BOXING.

Waikato Times, Volume 97, Issue 15185, 10 March 1923, Page 17 (Supplement)

BOXING.

(By “Left Lead.”) George Eagels, the American, and Harry Collins, (lie Australian, will meet at the Sydney Stadium this evening. Eugene Criqui, the French featherweight champion, and Johnny Kilbane will meet in America for Ihe world’s featherweight title on May 30. Kilbane holds the honour at present. Sir Godfrey and Itughie Dwyer will come together at Sydney next Saturday for the light-weight championship and the Referee hell, at present in Dwyer’s keeping. It should be a great contest. Jim Tracey has surely worn his welcome out in America. Bill Brennan and Luis Firpo were the first to lake lys'measure, while this week we had wmrd that Tom Gibbons, brother of the illustrious Mike, finished the job inside a round! Now' that a boxing school has opened in the town there promises lo he a revival in pugilistic affairs, and, maybe, before long, the Association will get another start. There is some money to the credit of tiie defunct institution. In the lobby of Madison Square Garden one night last month Jess Willard ran into Jack Johnson, from whom he won the heavyweight championship in Havana. W'illiard stuck out his hand, Johnson "gave him the golden smile,, and they talked for several minutes. In Buenos Ayres they regard Luis Firpo as a possibility for the heavyweight championship of (he world. He looks after himself, is shrewd, and a fighter wdio is improving as a boxer.

Jimmy Wild, the Welsh wizard of the ring, and Panehao Villa, the Filipino, who has quickly climbed to fame against the stars of his division, are matched to meet. The bout, which will take place in America within a couple of months, is arousing worldwide interest. George Godfrey, a protege of Jack Johnson’s, quickly defeated Jack Thompson, who is under champion Jack Dempsey’s c ( are, at New York last month. Thompson quit within ten seconds of the finish of the second round, saying he had broken his left hand. Godfrey, a six-footer, is exceptionally fast for a big man. Something like 14,000 persons paid more than 51,000d01. to see the youthful Johnson outscore the veteran Bill Brennan in' a fisticuffing affair in New York on January 31, which was moderately fast, fairly exciting, but lacking in excess of thrilling moments. Brennan, after nearly 18 months of loafing, interspersed with a few easy

bouts against setups, climbed into the ring with little mope than experience and courage and a ring brain to assist him in withstanding the onslaughts of

the young, vigorous and rugged boy from lowa. Srennan thought those assets were sufficient, but in this he erred. Johnson’s greater speed, his snappier hitting, and the fact that he did carry on at a fast clip throughout the entire light, won the contest for him. Brennan was slow al'oot, slow in defensive tactics, and rather wild os regards marksmanship. Several times he was in a little difficulty, due to the fact that Johnson whipped over punches with each hand which bumped on to Bill’s ancient chin. But always, in such emergencies, Brennan's generalship saved him from being bounced to the canvas. An American writer, who considers a match between Jack Dempsey, who previously defeated him, and Jess’ Willard, a huge joke, sums up thus: “Yet there arc some promoters who think they can steam a nation of sport

lovers into the idea that this Willard person, who never whipped a good man in his life, who won his title on an alleged fake, who is four years away from his last fight, and forty years old, is a match for a man who pounded him to the goriest pulp that ever was assisted from a prize ring. Can it be done?” William Tapp, of Ohakunc, the boxer who died at Nelson subsequent to a fail during a contest, was a returned soldier. While in the army he had il fights, of which he won seven, drew one, and lost three. ]T e met some hard men, such as Alf. Marks, lightweight crack of Blackpool; Fred. Davis, champion of his class in Scotland; Alf. Bunion, 10sf, champion of the Mounted Machine Gun Cavalry; A. Brown, who was announced af Die ring-side as ex-lightweight champion of Lancashire; Bert. King, of Canada; Sergeant. McDonald, of Toronto, lie also won a special prize at Cojeux Sup Mcs for Hie host boxer, securing both his fights in a day. Deceased, who had a school of young boxers at Ohakune, was well-known in Hamilton, where he appeared a few times round about the occasion when Jimmy Clabby was in these parts. THE RIVAL OF LEONARD. The only man in the world to-day who looks like having a chance in the ring with Benny Leonard seems to be the comparatively old-timer, Charlie White, despite tile fact that in New York, early Ibis month. Rooky Kansas succeeded in gaining a decision over him. Kansas is lough, slow and rugged, and Leonard has heaten him on two or three occasions. All ilie other contenders have neon neatly trimmed by Leonard. White, outside of his recent, defeat by Kansas, has jus! finished up a run of victories by stopping Richie Mitchell, of Milwaukee. in 10 rounds, and now want..- !.o meet Benny. Once. Leonard and White met at Benlon Harbour, lbs., Benny winning the palm after a e >r,sidcrabie dust-up. On that occasion

White knocked Leonard clean through the ropes and Benny was pushed back, weak and dazed, just in time to set up and stall through the round It was the closest shave for a knockout and a lost championship that Leonard has ever known since he took the title from Welsh. But great fighter that he is. White seems to fall down on his job when he gets a chance at the world’s title —and he’s had three or four chances. There isn’t a boxer in the world who can trim a second-rater with greater neatness and despatch. Whether they are skinny or lmsky boxers or sluggers, anywhere from just below the championship class down to novices, they have n-o right in the ring with White. He knocks them all “kicking.” A more relentless finisher in the world than he is when he has plenty of time to think, and when he feels sure he can put over his punch, has never been seen. He moves very little, closes in deliberately, poised to start either right or left when he sees an opening, and never starts a blow that isn’t aimed and driven for a onepunch knockoutHis aspect while slowly and deliberately attacking is so threatening that he seems to hypnotise many of his opponents. But put him against a fast-thinking boxer with a reputation and something ties White’s ax'ins.

Clever Freddy Welsh didn’t have a punch when he was champion, but he was hold and aggressive at limes, and when in danger was as slippery as an eel and as elusive as a butterfly’s shadow. When White got his first match with Welsh for the championship, White could have done it if his brain and ids fists had worked in the same week. Physically, Welsh was no match for him at all. The l'ight was a joke. Welsh knew it was a joke as soon as he felt White out and saw that Charlie’s poised fist couldn’t start until Charles had sent an order from headquarter? by mail. Welsh danced and sidestepped until While wis puzzled and uncertain and then deliberately slipped closer and slapped White for seconds at a time. White had to think this new complication out, and by the time lie realised that he ought to be hitting Welsh was out of range again. Welsh always had White’s number, because he thought and moved in the same instant, and White had lo think first and move afterwards. Benny Leonard has the same advantage over White. He is a fast thinker and his hands and feet are linked with his mental impulses. White’s fighting make-up is different. In his body and arms and legs he has a perfect fighting machine. His waist is small, his legs thin hut wiry, his arms long and strong, his fists hard, his neck thick; hut above that —his headpiece—he cannot be compared with the present brainy King of the nine-stone-nine division.