BOXING.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 520, 29 May 1909, Page 12

BOXING.

■-.'■'■ IBt'MBBCniIT.) '" . . ■'■• -.-. FIXT.UEES. , , '' : June' B,' 9.--Wellington Provincial.Champion- . .ships, Town. Hall. ... ; : •■ Intending competitors at tho coming championship tourney at tho Town Hall on June 8 and 9 are reminded that entries. for all classes'close on Thursday next at Armit's. The Horowhonu.i Boxing Association purposes holding a tourney on Juno 23, the pro-, gramme being mode up of. entirely amateur bouts, in which several Wellington, cracks will participate. It is proposed to hold tho tonrnoy under canvas, the Levin Hall being too small to accommodate onvthinor like a crowd. •'■-.-. The.Hawko's Bay Association has arranged a match between Jack Griffin and Bert Murphy for. June 9. The purse at stako is £50. Langford's easy victory over lan.Hnguo, as cabled out. during the week, at tJio National Sporting Club, London, disposes of England's only claim to be considered in the race for the world's championship. Hague's career has boea ut forth in full in this col-

umn at the time of hie sensational defeat. <rf Gunner Moir —an occurrence which put him into the forefront of English fighters at a bound. From this proud poariaon he has been ignominoußly knocked into the bock of the picture, and, sad to relate, by a coloured man. It is truly time for Jeffries to emerge. Pull reports of Stanley Kotohell's great "go" with Jaok O'Brion are now to hand. The men met in Now York on March, 26 in a bout limited (by the local law) to 10 rounds. 11l the first eight tho veteran O'Brien outboxed and out-generalled his youthful opponontj and the battle looked a good thing for the ex-lawyer, but with the ninth round, "a ohange came o'er the sceno." O'Brien opened with a light'left that connected with Ketcholl's jaw, and then the young 'Montana "Whirlwind" justified his niokname. Bring; ing his right t'rom behind hif> back, lift swung for his man. "The Philadelphiah guard was battered down by the. blow, and before he could protect himself Ketcholl had swept over a telling right-hand swine. O'Brion tottered against the ropes, reeled, and then dropped to the floor. He rested for nine seconds, and then, hopped around the ring, with Ketchell in pursuit until the bell came to his rescue. Jack was wobbling when he left his chair far tho last round, but he extended his right hand. After baroly touching the tip of O'BrienV glove Ketchell took up his traiinished work without a glance to-; wards his opponent's long loft arm that was a danger signal in the earlier rounds. A short space, brimful of damage for one of the combatants, supervened, and then O'Brien fell. _ Clutching the lower rope of the ring, O'Brien clambered to his feet and began, to dance away. But it was not tho step of the master, and presently a'heavy'right from Ketchell sent the Philadelphian to the floor. O'Brien wearily raised hie head at tho call of "eight," and in another second he was up. Ketchell waited for no skilful sparring or careful work at,long range. Walking to his staggering opponent with coolness and precision, Ketchell promptly'swung his right; and it landed where it was meant to land! O'Brien reached'the floor flat on his back. When the referee, Tim Hurst, had counted six the bell sounded, and thus the world's ex-champion was saved the ignominy of a ' 'knock-out.'" .'■'■' v .

( This coming on top of Burns's decision to "shy m his castor , ' again reopens the possibility of a Burns-Ketehell match, and, indeed, the wires have already been working in anti-' cipatfon of this, according to the New York correspondent iof the San Francisco "Examiner," who wired his paper as under about this and the great Jeffries question:— ;■'■ "Look out for Tommy -Burns. Ho is looking for the scalps of Jack Johnson, Stanley Ketchell, and 'Al Kaufman. ' Hugh.D. M'lntosli, the Australian'show- ' man, to-day received a cable from Burns, ;,' who is still in the land of the Southern ; " .Cross.■ Tho wire says: 'Post 5000 dollars ' immediately with the Now York "Ameri-, : can" for me tb bind match with Johnson, ■■ Kotchell, or Kaufman. Prefer Johnson, but;am willing to meet"any of the three. "■'• My money, being up is evidence Of my ;■;■ good faith; If necessary,, Twill get;all- , three, and the money, goes as a guarantee ■that I will fight them, first come,first served, a month soparating each match. •:'.^'V;"...;'.'.'. ■,-; :, x^tommyburns.^:, ■■'.•: "That sounds like business, and M'ln- , • ; tosh informs mo that it,is. /■■■:■.'•'• ; .'- ■■ > ".' I", will post tho money to-morrow, as : Burns has'requested;?'went, on M'lntosh. . ' As I told you tho other day, I would - like to see him fight Ketchell. I cainot conceive of a better match', '. and , cex- . ' tainly it would be a great fight. - v ]■.:■ "'Jeff?. Will he fight Johnson? My :■' boy, : it-Is certain.'! tell.you I havo had .a'long talk with the great retired oham- ■ vpion, and he has given mo his wordthat ',- he will get into shape and that he will , ; fight, and I hope to land the match. I . i ■■' have engaged :offic6s';hei'o in' New York v for a year, and "that looks as if I wore : serious and had some hopes-of bringing' "it about, don't it P'"' , .;' '"'■ ■.""' According to the "Referee," ■ Mr.V'M'lntosh thinks that Ketchell ie not .the , man to boat Johnson. He, says':—"The O'BrienKetchell fight was the. greatest I have ever, had the pleasure of witnessing. ,Both were , clpn't/.wa.nt. i ,.t;p. IJ see him- meoj,' ■Johrison: , ,' The' bi(?; black, would "whip luhj" 'sure; Tho difference 'in stylo between O'Brion ; andyJolinson proves, that, to my mind; " O'Brien leaps' forward and delivers a puncli and .jumps back. ' That made it jOossiblo', , ;for Ketchell to.reach:him. , : Johnson stands ; erect, '■■ and gradually., leans away hack so that it. is ,almost,,impossibie for a jliuxer to reach him where he should. He ■ makes sno. pretensions: whatever at leading, and this, combined with ; his great height and long arms, makes it a , terrible handicap for a,short, man such as-Ketchell 'is,' comnared to Johnson.".', It is,■ indeed,'incumbent emerge. ■■!'.•■ • • . The lone-awaited ..battle'; forV the feather-' iweiElit.-subremacy-.. o£!■ Australia,':• between , Frank. Thorn , and 'Arthur : Douglas, ' was foucht.pn Wednesday I 'night at the Stridium,'i ■Sydney,. but the result is not yet to hand. • . ; Billv Elliott and . Tommy Hauley havo ar- j raneed' a match for somo day in. tho near futuro, 'not-yet named, and .each has put UD his deposit of £10 to. clinch' matters.-

: The Cliristchurch Boxing Club have written to Jim; Grifßn, with a view to matching him with Jack Smith.' Griißri is willing,'if .the money sido is: satisfactory. '•,'.. >■ D. R; Bedell-Sivright, the captain of' tho 1904 ■ English Rugby ■ ;team: in Australasia, has at last succeeded in winning the heavy* weight' boxino; championship of; Scotland. Like other" Scots boxers,' no was n'ofvery clever; but, ,ho'. was very convincinß.: , v '■ Says the London "Sportsman" of March 27:— Not since Fitoimmons defeated Jack Demusey. has there been more, interest'in a fight than in that last'nieht.nt the National SportS e , tw , e . en Stanley l Ketchell (Montana) and Philadelphia John O'Brien, and snortinc men nil', over town . to-day, ngreo that , tho stnißßlo.wns one of the greatest over-witnessed here, ' 0 Brion, was a Rood winner; for rounds,, but then Kotchell fnirly walked.over him, nnd practically bad the Pliilndelphi.in' out. ",Considerablo betting was on', the.result' nnd, while, all , aßiee Ketchell won, it is ndmuted that his opponent: stayed the limit; 0 Bnen wns Beoomled by the PhildoDhia millionaire, Mr. Anthony J. Droxol Biddlo (mVmW of the well-lcnnwn finandnl family), Kid AlCoy.and.Jnclc Hanlon. while in Ketcholl's oorner were Willns Britt. Jack Frayno, - nnd Jem Johnson. Mr. Tim, Hnrst, n well-known bnsetiaU umpire, wns referee, ond SOOO- per--5n sell * e bout, the receiptebeine'-over