BOXING.

Waikato Times, Volume 97, Issue 1600, 31 May 1924, Page 19 (Supplement)

BOXING.

(By " Left Lead.") Answers to Queries. "Glove," —Liu Robinson lives in Gisborne. "Corner." —Torn Hoone.y ha/- sailed for England; (2) Lave Smith is a. native of Milton. Pars from the Ring. Geo Modrick and ,1. O'Sullivan will meet at Auckland on Tuesday e\euiri* in a professional heavy-weight contest. Mr "Dod" Sampson, the well-know:. Auckland referee and Mr "Sam" Gillies, a former secretary of Ihe N.8.A., were interested spectators at the re cent, tournament at Frankton. The Frankton Association had U>.' worst of ill-luck in sinking such wctched weather as was encountered for its tournament on .Monday. Ncveitholcbs there was a highly saUsfacfo'-> attendance of enthusiasts under the circumstances, which is a mark of Ihe keen interest in Ihe sport, li was a fine programme, even allowing thai Ihe principal bout was cut short owing to Ycrnali's injury. A feature of the evening was Ihe prompt management The tournament revealed r. buy we!' which stood to the visitor who shovve 1 of WaihT. The footwork and abilih to evade blows displayed, by Warn was a real eye-opener, while he cam" back lo score with remarkable precision. His opponent, F. Stewart, was always willing to mix it but lie found his target very elusive. Warn will be heard from to improved effect be fore long. J. O'Sullivan, of Auckland, and C. Vernidl, of Frankton, provided four rounds of fait and clever work from gong, to gong. II was experieno l which slood to Ihe visitor who showed himself to bo quite as capable as tie.' reports received ahead had. made out. Vcrnall is deserving of compliment on the fine showing he put up. tie kepi O'Sullivan ever vigilant and was outpointing him al limes. Patrons would welcome a re-turn match between this fair. ,1. Whirlington, one of Clarric Blackburn's pupils, who secured Ihe victory over "Jock" Lineham, gave a. promising display. lie is a cool customer who should be heard from a;: a in. II was indeed unfortunate lieu Norman Vcrnall injured his shoulder. causing a cessation of hostilities in his bout with Nelson McKnight after the close of the first round. The break is a bad one, renewing and extending an old irjur,\ to the shoulder and it it is very doubtful if Vcrnall will dor. Ihe gloves again in competition. This will mean the dropping out of a clever boxer who has appeared at many tournaments here and in Auckland and always put up a line showirg. We did not have Hie plcasi.ro of seeing Nelson McKnight in aid ion for long on Ihe lalosl occasion. However. there was sufficient lo show that, he was very confident and lie l"s! no lime in registering effective work. McKnight has improved rousiderabiy since gelling under Chirr jc Blackburn's care, his hilling being more deliberate and effective.

The, championships will be the next item for secretary Hampton and his executive to prepare for. They have been fixed for June .'lO and entries will, be taken to June 23. All divisions will be eaten el for and a fine programme kliould be available-. J'reni these tests the nam will go forward to the provincial championships' al headquarters. Clarrin Blackburn is oi.l with n chalh'iigj lo light any weller-vseight in the Dominion under any Association. Biackhuru should not be long in getting a match, arranged. During his respite of some months from the g.i n ■ he has teen conducting \ boxing school at Frankton ami several of his pupils have! already sampled Ihe necl/ir of success in the ring. Tim principal is v< r.V ITI and should give a cap'abl >. account of himself ag.diH whoever il is Ids call lo encounter on his return lo Ihe hempen square. The following from "Ringside;'," in Ihe Taranaki Herald is of interest:— "During McKrjght's stay at New Plymouth lie was under the care of "Snowy" Feilding. . McKnight is a I'm,: stamp of a boxer and a gentleman to boot. It is .alleged thai McKnight is prepared to meet Duggan al any, lime and Ihat Ihe former's trainer wilt put up a gold wah h and chain as a t.vophy, provided Ihe kilter's trainer will do likewise. "When some of I lie public see Ihe word 'special' edneotned with a 'mid Ihey are inclined Ic scoff and 101 l themselves Ihat the light will lie lame —pre-arranged by the boxers —a men draw lo those who know no belter, Admittedly such has been the case in

many special bouts but the faction of the public who attended the finals of Ihe tournament on Thursday (-veiling with the idea Unit they were geing lo be frightfully bored when the Mc-Knight-Quirke fight was staged, received a severe shock'. Although the lout, only went four rounds it was full of pep ai.d crammed with excitement. Indeed one is quite justified in saying dial Now Plymouth fans have never before witnessed such a brilliant exposition of boxing by amateurs and seldom has it been excelled by professionals. . . ." Clarric Blackburn's gymnasium al Frankton is going regularly, and the principal is busy tutoring and training pupils for different engagements. Good form was shown by them on the night of the Salvation Army Orphans' bonelit, the judge. Mr It. Nealc, having a difficult task selecting Ihe most scientific boxer of tin; novice class and Ihe amateur. Clarrie McKnight was successful in procuring the medal for the most scientific amateur boxer in the gymnasium, and Luigi Nobili warn the medal presented for the best novice. Blackburn's team is in good form for Ihe Tanner Shield competition, to be held at Waihi on Saturday. It will consist of Nelson McKnight, Ted Willis, Dcrrant, Luigi Nobili. Pancho Viil. Whittington ami C McKnight. Nelson McKnight, has developed a punch since coming under Blackburn's care, and should figure prominently in the next New Zealand championships. Clarric Blackburn has issued a challenge to any welter in the Dominion under any association, and should not be long in being accommodated. He should return to the ring much benefited by his let-up. The championships on June ! 3o will be the next item for the Frankton Association. Entries are due with the secretary ou June 23.

Who v/as the Greatest Heavy. " Jeffries the Grandest Fighting Machine." There will always be arguments regarding our greatest heavyweight champ. There are men who have seen them all from Sullivan up, and sill. insist thai John L. was the daddy of Ihe bunch. There are others.' am, such irood judges as Billy Brady, -spiM-r Kellv.' Harry Follok, and Lilly Jerome, wlio declare that Jim Gorbeti's equal has never been seen in a ring. Then, of course, there arc Ihe FiL'.simmons backers. They say lhaf, iUihy Robert, with his 17011), was the real sweel papa. •Then we come lo Jeffries, the man with Ihe wonderful shape, the devastating punch, and Ihe very I'.'no record of ring honesty. Tex Richard says: "1 Ihink Ihe Jeffries who slopped out of (he ring the night of Ihe Monro'' light was the grandest fighting machine ever on Ibis green earlh." Jim Corbelt is another booster for the boilermakcr, and, although Jim thinks Peter Jackson a greater lighter, he says few could have slood up against Jeff when the latter was in top form. There are fans who insist that Jack Johnson was the best. Ulcers think Willard, and still others say Dempsey. W, W. Naughlon, who was one of our greatest sporting writers, says n his'book about heavyweight champions Hie following bit about Jeff. This article was written before Mr .\'aiighton saw Lie Jeffries-Johnson light at He no: "It has been often said that Jeffries was a lucky fellow to blossom out just when he did, the argument being that the top-notchers of the leavyweight, division were beginning to decline about that time. "I have used the same argument myself, and I must say that 1 have iften wondered how Jeffries would have acquitted himself had he boxed either Potcr Jackson or Jim Corbett when these latter were in their heyday. lam inclined lo think that bar. lie stacked up agains; ertner of them in his club days, his championship dream would have been dispelled, temporarily, al least. "At the same lime. J think Ihat the Jeffries who defeated Filzsimmons, Corbett. Sharkey and Ruhlin in suc-cession-was .a heller fighter than any one of Ihe former world's champions id' championship candidates when al ids very Pes!. Jeffries had reached ins full development without meeting a setback or mishap, and he was. to my way of thinking, the mcsl formidable p'.ee of lighting machinery ever seen in a ring. "Despite the disparity of their ages. 1 consider Ihe defeat of Filzsimmons al New York the star performance of Jeffries' career. The argument that Filzsimmons was past his time as a pugilist on Ihat occasion will not hold wafer, for Filzsimmons, nearly two years later, returned lo the ring and defeated liuhlin and Sharkey, in six and three rounds respectively, wilhin Ihe space of a week. "According lo Billy Delancy, who I rained and handled Jeffries, it was Ihe baiter's trick of assimilating heavy blows winch discouraged the Cornishman in the contest in question. "Said D.elaney: '.lie reached Jeffries' face with a tearing left hook, and all Iho strength Fitzsimmons possessed was behind the blow. Filzsimmons was astounded when lie saw how ;ittle effect Ins best punch produced, ile expected to see Jeffries stagger and drop his arms. Instead, he saw Jim standing there on guard as steady as a rock. II was then that Filzsimmons' heart sank. He had found a man who could lake his liereesl punches without collapsing, and he was very much worried about il. "It is Ibis faculty id withstanding punishment lha! helps lo keep Jeffries in Uie forefront of Ihe champions. He is endowed naturally with a physique of iron, and blows which bend the ribs and jar the brains of others hurl him comparatively Utile. He declares himself Ihat he never yet fell a blow Ihat dazed him."—(Tad.)