GENERAL NOTES.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Issue 1307, 13 May 1915, Page 29

GENERAL NOTES.

The ex-Aucklander Alf. Bromwich was to have met Mat Murphy at West Maitland (N.S.W.) the other evening, but owing to wet weather the match was postponed until May 22. Thq contest between the pair is creating wide interest among Newcastle boxing enthusiasts, as a sterling 'fight is anticipated, as Murphy has establ.shed a big reputation as a hard hitter.

Jeff Smith, the famous American middleweight, was to have left Sydney on Saturday last on his return to the United States. Smith’s departure from Australia Will doubtless cause considerable disappointment, as Eddie McGoorty will shortly arrive in the Commonwealth, and another meeting between the pair is thus rendered impossible. Several good matches in Australia were _n store for Jeff Smith and it is difficult to say what prompted him to sail for the States at the present juncture, except that he is keen on meet.ng Mike Gibbons in a match for ,he worlds middleweight championship.

BJI Squires, ex-heavyweight champion of Australia, is very anxious to get back in the boxing game again. Sid Neilson, a wonderfully improved boxer, has been selected as the exchampion’s opponent. The contest will be s.aged as soon as a suitable date can be arranged.

Frank Ellis, the ex-New Zealand featherweight, defeated Marcel Denis in 13 rounds at Brisbane the other night, the towel coming in from the Frenchman’s corner. Ellis was nonplussed during ten rounds of the fight, and could not hit the Frenchman. In the eleventh round Ellis reopened an old wound on the top of Denis’s head, and thereafter Denis faded away completely. Ellis made up a great deal of leeway. At the end of the thirteenth round Denis’s towel was skied. The Frenchman explained that he was too weak after making 9st. 0%1b., and he felt too sick to continue.

The lightweight encounter at Perth tihe other evening between Hughie Mehegan and Fred Kay resulted in a draw after twenty rounds had been fought, a crowded audience witnessing the fight, which was of a stirring character. The house was fairly satisfied with Jack Cosson’s decision. The weights were given: Kay lOst. 31b., Mehegan lOst. The Victorian started with the idea of knock.ng Kay out early, but the West Australian was in fine fettle. He planted his right to the face at every opportunity and dodged all Mehegan’s blows with ease showing almost uncanny knowledge of his intentions. In the first few rounds Mehegan was too slow to score, while Kay found Mehegan’s left) cheek often, and tapped and rubbed it till the eye was practically out of commission. Mehegan worked to break down Kay’s right, and then thrash him on the ribs with vicious lunges and swings. Two-thirds of the fight went by before he made any impression, then by offering h.s face he got in occasionally, beat Kay to corners, and pasted his ribs. Kay took considerable punishment in that quarter, but never varied his tactics. In the last few rounds Mehegan made up many points, but when he continued to get to close quarters he could not break through Kay’s guard to a vulnerable point. The referee’s decision was a concession to his game, open fighting. Had Kay owned a knock-out punch Mehegan would not have lived half the distance.

Jim Corbett talked very interestingly the other day of boxing in Mexico and the position Jack Johnson occupied with regard to the American law. Corbett said that it was not that the Johnson-Willard fight could not have been pulled off in Mexico that prevented it taking place at Jaurez instead of Cuba. “Jack is a wise fellow,’’ he went on, “he felt exceedingly doubtful about

the outlook, and did not care to run risks. It appeared to him that when the old r.ng bell clanged there was a good chance of Uncle Sam having a strangle hold on Johnson’s ' purse and his future, and the same individual would also dictate regarding matters ahead for Jack. Any time a man gets into a jam with the Federal Government over where I come from it is a good policy to call a halt, lay your cards on the table, take a chance, and hope for the best. If you try to get away you get the worst of it. You may keep out of reach for months, and sometimes for years, but you never get by unless death occurs. Of course, everybody knows that Johnson is a fugitive from justice, that he jumped his bail and fled to Canada and thence to Europe; also that he forfeited his own cash and that of his friends by so- doing. It leaked out that the United States officials, always alert and never asleep, were making preparations for a little surprise for the black. There were no extradition treaties to assist them, but it was thought that, with the charge against Johnson explained to the Mexican authorities, objection to his presence rather than sympathy for him might result, and he could easily be grabbed by a party of. strangers and dragged over the 1 order.

“As a general thing,” continued Jim Corbett, “the lid is on boxing throughout Mexico. The way they get from under it is to advertise a ‘smoker.’ Then the public is informed, for instance, ‘that membership cards may be obtained at Calejou de la Condesa, No. 6. An extra fine programme is arranged for this evening—ragtime songs and dances. Fred L. Hanscom will be master of ceremonies.’ And in small type is added, ‘The club has secured, as part of its entertainment, two boxers of some note who will box twenty rounds, and repeat.’ That is if a decision is not reached in twenty rounds they rub it out and begin all over again. This is because finish fights are prohibited by law. Many Mexicans of the influential and wealthier class are quite fond of the sport, and it is no uncommon thing for one of them to purchase the seats on one side of the ring and invite his friends to come

and occupy them. Women are permitted to witness the bouts, and they seem to like the sport. There is always a big delegation of them on hand at the ‘smokers,’ and they are wildly enthusiastic. They bet on the outcome, too, and if their favourite wins they invariably split their winnings with him. A battalion of Mexican police is on hand to see that no blood is spilled. Queer this, when 1 you think of their bullfights. Some- ' times the soldiers will stop it if one of the boxers has a bleeding nose, and at other times there will be no interference, no matter how vicious or desperate the fighting. It all depends upon what influential personage is attending the show —if he wants it to go, all right; if not, it is stopped. Felix Diaz was usually present at important boxing entertainments in Mexico City; he liked to see them, and as a result they were never interfered with, even though the bouts were repeated. On such occasions the soldiers were there merely for effect.”

Johnny Summers has met with another defeat, since his beating by Basham at the Liverpool Stadium on February 4th. This time he had for an opponent “Kid” Doyle, a boxer with a good record and reputation, but not so long or so brilliant as were

those of Basham. I have only seen Doyle in action once (writes J. Frank Bradley in the “M.rror of Life”), and chat was at the beginning of the year, when, at very short notice, he took the place of Eddie Beattie against the Roumanian, Alexandrescu. I was the referee for that contest, and though I rather liked Doyle’s boxing, I was of opinion that his victory was due more to his opponent’s lack of ability than it was to his possession of any great amount. Still he won and he won well against a strong, aggressive, sturdy opponent, who, though no doubt possessing more stamina than science, and more strength than skill, was always a dangerous customer, and with Doyle coming at short notice I half fancied that the bustling tactics of the Roumanian would wear him down but I was there to see what happened, and not to decide on what I thought possible or probable. Doyle boxed with judgment and also with

sufficient skill to foil all the attempts of his rival to get in a finishing stroke, and he finished up a good winner on points. In Summers he had a man of different calibre to Alexandescu, and it says much for his skill that he was able to outpoint such a seasoned and experienced boxer. It is pretty evident that I somewhat un-der-rated Doyle, but I thought that, from what I saw of the Roumanian’s methods, it would not require a man of great scientific ability or attainments to beat him; hence my mistaken estimate of “Kid” Doyle’s ability. I am pleased to find that Doyle has justified the good opinions I had heard expressed about him ,and hope that I shall see more of him and that he will fulfil tli© great promise he has so far given.