GENERAL NOTES.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Issue 1239, 15 January 1914, Page 29

GENERAL NOTES.

Two of the world’s best-known heavyweights, in Jess Willard, the Kansas cowboy, and Carl Morris, the Oklahoma giant, met in a 10-round bout at the Madison-Square Gardens, New York, on December 3, when the former outpointed his opponent. Willard had the better of eight of the 10 rounds, one was fairly even, and the third went to Morris. Willard weighed 235%1b, Morris 234 141 b. The bout was disappointing, as both men were slow and there was a good deal o‘ wrestling and hugging with few clean blows. With the exception of

the third round Willard outboxed his opponent, and Morris was frequently cautioned for holding. Both were clumsy, but Willard did the cleverer work. He used right cross , blows and right uppercuts, while Morris mostly played for the body at close quarters. Morris floundered at times, and seemed To have no sense of direction with his blows. The crowd frequently jeered.

Clarence Weber, Australia’s champion wrestler, defended his title thei other night against Will Maynard, the American professional, at the Athletic Pavilion, Melbourne, the contest proving of short duration, as only Bmin lOsec of actual wrestling was required to demonstrate Weber’s undoubted superiority over his opponent. Maynard, whose weight was 12st lib (Ist 61b less than that of Weber), was of a more athletic build than Wassem, the Australian’s last rival. He was, however, beaten early by' Weber’s aggressiveness. Not losing a second, the champion went for the neck, secured it, and heaved his man to the ropes. A moment or two later he effected a secure arm and body hold, and with the powerful leverage had Maynard down for the first fall in lOsec. Weber’s tactics were, no doubt, a surprise to the American, and in the next wrestle a better showing was expected. Weber, however, secured a similar hold as at the outset, but he had sturdier substance to contend against this time. Maynard showed a fine check, but only for a few minutes. He was down early, and Weber got the toe hold. His grip was vicelike for a time, but Maynard released himself from his defensive position, and was immediately on the offensive for the first time in the contest. He worked hard for a crotch hold, but Weber shook him off, and gaining the advantage through an unsteadied body he caught

Maynard by the neck, gave him a roll, and in eight minutes the second fall was credited to him. * ♦ *

Of the coloured Sams—Langford and McVea —the former would appear to be the more enterprising, for the Bostonian, on the completion of his Australian engagements, lost no time in finding his way back to the States, where he suffered defeat at the hands of Joe Jeannette and “Gunboat” Smith in short bouts, but later defeated the former in Paris. Notwithstanding his failure to secure the verdict, Langford, who was not in anything like his proper condition, received good money to meet both of the boxers named, and evidently knows how to reap in the shekels. Sam Langford’s next move was to London, where he is at present appearing at the music halls at a remunerative salary. Langford’s turn is made all the more attractive by his repeated challenging of Jack Johnson, while he has already signed articles to meet P.O. Curran, the British heavyweight, who recently visited Australia. The contest is to take place in Paris at an early date, and during his visit to France it is fairly certain that the “Boston Tar Baby” will receive big appearance money.

On the other hand, Sam McVea, who is little behind his stocky opponent in the matter of boxing skill, as evidenced by their series of battles in Australia and previously in Paris, is content to remain in the Commonwealth, with the chance of picking up an odd match or two. McVea has had a very easy time of it since

Langford’s departure, owing to the dearth of heavyweight material, but he made his reappearance within the ropes the other night, when he had as his opponent Colin Bell, the wellknown Moree (N.S.W.) heavyweight, whom he disposed of early in the second round. McVea entered the ring weighing 14 st 101 b, while Colin Bell stripped at 13st. 91bs. The contest is thus described by W. F. Corbett in the Sydney “Sun”: —One very large pugilist met with scant consideration at the hands of another almost as large when, at the Olympia Athletic Club, Newtown, Sam McVea, through the agency of a short right jolt to the temple, sent Colin Bell to the floor for the count, and before half the second round of their contest had expired. Colin rolled over a couple of times and looked as silly as a man who had his wits so sadly jumbled might be expected to look. The end at that stage was not a surprise to some people—indeed, they would not have been much taken aback had the finely-built black finished his job a round earlier, but he was plainly disposed to be lenient. Only three times did McVea play that beautiful and effective left hook of his, and then it crashed against Colin’s opportunely placed fending right.

There were between 2000 and 3000 people in the place, and the noisy aong them whooped loudly for Bell every time the big Moree man did, or tried to do, anything'.

McVea was clearly not all out in the first round, though he did wallop a right to the back of the white man’s neck as he bent low to dodge an attack. The blow was a true rabbitkiller punch. Colin went down to one knee, aid cries of protest, but he was not to blame. It wasTno quit. A few seconds passed, and the kneeling man straightened up again. McVea smiled benignly at his opponent

and said something to him. Probably he expressed the hope that Colin had suffered no more than a shaking. Big Sam buzzed about a bit now, and got tangled a good deal with smaller Colin. The black’s arms were busy circling the atmosphere when he was not endeavouring to drive them up through the other fellow’s smother. Applause followed the men to their corners. Bell had survived the opening round.

Beginning what was to have been the second three minutes of fighting, McVea pecked with his left a few times, and on each occasion swung the right immediately afterwards. Soon Colin became aware that openings were easy, and waiting for the next one, drove his left to Sam’s face with some force. This proved Bell’s undoing. There was a wild whirling of arms for a while until Colin sank to the boards for what reason, or through what cause, deponent failed to observe. He rose almost immediately, and shaking himself a bit, went in to, apparently, do things, but he never got a start. That wallop on the temple put an end to the show. I was almost forgetting to mention that Sam slipped and fell on his back once. A wild charge by the weighty Bell had literally carried McVea off his feet.

Owen Moran, the English lightweight, who left Australia quite unexpectedly and gave as his reason uniair treatment in his two battles in the Commonwealth, fought Joe Azevedo at Oakland, California, the other day, and was disqualified in th® sixth round of a battle that was scheduled to go ten rounds. He was cautioned several times for butting, but took no notice, and when he again used his head in a clinch the verdict was given against him. The general opinion is that as a fighter Moran is going back.

Albert Pooley, the ex-Auckland heavyweight boxer, is one of Eddie McGoorty’s sparring partners, and during the American’s training preparations at Brighton-le-Sands for his match with Dave Smith, Pooley was responsible for a number of clever displays. Pooley’s showing in bouts with the American middleweight champion plainly revealed the fact that the ex-Aucklander is at present at the height of his form, and he may yet make a name for himself in Australian boxing circles.

Bob Fitzsimmons, the one-time great pugilist and ex-world’s champion, who during his visit to Australia several years ago gave proof of his wonderful stamina by actually engaging in a match against, the then champion, Bill Lang, will not be convinced that his days as a lighter are done, and since his memorable battles with Jeffries, Corbett, Choynski, Sharkey, etc., he has issued many challenges to the later generation of boxers, which, however, in most cases have not been taken seriously. Of Fitzsimmons’ pluck there can be no question, but age has robbed the famous pugilist of much of his former vitality, and it is little to be wondered at that promoters nowadays turn a deaf ear to Fitz’s persistent and earnest appeals for a match against some of the white hopes, of whom the veteran holds a very poor opinion. A fortnight ago Bob Fitzsimmons received what doubtless may be regarded as the crushing blow of his career when the New York Boxing,, Commission passed a resolution forbidding the ex-world’s heavyweight champion to fight, on the grounds that a hard contest might endanger his life. Those who know the big-hearted Cornishman will realise the extent to which his pride will suffer as a result of the commission’s decision, for Fitz still has great faith in his boxing abilities, and scorns the imputation, that he is a back number so far as active service in the ring is concerned.

Harry Stone, the young American lightweight, who, after twice defeating Johnny Summers on points, was beaten on Boxing Night by Herb McCoy, the Melbourne lightweight, is velry anxious to avenge his defeat, and has challenged the Victorian a return match for £2s'o a 7 side. Stone has even gone to the publicly stating that failing to secure a return match with Herb McCoy he will take his departure for America without engaging in any further contests in the Commonwealth.