BOXING

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 75, Issue 205, 31 August 1932, Page 4

BOXING

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"THE MARQUIS.")

Twelve months ago the Wanganui district boxing championships were held in the "Id Museum Hall before an attendance which filled the available accommodation and provided a wealth of enthusiasm. The support accorded the Wanganui Boxing Association on that occasion was so encouraging that the executive cannot be blamed £or adopting a most optimistic attitude with regard to this year’s tournament. That a decision has been made to hold the championships in the Opera House is evidence of the committee's faith in the enthusiasm of fight fans iu Wanganui, and with the recent examples of Regimental Tournament and the Marton opening bouts there, is reason to believe that Wanganui will respond to-morrow uight. * * * * Those who are in position to speak with, authority on such matters will commend the Wanganui Association for taking the courageous step of fixing the admission charge for to-morrow night at one shilling, with an extra sixpence for the seats in better positions. If AVanganui boxing fans fail to fill the Opera House at those charges they do not deserve to have another tournament staged here. Tn addition, there is the appeal in respect of the net proceeds from the tournament, to be handed over for the Mayor’s Relief of Distress Fund. This worthy object should prove an attraction even to those who are not in the habit of attending boxing tournaments. The splendid programme of bouts which will be provided to-morrow night at the Opera House is one which has great appeal. Even allowing for some defections for various reasons a really good night's sport ehould be provided. The AVanganui schools of Messrs. T. Souter and M. Carroll provide a large number of the contestants for the various titles, while boxers from Marton. Taihape. Mangamahu, Bata, Hawera and Patea will also be on hand. In the heavyweight class J. Adams fMarton), A. Thurston (Taihapc >, W. J. Park (Mangamahu) and T. Syme (Wanganui) should provide interesting bouts. Adams will be defending his title but will meet with stiff opposition. * * » ♦ There are only two entrants for the light-heavyweights. Clifford from Souter’s school, being down to fight J. McMahon, of Taihape, who last rear took tho welterweight and lightweight. tit.es but has since put on weight and has been fighting in the light-heavy and middle-weight classes. Huw many of the competitors in the boxing section at the Olympic Games will join tho professional ranks? A win at the Games brings the performer into the limelight, and there is always : a number of managers on the look-out for promising material, remarks a Wellington writer. Inducements are made to the successful competitors to capitalise their ability, and many of the offers are too tempting to turn down. After all a boy following an ordinary occupation in life has practically nothing to lose, and perhaps much to gain by turning professional, and it is only natural that following a little “highpower tajk” by an enterprising manager or promoter there should be an exodus of Olympic winners for creditable performers) into the ranks of those who display their wares for cash. Three of New Zealand’s Olympic representatives in recent years. Charlie Purdy. Ted Morgan, and Alf. Cleverley, turned professional after returning from the Games, and Purdy especially was very successful until he began to find the training grind too irksome. Morgan was dogged with misfortune, land, although he won the welter-weight championship of the Dominion, he lias fallen below expectations., Cleverley never seemed to get going as a professional. Some of the American Olympic representatives have added lustre to their names as professionals, and at least three have won world championships. In the flyweight class Frankie de Genaro and Fidel la Barba, winners at the Games in 1920 and 1924 respectively, afterwards won the professional championships in this division, and La Barba is now a serious contender for the featherweight title. Jackie Fields, who gathered in the feather-weight Olympic championship for Uncle Sam in 1924, is at present professional welter-weight champion of the world. Another American whoso name appears amongst the winners at previous games, Samuel Mosberg (light-weight, 1920) subsequently appeared professionally as Sammy Mossman, but he did not set the Thames on fire. He visited Australia a few years ago. A South African bantam-weight, Willie Smith, Olympic winner in 1924. reached tho top flight professionally, but lie was not rugged enough to stay there, and a drubbing from Fidel la Barba in Sydney sent him on tho downward path, Paul Fritsch, a Frenchman, who won the feather-weight final at, the .1920 Gaines, was a classy performer in the cash ranks, and fought a draw with Sammy Mandel when the latter held the light-weight championship of the world. It will be remembered that the New Zealander Ted Scott mot defeat at the hands of Fritsch in Paris. Otto von Porat, of Norway, who was for a time a threat for the world heavyweight title, was an Olympic winner for Norway in 1924. Don McCorkingdalo, a South African, who was a semi-finalist in the 1928 Games in the light-heavy-weight division, has since won the heavy-weight championship of South Africa, and met Larry Gains, the Canadian negro, on two occasions (a draw and a loss on point) for the British Empire heavyweight championship. The big Argentinian heavy-weight. Rodrigues, who was successful among the big men nt the 1928 festival, is now endeavouring to make the grade among the American heavies.