BOXING.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XL, Issue 19, 6 May 1908, Page 14

BOXING.

Already a hitch has occurred in the negotiations for a match between the Australasian champion, Charlie Griffin, and the ex-bantam champion, Joe Bowker. “Carlton," Griffin’s hacker, challenged all England at Ost. 4lb. to 9st. Gib., and Bowker itnniediate.lv offered to take the New Zealander on for twenty rounds at the former poundage for £ 100 a side, and such purse as the National Sporting Club might be disposed to offer. The next move was with “Carlton.” and he indulged in a somewhat peculiar one. He admitted that he named 9st. 41b. or Ost. GJb. as the weights at which he would back Griffin against any lad in England, but he would not, he intimated, make a match with Bowker under Ost. Gib. Seeing that Griffin was under Ost. when he fought Driscoll, and that Bowker can be at his best at a few pounds below that weight. “Carlton’s’’ stipulation for Ost. Gib. suggests that he is not over anxious to pit Griffin against the Englishman, who can hardly be expected to make the concession in weight required by Griffin’s backer. Failing Bowker, it is quite possible that Griffin may find a customer in Seaman Hayes, of Hoxton. a game, strong, resolute twohanded fighter not far removed from the top of our Ost. 41b. division. Hayes, r.owoveT, cannot at present “talk in hundreds,” but if "Carlton” cares to put Griffin into the ring for a £25 or £5O a side match the Seaman can. I understand. find friends to “stand him for anything up to fifty.” Another boxing match has been arranged between Tommy Burns, champion of the world, and Bill Squires, the Australian. The contest is to take place in the open air at Stamford Bridge, an English village in Yorkshire. The date fixed is Saturday. May 11th. In connection with the defeat of the New Zealander Griffin in England by Jim Driscoll, an English writer says: — “1 notice that Mr. Carlton, in a letter to the ‘Sportsman’ and ‘Sporting Life,’ endeavours to excuse Griffin. He mentions that w hen the colonial left Australia the temperature was IGOdeg. in the sun. and that the little fellow suffered from colic and boils while training, and was therefore not. properly lit because of the after effects of his illness.- But in his next paragraph he rather spoils that argument by asserting that Griffin “was positively the stronger of the two in the fifteenth round.” That does not look as if either the fall in the temperature. the colie. or the boils had much effect on Grillin, does it?’’