BOXING.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 259, 25 July 1908, Page 9

BOXING.

(Br Mercubt.) COMING EVENTS. August 6.'—Manawatu B.C.'s Toiirney. September 1. —Godfrey-Ireland Contest (Opera House). September 9 and 10.—Otago B.C. Tourney (Dunedin). November 24.—Tourney (Opera House). At a committee meeting of the Otago Boxing Association held last week it was decided to hold 1 tho next boxing competitions on September 9 and 10. The secretary was authorised.to proceed to Christchurch' to tho New Zealand Boxing Championships, and to-en-gage tho best talent available to meet tho local boxers.

The latest news in connection with the big boxing carnival, to eventuate during tho visit of the American squadron in Australian waters, is .to the effect that Mike Schreck is to be imported from America to meet Tommy Burns in the ring, and possibly Squires or Lang also. Schreck has somri good performances to his credit, notably victories over Jaok Johnson aud Marvin Hart, whilo on the other hand,, be.has gone down before men who never did shine brightly in the fistic firmament. What is puzzling; most people is. r l- cre are the syndicate to be recouped tor the labulous sums they are reported to be paying for tho services of Burns, Squires, Lang and Co. ? The charges 'of admission will necessarily be on a high scale, and. that, of course, will mean limited attendances. Schreck, the American "heavy" referred to above, familiarly known as "Mike," is a short, stout-built man, much of the Bums' s typo, but lacking an inch or two of Burns's sfi. Tin. He has mot Burns on three occasions, 'and twice defeated the present champion, who, however, beat Schreck at their last meeting. Schreck has not been very much .in evidence recently, but his record, notwithstanding that it contains a number of defeats, includes victories over many wellknown' boxers in America. It is not yetcortain whether Burns will meet Lang or Squires first when he lands in Australia.' . His recent defeat of Squires in Paris may possibly affect tho order in which, he meets the three opponents already; provided for him.' It is quite on the cards that another well-known boxer from America, in ; the-' person ■of Marvin-; • Hart,' 'may . arrive in 'Australia' before . Burns ■. leaves. Private advices; received : in ; - Melbourne . started : that both " Bob " Fitzsimmons . and ' " Jim '■' Jeffreys intend' visiting Australia, biit it' is not likely that either-of these ox-champions will be seen in the ring. "" • . Tho recent Trac&y-Ross contest at Auckland is_ thus described in a 'Northern exchange :— Fifteen-round Contest 1 (for a purse of £50 and tho professional light-weignt. championship of New Zealand): Ross won the toss for choice of positions.' There was no difference, in the' weights, but Traeey appeared to be in better' condition. Tlie first round was : occupied in feinting and sparring , for • openings, but in the''second round there was some work at close quarters, which was all in favour of tho Wolljngtonian. ;In the third round Ross forced tho.paco a bit, but Tracoy showed himself the cleverer boxer, and had all tho best of the in-fighting. In the threo succeeding rounds Trncey piled up points at' a great rate, and the local lad was . clearly overmatched. Ho stuck to his.work doggedly', and took' plenty ■ of' punishment gamely. In the sixth round Tj-acey .sent- his opponent I to, the .boards for .eight, seconds - with a straight right and left, and'.'whon corners : were soundod tho Auoklandor was glad of the respite. In the middle of the eighth round Ross's seconds saw the hopelessness of theiriman's chance, and threw .in tho towel. Ross was beaten by a far superior man, and does-not, on the night's shpwing, appear to be in Tracey's class.' Ho is. a glutton .for taking punishment,' but as a fighter his blows lack force, and ho wildly. • Harry Ireland, the selected by Mr. "Amateur " Corbett, on behalf of tho local association to do battle with Godfrey on' September.-1 in place of; Ted Greeny is'as ' happy a choice for tho position as could havo been made.' Ireland ,is primarily a boxer, though by; no means' to bo despised as a fighter. In fact, Mr. Corbett compares him favourably with Sid Sullivan, tho redoubtable Sydney "feathor," but says lie lacks'the latter gentleman's destructiveness in the ring. This, last factor will tend to allay the alarm of the.newspaper critics, whoso ".Is Boxing Brutal?" cutcry has beon so' much to , the fore in the local press columns of late, and what is r moro important, will insure a-good scientific spectacular hout when' the meeting/takes, place. Among Ireland's' 'first .fight performances he numbers a twentyround draw with Charley Frost, and more recently victories over Corbett ' and Les. O'Doiuioll.

Details of the latest world's championship fight, between Burns and Squires, aro now to hand,•and'tho following account ,is clipped from the "Referee":—, The fight too kplaco at Neuilly, in Franco, on June 13, and was witnossed by an immense crowd of people. Both men stripped in excellent condition. Squires, whose stock had risen, considerably since his defeat of Roche, the Irish champion, shaped very confidently, and evidenced skill and capacity , for punishment much beyond that expected in view of the easy manner in whjch -Burns defeated him on tho occasion of their previous ,meeting twelve .months before. ! 'From ■ the outset the contest was fiercely waged, and" exciting occurrences followoa very quickly upon each other; Though Burns asserted himself hero and there, Squires was not to he stopped; he went for his man. with such strength and determination and tn such purpose'that diir-' ing the. first five rounds Burns was unquestionably in a bad way, and frequently looked on the point of being defeated.; Tho greater experience and' consequent superior ring generalship, however, stood to him at a - very critical time, 1 and, further; he stayed better than Squires; who had forced the pace from the beginning, and did, as already stated; much tho greater amount of work. Though Squires was not so prominent after tho termination of the fifth round, his friends —and .tho great bulk of. the. spectators ■ appeared to bo with him—saw a good deal to encourago hope till a blow in the region of the .stomach — somewhat similar to that with which Bob Fitzsimmons outed. Jim Corbett years ago at Carson' City, Nevada, U.S.A;, and won the championship'of the world—completely settled'the Australian, who'sank to the floor* beyond all hope of recovery within the time allowed. "\

The scene during the count out, and all through, in fact, was almost beyond description. Men stood up and roared the: excitement they felt. _ Especially was this condition 1 of things in evidence throughout tho period of Squires's mastery.