BOXING.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XVI, Issue 941, 19 March 1908, Page 13

BOXING.

A GREAT FIGHT FOR THE FEA-THER-WEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP OF THE WORLD. Owen Moran, of England, and Abe Attell, of San Francisco, fought for the feather-weight championship of San Francisco on New Year’s Day, but the match was a draw. Jim Jeffries, the undefeated heavy-weight champion, was the third man in the ring with the midgets, and at the end of twenty-five rounds he was unable to say that either had any advantage. Moran is the first boxer to come from England in a number of years who is able to hold his own with the best American of his own class. He decisively defeated Neil’, the next best feather-weight to Attell, but notwithstanding this Attell was made a 2 to ,1 favourite over him, so distrustful are the sporting public of visiting pugilists after several recent fiascos. They were to have fought at 120 pounds, but Moran, who had great difficulty in taking off the last few pounds, found himself an ounce or two over weight as he was about to enter the ring. Attell, who is a Jew, exacted a penalty of £5O from Moran before he would agree to go on with the fight. He is now generally known as Shylock. The fight was a first-class affair, both men exhibiting great gameness and wonderful skill. It is generally conceded that Moran would have won had he not been weakened by having to make a weight lower than he should have made. Attell was perhaps the cleverer -boxer, but Moran was the more aggressive. In the last few rounds both men cast away discretion, and hammered, away in the effort to land a knock-out, but both were too weary to put the necessary force into their punches. Jeffries said it w r as one of the greatest battles he ever witnessed.