LESTER-LANG FIGHT.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XX, Issue 1119, 21 September 1911, Page 10

LESTER-LANG FIGHT.

Australia’s Bill Lang, recently alleged by the Mclntosh to ‘be the hope of the white race for the overthrow of the sons of Ham (and chicken)’, who have captured the front seats of pugdom, was made a holy show of last Saturday night at the Sydney Stadium (says the “Bulletin”). A party named Jack Lester, who dropped in from some old where in Canada, went 20 rounds with him, and got a points’ decision. This is the same party who was disqualified a few months ago, in a match against Lang, for going down before receiving a blow. Although his action at that time was apparently the result of a misapprehension, it did Tommy Burns’s protege no good, so that there was little business doing at 3 to 1 or 4 to 1 in favour of Lang on Saturday niaht, when the two faced each other for the second encounterThe battle was the hardest yet seen in the Stadium, and although Lang was in as good fighting trim as ever he was, the 20-year old Canadian took everything that Bill could send his way without showing any sign of wear and tear to speak of, piled up points in the last few rounds, and wound up as fresh as Bill was otherwise. All of which is bad enough, but when the said Bill reflects that his conqueror is raw and utterly inexperienced, what consolation shall he find? There never looked a more man as he sat with

bowed head after “Snowy” Baker had given the decision, and listened to the uproarious cheers that heralded his downfall. Never —unless it was the fisticallv-deceased Bill Squires who was in Lang’s corner. Except for its strenuousness the battle had little to commend it. Lester displayed about Sin. of science to the square yard of undefined biff. Lang, with long experience, could do nothing to stop his whirling opponent, and if it had been a “finish” fight, the Australian would probably have been knocked out, despite the fact that he was in good trim. William advances the excuse that his hand went back on him again, and that he was not properly well. No good! Billiam is a second-rater —that’s all.

The unknown Lester, by defeating Lang, gets a pass into the upper circles of the game, and as things stand he should represent the white man against McVea, Langford, or even Johnson at the Stadium this season. He is an unassuming lad, and although his chance of walloping the big coons seems hardly worth hoping for, Australians will hope on just the same. He has the qualities from which champions are built, and can take punishment like a wooden man, but he is woefully inexperienced, and he hasn’t time to make up the deficiency before the murky brigade will be hurling upper-cuts and other discourtesies at him. Still he is lucky to get the opportunity that the Mclnstoush will probably give him within the next few months, and even if he gets all the kicks he’ll certainly get a fair cut of the ha’pence. And, anyhow, it is better to have bashed and failed than had no chance to bash at all.

Lowe, the dashing forward, who represented Poverty Bay against Auckland on Saturday, is the champion heavyweight boxer of his province, being an exceedingly clever performer with the gloves. Lowe will probably be seen in action within the ropes at

the November carnival of the Northern Boxing Association at His Majesty’s Theatre, Auckland, when A. Pooley will measure skill with him.

Abe. Attell, the world’s featherweight champion, is assured by his physicians that hia injured arm has regained its full strength, and that he need not worry over the fear of its giving out on him at a crucial moment. So the American featherweight is anxious to get back into harness again, and the other day opened negotiations with a London match-maker with the avowed object of going to England to box Jem Driscoll. But as Attell demanded a £lOOO guarantee for his end in the first place, and in the second was made aware that Driscoll sticks to his intentions of leaving the fight game alone and following up the less strenuous career of a bookmaker on the English tracks, nothing came of it.

If I were asked to decide in what portion of the Dominion boxing has made the most progress during the last twelve months I should declare for the Wairarapa (says the boxing critic in the “Canterbury Times”). Much of the interest shown throughout the Valley is due largely to the energy and enthusiasm of that keen sportsman, Mr A. P. Whatman. So far not one of the several Associations in the Wairarapa has affiliated with the New Zealand Boxing Council, but that is only a matter of time as the desire is to have the sport thoroughly established before joining the Council.

The Hawke’s Bay Boxing Association, whose headquarters are at Hastings, intend holding a two nights’ carnival on October 10 and 11. The principal attraction will be a professional contest between Jack Griffin and Alf. Bromwich.

Visitors to Wanganui for the races on the 2 Bth and 29th will have an opportunity of witnessing what should prove a most interesting boxing contest on the night of the second day’s races, when Tim Tracy and Gault, of Auckland, are to meet for a £5O purse, hung up by the Wanganui Association (writes our Wanganui correspondent). Prior to the big event there will be four bouts between local amateurs, all of which promise to be very willing, so that a capital night's sport may be anticipated.

Tne Johnson-Wells fight, which is set down for decision in London on October 2, has raised a storm of protest from various religious bodies in England, and every endeavour is being made by the parties in question to stop the contest taking place. It is unlikely, however, that their efforts will meet with success, as the Johnson Wells match has the support of a verj large section of the community, the British army officials, who are proud of their representative “Bombardier Wells,” being particularly enthusiastic about the forthcoming pugilistic battle, it is to be hoped that the unwarranted attempt made by opponents of boxing to rob English sporting folk of the opportunity of witnessing a world’s championship contest will not for one moment be entertained by the authorities at Home.

Grave fears are entertained regarding Jack Johnson’s projected visit to Australia, but it is hardly likely the big negro will turn down the tempting offer of £lB,OOO, as his trip to England has been a most expensive one, for he has been spending money lavishly since he set foot on English soil. Diamonds, jewellery and motor cars are calculated to absorb the capital of the great negro pugilist, and as his ring career must now surely be drawing to a close, he would be unwise to refuse his engagements in the Commonwealth before quitting the game for good, as he would not make nearly the sum offered him by Mr. Mclntosh by remaining in England and fulfilling music hall contracts. While a champion boxer is in the fighting game he proves a big draw at the theatres, the battles he has just taken part in, or an approaching match of importance, being the secret of his popularity, and forming the best advertisement he could receive. But with Johnson’s retirement from the ring interest in the negro fighter will diminish, as will also his salary at the music halls, so that if he throws up his Australian contracts he is certain to suffer financially. Johnson’s future plans may, however, depend upon how he fares at the hands of Bombardier Wells, but it looks as though nothing short of a miracle can rob him of his title.