BOXING

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18643, 21 December 1928, Page 6

BOXING

NOTES AND COMMENTS.

Mflnuiißuai By

"COTUB"

It is reported that E. Morgan, who won the Olympic welter-weight championship, will apply for a professional license early in the new year. If he does he will be the third amateur in the last few months to forsake the lilywhites, the others being Donovan, of Taranaki, and Cotterell. of Wellington, both feathers. The heavier classes m New Zealand badly want recruits, the need for them compelling associations to cater liberally for feathers and bantams, who have had a wonderfully good run this year.

Johnny Leckie (writes “Hooker” in the Dunedin “ Star ”) is tvorking at his ordinary occupation just now, and he does not anticipate that he will be able to take the ring before the end of January at least. He intends giving his hand every chance this time, and will not engage in a contest until he is convinced the hand will stand any strain he is likely to place upon it.

Donovan and Cotterell, recently prominent in amateur circles, made their first appearance as professionals in a ten-round bout at New Plymouth. Donovan, who won in the third round on a technical knock-out, is one of those who is no believer in what is known as the “ fancy stuff.” He is fast and aggressive, and it is quite possible that he will have a fair amount of sue- • cess in his new sphere, as his style of milling is more suited to the longer distance than to the limitation imposed by amateur rules. XXX After a four weeks’ run in New Vork to quite satisfactory business, Jack Dempsey’s play, “ The Big Fight,” was taken on tour, with a week’s stay at the principal cities mapped out. The public support, however, was tivelv pool*, and those behind the project decided upon an early cancellation of dates. Boxing has become one of the biggest and most important sports with the London police. It was not until amateur boxing was resumed after the war that the police began to take a really "big interest in the game, but once started they did the thing -well. Clubs were organised, championships instituted and representative matches arranged, and to-day almost every police division has its boxing clubs, and every club runs its public boxing tournament. At the last English amateur championship tournament two of the eight events—welter and lightheavy—fell to police representatives. x :: x Fred Webster, who holds the unique distinction of winning an English amateur championship at a different weight—bantam, feather and light—in three successive years, fought his first professional fight in London on October 25, his opponent being Charles Ernst, of France, whom he outpointed by an overwhelming margin in a twelve round bout. The fight was one of the preliminaries to the big night at the Albert Hall, when Hood defeated Frattini in three rounds and Baldock disposed of Lolosky in a similar period. Of Webster a London writer says: The former amateur light-weight champion and record holder was in a class by himself among the amateurs when it came to straight hitting. Not only is Webster one of the straightest of hitters: he can send out? his blows at twice' the pace of an ordinary man. I may be wrong, but I’ve an idea Webster is going to be the “ big noise ” in the light-weight division. French folk are very loth to lose Carpentier as their heavy-weight boxing champion. The French Boxing Federation in its decision organising a competition of heavy-weights, expressly stated that the winner would not be the holder of the title, but would be qualified to challenge Carpentier for it. Once the challenger has been designated as the result of the competition. Carpentier will be challenged with all due form, and will have to state whether he intends to defend his title or abandon it. “It is not without a little stab of emotion that we shall see Carpentier’s name disappear from the list of our national champions,” says the “ Auto,” “ for it is more than probable that he will not defend his title.” The

“ Auto ” considers that Carpentier is still the best Frenchman of his class.

Norman Gillespie, of Melbourne, well known b} r name to New Zealand fight patrons, had an unusual, and, for him, unfortunate experience at Sydney Stadium on December 8, when he was knocked out by Jack Roberts, of Newcastle, in the eighth round of a battle scheduled for fifteen round};. Gillespie (9st 8£lb) was well ahead of Roberts (9st 71b) on points when he dropped his hands and turned away. Roberts forthwith sent a heavy right to his opponent’s unguarded solar plexus, and Gillespie was counted out. He had mistaken the ringing of a press tele-phone-bell at the ringside for the bell marking the end of the round.