BOXING

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Issue 1325, 16 September 1915, Page 28

BOXING

New York boxing fans seem to have a great liking for the heavyweights. During the two years the heavies have been given every opportunity to develop there, and as a result a number of fairly clever men have come, to the front, or rather appear to be coming fast (writes Tom Andrews, the famous American boxing critic). The tourney for heavyweights at the openair show given by Johnny Weismantel, of the Broadway Sporting Club of Brooklyn, brought Charley Weinert to the fore again. Weinert received a set-back some time ago when he bumped into one of Jack Dillon’s smashes, but he has gradually worked back into top form and looks as good as any of the 185-pounders. He met Gunboat Smith at the open-air show, and all accounts agree that Weinert had the best of it. He. showed better form than in any previous bouts, and is now after Jim Coffey for a match. At the same show George Roedel made a come-back and knocked out Sailor Fritts in eight rounds. Jack Hempie, whom the papers of the east have been boosting of late, stopped Battling Johnson in four rounds. Hempie is the heavyweight who helped to train Jess Willard for his fight with Jack Johnson. He has beaten several heavies of late and looks fairly well at this stage. Now Jack is after Jim Coffey for a match. They all seem to think that Coffey is the man they must beat to get a chance at Willard. Another heavyweight on the scene is Tom Cowler, who has just returned from Australia with Jim Corbett. Cowler is a native of England, but during the past two years he has made his home in Vancouver. 8.C., and it was there that Jim Corbett first made: his acquaintance. He looked good to Jim and the latter took him along to Australia on his vaudeville tour. Corbett matched him against three men in your country—Les O’Donnell, Gordon Coghill, and Ben Doyle—winning all three bouts in easy fashion.

Corbett is wise enough to know that he is not yet ripe for a match with Willard, but he thinks lie can beat most of the heavies in the States, and is willing to match him against any of them (continues the writer). It is likely that Cowler will be matched with Coffey in New York, the match to take place in a month’s time. Then

the winner can be shoved ahead for a talk with Jess Willard about the title. If Coffey and Willard meet it will not be Labour Day, as stated by some, but in the late fall. Jess is tied up with the 101 Ranch till October, and could not get away until after that date. It is possible that the match may be decided in Milwaukee, at the big Auditorium, as the Cream City A.C. has made a bid for the bout, and Tom Jones, manager of Willard, is willing to accept it. (Later than the date of this letter, Cowler signed to fight Gunboat Smith on June 28.)

Frank Moran, the American heavyweight pugilist, who fought Jack Johnson in Paris just over 12 months' ago, and has since met and defeated Bombardier Wells and others, was declared bankrupt in London early last month. Moran was described in the.' proceedings as “of the Black Bull Hotel, Whetstone, and formerly of the Savoy Hotel, Strand, W.C.” His liabilities were chiefly in respect of money lent and hotel bills. The receiving order was made on the petition of the' Savoy Hotel, Ltd., on June. 23 last, the act of bankruptcy being the debtor’s failure to comply with the requirements of a bankruptcy notice duly served on him. The debt was £9O, less £2O paid on account, for hotel expenses. Judgment had been obtained against him. He returned his liabilities as £450, and assets nil. Moran first became aware of his insolvency in May last, when he found he could not obtain money due to him in respect of a boxing contest. He had borrowed money since then, and had incurred hotel expenses. He alleged that his failure was caused through losses in connection with the contest in Paris in June of last year, also owing to the war and the' moratorium, loss of engagements and income owing to the war, and ill-health.

It is more than likely (remarks W. F. Corbett in the Sydney “Sun”) that Harry Stone, the American lightweight boxer, who, during an eight months’ sojourn in Australia two years ago, defeated Hock Keyes, Johnny Summers (twice), Alt’ Morey, Waldemar Holberg, Matt Wells, Pal Brown, and Ted Porter, and was beaten by Joe

Russell and Herb McCoy on points, may come along shortly and tell us that the cabled accounts recently published of his alleged tragic end aboard th £■ torpedoed Armenia were, in the words of Mark Twain, greatly exaggerated, and that not the slightest foundation in fact existed for the report. My New York exchanges prove an alibi for Stone. A German submarine sunk the Leyland liner Armenia on June 28. The New York “Evening Journal” of July 3 says: “Last night Harry Stone outpointed Johnny (Kid) Alberts, of Elizabeth, N.J., in a ten rounds bout at Browns Far Rockaway, A.C.” etc. The clever boxer who visited this country could hardly have had his legs shot away and rolled overboard off the coast of Cornwall on June 28 and figure, in a New York ring as a boxer four days later. The “Sun” heard nothing of (he alleged death of Stone', and I made no reference to the report, because I had read in English newspapers details of the disaster to the Armenia, which included no reference, at all to him. Further, I felt sure, and told several people so, that Stone was extremely unlikely to be a passenger lor England. His stay there over the first few months of last year could hardly have been profitable, and judging by the references made to him by the press he certainly did not cross the Atlantic homeward bound harboring such fond recollections of England as a country to box in that he should be desirous of returning there, particularly as he knew the way to Australia, and it was open to him. They did not understand Harry Stone in London as we here understand him. He was eccentric occasionally, but nothing more, and he undoubtedly proved himself an unusual boxer. His friends m Sydney were much concerned regarding his reported untimely end, but what I had to tell those who spoke, or wrote, to me on the subject caused hope to take the place of despair. Of course, it may transpire that Stone was on some other submarined steamer. The cablegram announcing his death said nothing about the date of the occurrence, though it did state that the Armenia was the vessel.

Willie Ritchie, the ex-champion lightweight, has decided to take to the mountains near San Francisco during the warm summer months, and will try and forget the ring and the stage. The ’Frisco boy intends to go on a long hunting and fishing trip, and will not bother about matches of any kind. He was offered matches with Freddy Welsh in New York, and also Charley White, but he passed them up to go fishing. Willie says, however, that he will be in harness again in the fall and ready to have it out with Charley White as to who is the real American champion. That will please, the Chicago boy, and also many boxing fans, and at the same time furnish a challenger for a world’s championship match. * * * * The world’s champion lightweight, Freddy Welsh, in the course of a conversation with a leading sporting writer in New York the other day, made it very plain that he wanted to retire from the game for all time and settle down to a quiet life. “I do not want to quit without giving the legitimate challengers a chance at the title,” said Freddy, “but I do not intend to have them dictate to me regarding it. I was dictated to by Willie Ritchie, and made to give away every penny of my share of the money to get a chance to win the championship. I chased the holders of the title for 11 years before I was given a chance. I am no youngster, and must take care of myself. I know that a young fellow has a chance always, but over the 20-round route. I fear none of them, and that includes Ritchie and White. I intend to establish a fine health resort near Lockport, N.Y., after the style of the Muldoon farm. It has been my hobby for years, and I have studied physical culture work for the past 10 years, so that it will not be new to me when I open up. Ritchie, to my mind, cannot make the weight, and the next boy in line for the title is Charley White, of Chicago.”