BOXING

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 76, Issue 116, 19 May 1933, Page 5

BOXING

SPORT IN THE EAST AUSTRALIA’S IMPRESSIONS. JAPANESE BOYS KEEN. Tom Turner, an Australian .--portsman resident many years in America, where he was boxing coach to several universities and athletic clubs, recently , returned from a tour of the East, taking in China, Japan, and the Phillippine Islands. He tells of his impressions of boxing in the Far East. George Tingle, well-known Australian lightweight, is boxing instructor to-the municipal council of Shanghai (China). Boxing in Japan and China 73 staged much in the same manner as military or navy boxing. There are associations and tournaments. The game is healthy and prosperous. Let Tom Turner follow with his impressions:— “During my stay in Manila (P. 1. I had the pleasure of meeting Sam Feldman, who is managing our local haidhitting boxer, Alby Robsrts and “Kid” Como. “In Roberts’ first fight at Olympia Stadium in Manila he was matched with Fernandez. The ‘house’ was well packed. Roberts made a great impression with the local fans of Manila after the first two rounds on account of his tear-in methods of fighting at his man all the time. “Roberts certainly has boosted the game for the Australian boxer in Manila. The Filipino public favour The tear-in type of fighter. Feldman has got three boys in hand, who would do well should he bring them to Australia. They are ‘Fighting Aboard'). Joe Grando (feather champion of the Orient), and Clever Sison, a heavy lightweight. I saw this boy fighting in Japan. He is very clever. “In Hongkong boxing is controlled by the Hongkong Boxing Association. There is not too much scope for any boxer travelling to Hongkong, on account of the military and navy tournaments that are run very frequently. Six-round contests are fought, mostly under the Imperial Services Boxing Association; and other contests are fought under the rules of the National Sporting Club. “The wrestling game at Hongkong is dead at the present time. There are live heavyweight wrestlers that ‘blow in’ from the ‘States,’ catch-as-catch-can style, to Hongkong. The first match arranged was between iDuola, a big Hindtl, weighing 15 stone, and R. Johnson, Swedish, also 15 stone. “The first house was well packed, in which Duoa received the verdict. In a return match it was very poorly patronised. The Hongkong public do not seem to take to the wrestling game. In Shanghai the wrestling takes on fairly well with the public on account of international settlements.

“The boxing game at Shanghai is quiet. There are no good fighters up that way. I also visited the Tokio Boxing Commission. The Japanese boys are taking a very keen interest in boxing. There are five good boys there at present: Usuda, Kawata Kumaga, Gaga, Gragusha. Kumaga is the best of of these boys. He is a welterweight. A foreign boy would find it very hard to get a decision i Japan, unless by a knock-out. The referees generally give the decision to their own local boys They are taking the gaim very seriously, and will produce sumc very good talent later on.”