BOXING.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 775, 26 March 1910, Page 12

BOXING.

FIXTURE. '/-■:■" Easter Monday.—Australian. Championship (Bnrnß v. Lang), for parse of £3000 and Championship Belt., _ The principal battle of late on Australian soil was the middle-weight championship contest between Arthur Cripps and Ed. Williams. Each man has held the title on various occasions, and they have clashed before,to settle the ownership thereof—no fewer than six times, in fact. Up to the ■ present occasion honours have been easy—three wins each —but this time 'Williams, although the,popular fancy, was outclassed • and beaten on points, after what appears to have been a rather uninteresting bout. The "Referee" says:—lt was a clever contest. _ Neither did his skill anything like, justice. Every time Cripps reached out to do, it he dropped a left' jab on the face 'of his, inches taller opponent, who rarely stepped away, apparently feeling satisfied that his 'greater height and slight tilt backward of the head were all needed. It' was in :this way that Cripps scored the points which placed him in front, from end to end, though he often bumped a hard one to either jaw. Williams found little opposition to right drives and jolts to the ribs, and occasionally almost full, arm's length 'left swings to the neck' and head—that is, when he did make a' whole-hearted attempt to do anything. The first flash of .excitement occurred while the eighth round progressed; when each let himself loose ; a moment .ortwo, but the effort petered out very quickly, and left things as they wore till the 11th, which was the hottest three minutes of tbo lot, and saw Williams endure a severe handling. At least three times weighty bumps to the left and right sides, of the head, and the jaw, and straight punches.by means' of ■ the sinister weapon, had the lathy Victorian shaken up badly, but he kept himself at the perpendicular and' together,'and here.arid there got some-, .thing- in■ while the\ "house"- applaudedwildly. -~;'After , this - tho fighting brightened up a good . deal. Cripps never lost the adv'antago in a single f OUn(J . though once' in a way Williams looked like threatening .the positionespecially did he make, bold bids.in the' 18th arid 20th rounds. "Cripps wins " announced "Snowy" Baker, and in the big burst of. applause that followed not a single discordant note of .dissent could be detected.' . ■■

.The Australasian papers are to hand with the advertisements of'the big fight, Burns v.-Lang, on Monday, at the btadium, Sydney. Prices ■ range • from £2 and £1 for reserved seats to'ss. A big crowd is expected, the more so because while the Victorian has risen of' late much-higher in public estimation, inews has come to the-public ear from the Burns camp that things there have not been as well as they might have been with "Tommy"'in his : preparation. A close contest is : therefore expected.

At the same time, even granted that Lang has improved wonderfully' since'' he met the ex-champion' a year ago last September—and there, can be no doubt ho has improved—it is hard to seb how, on the difference between' the men then,,he can ha'vo a chance with Burns —prd'hded the latter is well, of course A. for&iight ago ho' was in tho doctor's 1 hands Mering from what is said to be "poisoning of the system through overeating ,'fcucumbers." In all he was forced to spell ovor a period of nine days, with broken work here and there, so-it is not to-bo expected that he will go into the ring on Monday up to his old-time form. In fact, ;if beaten, it will be a question whether he was defeated by Lang or by the'eujumbers. ' A postponement of the battle was suggested' owing to Burns's indisposition, but the sick man did not consider this necessary, and it would appear that he has reason for his'confidence. Lang, judging from the pictures, appears'to be a willing,' forcing two-handed fighter, but he leaves himself as open- as a church door, and a quick-footed boxer like Burns will be in and away before Lang knows where 'he camo from. Moreover, while Lang beat Fitzsimmons more by rough house work than clean fighting, this mode of attack will befall "pie" to "Tommy,'.' who likes nothing better than the'work in holts. This, is always granted that Burns has his old speed and has not lost his punch. He is clever in a different way than Fitzaimmons: ho relies on: his footwork and speed, while the old warhorse did not trouble so much about getting clear. Ho trusted to his clever blocking and head work (his duckingi being beautiful to witness) to get him out of a tight cornor.- . Consequently when he tired from the vigorous' on. slaughts of his husky young opponent andtiis ducking got slower, his defence broke down, and ho, was graduallj chopped up. WheTeas with Bums, tho trouble is to got him in a tight corner, or even into a. corner at all, if he doesn't want to go there, and this is where Lang should find trouble. He won't bo able to connect with his man in bis rushing tactics'that came off with Fitzsimmons, and unless he.can get in some decisivo long-range punching, he will find matters'too fast for him. This is the way it looks to "Mercury." Perhaps this view is wrong, and, indeed, the writer hopes it is, because after all, although not the popu-. lar idol that his opponent is, still Lang is an Australian, and "Australia for tho Australians." Moreover, if; defeated, Lang's career is Vosod outside of Australia, while a win would open the door for him to biggor things in America.

On March 15 at tlio Gaiety, Sydney, "Billy" Elliott had his revenue over his whilom cdnquaror, "Dealer'! Wells, by beating the latter gentleman "good and plenty." Tho bout went 20 roundß, but was Elliott's all tho way, and the decision was a very popular one. Congratulations to -'Tim" Tracy on his victory ovor Rollo. Sinco tho had business of his dofeat on an alleged foul in Palmorston, "Tim" has been anxious, to squaro matters. up, and .should now bo satisfied at doing so so. conclusively.