BOXING.

Waikato Times, Volume 98, Issue 16174, 27 December 1924, Page 17 (Supplement)

BOXING.

(By "Left Lead.") Answers to Queries. "Champion."—Bob Fitzsimmons held three world's championships at one and the same time, viz., light, light heavy, and heavy divisions. "Wrigley."—Jack Johnson and Tommy Burns fought for the world's heavy title at Rucheutter's Bay, Sydney, on Boxing Day, 1908, when the black won in round 14.

PARS FROM THE RtNG. G. Purdy and R. Trowern will settle a long standing claim as to who is the superior boxer at the Town Hall, Auckland, on Monday evening. Trowern may be good but this writer cannot see him proving superior oyer Purdy. Nelson McKnight, who fought at Palmerston North last evening will appear on Monday night at Auckland when he wih again confront W. \Valderi, the Palmerston North representative. There should be plenty of thrills in this encounter. Tommy Uren and Harry Collins are matched for Sydney on January 2G. The contest, which will be for the middleweight champion, is creating great interest in the N.S.W. capital. British boxers had a bad time in Berlin (Germany) last week. Boseman outpointed Townley, Breitenstratter beat Goddard, and Womgoergen drew with Jack Bioomfleld.

George Thompson, the West Australian middleweight, proved his ability to box against Merv Williams at Brisbane recently. Thompson had a good lead on points at the end of the 12th round, but h'e lacked stamina, and Williams knocked him out in the "devil's" round. . Williams did not show at his best, but his punches had some sting in them. In a small boxing club in a smaller U.S.A. town recently, the local announcer, introducing a big lumbering light heavy, said:—"ln this corner ladies and gentlemen, Battling , one of the idols of Boston." In a few seconds a voice from the gallery squawked "Idle Is right—the big bum is always idle." Eugene Gorri evidently thinks highly of the Spaniard, Paolino, whom George Cook, the Australian, beat. "Never have I seen better raw material in a heavyweight," writes Gorri. "If only Paolino falls into the hands of a really good tutor, and can be taught to box, he will be the champion for which Europe has been searching for. He is as game as any man I have : known," adds the famous English I referee.

It is stated that when the Australian, Hughie Dwyer, recovers from his present indisposition he will not try to make the light-weight limit for a a time. He will have a tilt at the welters, and is eager to have a crack at Harry Collins for his title. Peculiarly enough, Dwyer, was operated upon same day that Collins underwent similar treatment with his hand. Boxing doesn't often run • in a family like it has In that of the Green

clan in Sydney. Teddy was the pioneer, and there was noi a much | better little .'un before er since. Many ; years after came Jack, who accom- '.. plished big things, then. T.heo, and. i now i young Teddy who has thrown down the gauntlet to Les Jackson, flyweight champion of Australia, . for • £IOO aside. The three boys are nephews of Ted, who was at his ■ height round about 1900.

"That fellow, *Bat' Nelson always | did have a ueculiar sense of humour," said Jimmy Britt, still the dapper Jimmy, fishing in his pocket for a. postal card. | i "Here's a souvertir I received from! j him on September 9, Admission Day. i "He writes: 'Will you ever forget what happened nineteen years ago?'' i "Can you imagne a fellow like that? He didn't send me any postal card for; I the three times that I beat him." • | "Britt boxed the Durable Dane j twice in San Francisco, winning from him in twenty rounds, and once in Los Angeles, when he "shaded him in ten rounds. But the Jlcgewisch cham-

1 pion only thought to remind Jimmy of the knock-out he scored over Britt in eighteen rounds in Colma." —San , Francisco Gall. ! Harry Stone's 88th contest in Australia has found the veteran New York lightweight—now in the welter class by virtue of increasing weight—no longer fitted to stand the fire in a ' gruelling battle. He met Ernie Rice, , of England, at the Melbourne Stadium j the other Saturday night' and, after 1 going through a gruelling last six of i the twenty rounls fought, was defeatled on points. It was the first time' i Rice had been over the twenty-round j route since he came to Australia, and ' he showed that he is a rugged fighter capable or beating any number of opponents so long as they are not just that little, extra bit faster than himself to beat him to the punch. When they get a chance in America, those sporting scribes like to ham-

mer each other. Here is a striking example, taken from a New York paper: "In a recent issue of a magazine devoted exclusively to boxing, we found on a page, edited by Clarence Gillespie, the following: 'Q. —Did John ■ L. Sullivan, James J. Corbett, Robert Fitzsimmons, James Jeffries, Jess W.l- . lard, and .lack Dempsey, as cham-j pions of the world refuse to ' meei ; ' colored challengers? A- —Gorbett j met Peter Jackson. Sullivan shunned Jackson. He refused to fight; any negroes. Fitzsimmons was notj averse to tackling negroes. Jeffries , was not afraid of any negro. He | fought several, among them being Bob Armstrong, Goddard, and Peter; "Jackson. WlUiard refused to fight negroes after winning the title. Demp- | soy also to date has banned negro, challengers.' j '"That's learnin' 'em, Clarence.' Joe Goddard. The Barrier Champion, | a negro! Well, well. Next we expect to read that Mike McTigue is an Armenian. Goodness, gracious, Clarence, don't you know that Goddard was one of the famous white men ofAustralia who came over about the same time that Fit.z, Griffo, Dawson, Hall, Murphy, Peter Jackson and Greedon did? '

'"Joe was a six-footer and stripped as tough as whalebone tipping the beam at 195 lb. He knocked Joe Choynski cuckoo twice in Australia, and took four rounds to do it each time. He also fought Peter Jackson" a slashing eight-round draw down there. When he came to America he knocked Peter Maher for a trip in a round or two and then started to Slip." . . .. - ;: - '- -•• .