experience, he will take a championship to Plymouth for certain. I am going to keep a sympathetic eye on him. For some little time the probability is that he will be of no definite weight, and maybe there will be some difficulty in getting him matched at a poundage which will not be hard for him to make. Tommy Milligan has every reason to sav that he is the unluckicst fellow alive, for you will perhaps have heard that Mickey Walker has called off the match with the Scot, pleading an injured toe as an excuse for a postponement. It is too early yet to get a definite idea of the intentions of Milligan. This much, however, is certain. He will have begun to wonder whether he will be permitted toi try for the world's welter title: also whether America is the El Dorado it is represented to be. I doubt whether, after paying expensed, he made a great deal out of his first trip to the States. And now, after a long preparation, comes the cancellation of the fight with Walker! The New York Boxing Commission , will not permit Walker to remain idle j indefinitely, and maybe we shall soon j hear that a new date has been fixed for his meeting Milligan. Meanwhile, how--1 ever, Milligan’s position is an unenvi- : able one.

| We should witness a really good bout ■ next Monday at headquarters between Harry Corbett and Johnny Britton, of Leeds. It will be staged with the idea of finding a worthy opponent for Johnny Curley, the holder of the feather-weight belt. Two better boys for eliminating purposes could hardly | be. Britton won much praise when he I was last at Covent Garden, but. unless | Corbett has gone back, ,it will sur-

prise me if Britton wins. Corbett is one of the cleverest London boys we have had for a considerable time; heaps better, I should say, than Curley, who has won little distinction since he attained championship rank. As a matter of fact, Curley has been yery disappointing.