BOXING.

West Coast Times, 21 March 1910, Page 1

BOXING.

SUMMERS v. DOUGLAS

A SENSATIONAL BATTLE. GRITTY FIGHTING ALL THE WAY Matters meterological were not too propitious, as there wore one or two showers in the afternoon and another about half-past seven of the evening of the above fight, followed by threatening conditions, which undoubtedly kept many away from the Stadium with its wet seats. Yet the gate, panned out well—between £6OO and £7OO.

A good deal of betting was done—under the rose, of course—Summers being favourite.

The battle was sensational because of the fact that Summers, after .shaping in a way which seemed unaccountable in view of the fine exhibition he gave pitted against lluclic Unhok (which match was declared a draw, although popular opinion gave the verdict to Summers) suddenly, when the possibility of succeeding seemed gone, brought the whole of his fine fighting equipment to bear and ever afterwards till the end, led well by dint of remarkable vigour and persistency of attack, every move of which caused suck effect that the tables were almost completely turned. I say almost completely (says “Amateur” in the Referee) because to my mind Johnny hardly wiped out the advantage Douglas had won in the first 13 rounds, but Referee “Snowy” Baker evidently considered Johnny did accomplish the great task and coaisequently declared the match a draw. 1

There was much more approval than dissent in the demonstration which followed the verdict, and while many condemned several applauded the referee’s ruling, which should be looked upon as the best endorsement the referee could have.

Personally, I would have had no hesitation in pronouncing for the South African light-weight champion (Douglas), because as already stated, the Britisher did not quite even tilings

Had Summers let himself loose a ■omul or so earlier he most assuredly vould have placed the

question of relative superiority beyond a doubt, but bo delayed bis goin- a,ud - wallop-and-stay-thcre-and-wai-lop-again act too long. And he also made the mistake of nearly alwayts fighting for the head when the comparatively few (up to the turning point) efforts aimed at the body should have satisfied him and his “corner,” as it did a number of onlookers, that that was Douglas’ vulnerable part more than any other. Douglas proved himself a fighter of unusual power; he stood toe to toe with his man, and never broke ground till the time when Summers came with a groat weight of steam on, fighting desperately as a soldier in the last ditch, to heat a desperate position. Then Arthur clung—hanging on as long as ho could for purposes of recuperation—and, though reeling back often before the raking lire of the enemy’s guns, he returned to the attack with the fierceness and the tenacity of a tiger directly he recovered a lit-

I'Vw boxers are so ehnekful of com-

bative instinct as Douglas but in those concluding seven rounds be was uj) against one whom Nature had gifted just as liberally, hut who sh.owed more of the science of the game and had a harder punch in either list. Tlic people who know most about his methods and manner of making war

were sorely put to it to account for Summers’ failure to reach expectations until so late in the engagement, and at a stage when despairing of him com ing at all they sat hack content that he must Ik; beaten, bar the apparently remote likelihood of Douglas being knocked out.

Johnny Summers is a devout Homan Catholic, and, this being the Lenten season, he would fast, and could not he induced to eat anything more system-stiffening than fish. Let vegetarians and other cranks argue till they are blue in the face the man who has had much to do with athletic competitions will not he convinced that a fighter or a wrestler particularly can do his capabilities full justice if meat he denied him.

All Douglas’ scoring work was done in the clinches and mostly with the right. Summers would imprison Douglas’ left between bis (Summers’) right upper arm and body, while Arthur the while driug the right to the jaw and head and to the ribs. Johnny apparently know how to heat that attack, and vet he kept providing the opportunity round a liver round, but Arthur did not escape unscathed. Summers had got Ironic something more or less telling in every round, and her,' and there went ekise to making the honours of the three min-

utcs f'CjUal. Plainly the .South African had tlic Englishman prided—“hulfalocd” is the American way of putting it—tor a long time and .Douglas’ lighting i.sol such a nature that it lie is to he heatmi 1 is opponent must get wise to his «av. in, at least, the first five or six rounds, for no toucher or more enduring piece of pnglislie machinery has heen seen in Sydney, Douglas’ right npperents under the heart surely hurt Summers a Rood deal. Johnny slipped three or four times. Tl‘!' eighth was a sorry round tor Summers. One erncl right swing I-mst his ear and that organ hid freely ever afterwards, for the enemy gave it special attention when open inns offered. Johnny most have suffered acutely as the blows were by no means light. In the fourth round a left hook to the chin l ad Douglas sagging and -swaying and wrought 'the house to a high pitch. The lllh saw Summers hind two ul i'.'s ia the liodv-—right to the rihs and left to the stomach a Inch drove

the Sooth African from mid-ring right into a neutral angle. The fhitisher began to lop off lumps or his antagonists accumulation of ■■riMirtWliHiiiil

f body, using both hands to such purpose as to force Arthur off his. feet ‘. almost and once when Douglas clung (like an octopus to a rock a chip on the point shook him up but he soon re-j covered. The spectators were now! wild with excitement. j| Summers continued to make the j play willing, and fiercely as Douglas came to the attack so fiercely the oth- ■ er man met him. The brave fellows were battling for every inch of ground now. Once Summers got his head on Douglas’ chest and belted hammer and tons with both hands to the body while t’ other chap sent home what he could | (which was not much) to the head. In J! this round Douglas gave a fine display, of ducking. Douglas found sanctuary in hanging on a good deal right along the 16th, once ho was fought to the ropes and hack to mid-ring, where the pair were as busy as bees, though anything but harmlessly occupied, when the referee

came between them and simultaneously with that officials sundering push,' Summers drove a short straight left ! to the body which sent Douglas, half j doubled across to the vicinity of the j Eastern boundary rope and down. The scene about the arena at this stage was something to he remembered. The timekeeper counted “five” as Douglas rose unsteadily. Summers continued to hold the advantage in the. 17th, albeit Douglas battled like a Trojan. So the struggle progressed—Summers. still having much the hotter of

things. In the 20th round Douglas slipped to all fours and Johnny magnanimously shifted some yards clear so that his foeman might riso unhampered. A great fight indeed over the last seven rounds as already stated.

Bily Papke, Stanley KetchelFs old rival, intends having a fight or two in London and Paris, and then coming on to Australia to fight Bill Lang.

Stanyley Ketchell states that he is to fight England’s middle-weight champion, Tom Thomas, in London, in Juno next, and that ho will possibly make the journey to Australia later on and endeavour to fix up a match with Tommy Burns.