BOXING

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 19865, 13 June 1927, Page 11

BOXING

AUSTRALIAN BOUTS TIGER PAYNE A WINNER MCKNIGHT KNOCKS OUT ROBSQN Received June 12, 5.5 p.m. SYDNEY, June 12. At the Stadium, Tiger Payne beat Sunny Jim 'Williams on points in a hard-fought contest. Payne downerJ, Williams in the first and third* rounds, but found his opponent very shifty an:} full of fight. BRISBANE, June 12. McKnight (10.5) knocked out Les. Robson (10.16) the Queensland welter, in three rounds, McKnight was accorded an ovation in the Brisbane Stadium when he outed Robson in the third* round. Robson swapped punches anid paid the penalty. It was a great fight.

AN ENGLISH LETTER

A.B.A. ANNUAL CHAMPIONSHIPS GREAT EXHIBITIONS BY -PUGILISTS (Special to “Chronicle.”) LONON, April 4. The greater majority of the public (writes Eugene Corri, the special boxing correspondent of the “Chronicle”) I sometimes think, are apt to boxing, not as the wonderful sport that it is, but as a form of entertainment—as a something to be valued according to the capacity and the reputation of the avowed and unashamed pugilist. I would that all of my readers had been at the Albert Hall last Wednesday, when the A.B.A. had their annual championships. Then they would have learned to appreciate the meaning and the purpose of fisticuffs. Young mon of England, Ireland (as represented by members of Dublin’s Civic Guard), Scotland and Wales stepped into the ring to fight for the glory of fighting and for pride. And what, from my point of view, was most important of all, there wag not one of the 64 youngsters, who set out to win a title, of whom it could be honestly said he did not know more than the ABC of the game. I am not going to pretend that this year’s amateur championships set up an astonishing high standard of skill. They did* nothing of the kind. But they did prove incontestibly that the youth of the country, who fight for the love of fighting, are on the upgrade. In every division, from fly-weight to heavies, the fighting was well up to the average—clean, hard, unyielding. Can any other nation spread fighting over 12 hours without a single break? We have still a way with us!

Seven New Champions And as the result of what seemed to be an endless war, there were created seven new champions. There was only one holder of a title to toe the mark— Sergt. Crawley, the middle-weight, and lie, against F. Mallin, brother of Harry of that ilk. five times champion, the best amateur middle-weight in all the world in his >day, held to his kingdom. Wales sent something of a rip-snort-er in Rhys Howells, a Glamorgan policeman. His semi-final with Lieut| Courtis was a tremendous affair. They fought toe to toe until neither of them could scarce rouse a gallop. The bout set a light full 6,000 onlookers. No quarter was given by either man. Howells was the winner on the post, but no one would have squealed if the verdict had gone the other way. Not a polished boxer Howells, but he is all heart. It happened, however, that in the final he was up against another policeman, A. Jackson, who is of the St. Pancras Club, and in the Londoner he met more than his match. I uruderstan’d that the two are to meet in the police championships to-day. If they do much fur is bound to fly. Scotland expected that she would produce three champions—bantom, light-weight, and welter. She made a bold bid, but it happened* that J. Rolland (fly-weight) was her only champion. A good, brave boy, this Rolland. He is of Leith, Taney Lee’s home-town. J. Smith (Edinburgh) was outpointed by E. Warwick in the bantam class, and Eugene Henderson, another Leith boy, from whom much was expected, failed to capture the welter title. But, from the point of view of the Scots, I should say that the greatest disappointment of all was the defeat of H. Dingley, son of a rare sportsman. Many times has he been so near and yet so far. To tell the truth, I do not think he is so good as he was a couple of years ago. He is still big of heart but he never looked like getting there last Wednesday. And* you may take it from me that he tried* ever so hard.

A Real “Jack Johnson” I decided that there was a distinct improvement in the heavier class, the semi-finals of which were all better and more arresting than many an average final. The bout between Courtis and Howell was a classic in its way touch and go from the start to the last bell. And let mo say I believe we have unearthed, a real heavy-weight champion in Lieut. Capper, of the Royal Artillery. He stands several inches higher than 6 feet. Altogether he is a most imposing figure. Genial Pat O ’Keeffe, who was in his corner, and* who has been responsible for his fistic education, will tell you that Capper is the most promising heavyweight who has pulled on a glove in the amateur championships for ever so many years. And I am disposed to agree with Pat O’Keeffe. Capper has improved 100 per cent, since I first saw him. He was by himself. First, he gave a terrible hiding to D. J. Thomas of the Glamorgan police, next he brought about the eclipse of A. J. Clifton, a former champion; and finally he took the heavyweight honours after knocking idjown E. J. Hulks, of the Polytechnic, who is no duffer, 10 times in two roundis. Capper, with a little more experience, should create quite a stir. If all goes well with him, what a man to have on our side in the Olympic Games at Amsterdam next year!