BOXING.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 852, 25 June 1910, Page 12

BOXING.

THE FERMENT IN AMERICA'. WHAT IT MEANS TO THE SPORT. (By Merccet.l FIXTURES. June 28-29.—Wellington Amateur championships (Town Hall). July 4.—World's championship (Johnson v. Jeffries, Reno, Nevada, U.S.A.), July i—Langford v. Ketchell (Reno, Nevada, U.S.A.). July G—Wairarapa B.A. tourney (Town "Hall, Jlasterton). July 27, 28, 29.—New Zealand championships (Palmerston North). September B.—Burns v. Langford, All Eyes on the Big Event. It is probably not saying too much to assert that the past week has been at once tho most perturbed and tho most important in tho. busing history' of the world. Indeed at one time it seemed as though boxing, as a -world's championship event, had received its death blow, even at its own 'fireside—the "free and enlightened" U.S.A.—and the sport is not yet out of. danger in this respect. Never has an athletic contest of any description claimed nnd held so large h shave of public' attention tho ivholo world over. Even those to whom glove-fighting is anathema, and who, under ordinary circumstances, would not even be' aware that a world's championship match was mooted, will vie with tho keenest sportsmen in hunting down the smallest particulars of tho bout and its surroundings and circumstances. Of course, they will not be actuated bv the same motives. Some are keenly alive to the fact that tho present battle, with its attendant racial bitterness and universal high tension, provides the psychological moment for, "the striking of a shrewd blow at what they consider to be a barbaric pastime. This being so, it is not hard to seo that the future of tho boxing ring as a reputable and necessary appurtenance of the world's athletics, will depend largely on tho happenings at the ringside on Monday week. If a Riot Happens. Should there bo the riot and uproar that is anticipated in some quarters, whatever the result, then surely enough will the sport lay itself open—or iather will the sport l>e laid open by those mismanaging tho affair—to nn attack from which it can hardly emerge in other than a crippled condition. On the other hand, should it pass off with decency and order as, except for a little natural ebullition of spirits on the part of the adherent and backers of the winning party, as there is every prospect of its doing, the present excitement will subside very quickly. And it will remain quiescent, for it is hardly likely to reach such a pitch again. Supposing Jeffries Wins. For it is very certain that if Jeffries wins he will draw the colour-line hard and fast. Moreover, if Johnson wins there is no white man in sight to meet him. Langfonl would be his next opponent, and a meeting between the two black men would be an affair of very small moment. After all, it is not. the fact that two big men, are to battle for the world's fistic supremacy on July 4 that lias caused tho present excitement— not the fact oven that one of them is Jeffries, a man who has ncv*r known defeat. Nov is it because the contest carries any international issue. A contest between two white men, no matter what their calibre and nationality, would not have caused a tithe of the pother. The reason lor it oil, of course, is simply that the contest is mors than merely man against man—more even than nation against nation. It is race against raceblack against white. Except to the men themselves' and the promoters of the affair, the title and the monetary emoluments that go with victory" are very small things indeed as against the r:al issues involved. The white, man is entering tho ring to assert the superiority of his fellows over their black brnthei — the black man is carrying into the ring the, hopes and aspirations of (lie thousands the descendants of Ilam in America. who look to him to foreo upon the white man a sense of the negro's superiority in at least one branch of affairs. Effect of a Johnson Victory. Thus is opened up the question which is vexing many in tho States: Given a sense of physical superiority, to t what lengths may not the negro's conceit and longing to "get even" tako him?

However, that is carrying the discussion outside the range of this column. What immediately concerns us is that the efforts to kill the match have failed. Which, by the way, causes one to remark wonderingly on the pc-culiaritiesof public opinion. It was public opinion that caused the whole trouble in the first place, because, had it not been for its insistent clamour, Jeffries would never have emerged from his retirement. Th'?n public opinion almost kills the very object of its earnest endeavour—not exactly tho same public opinion, of course*, but public opinion just the same. The New Locale at Reno. The new venue is Reno in Nevada, a short day's journey from San Francisco, where a new stadium, to seat 25,000, is being erected for the occasion, and it is to be hoped, from every aspect, that July i will see the matter over. One cannot add "and done with" because that is hopeless. Go as it will it will not be done with for months to come. There is not space now to deal with tho probabilities—that will be done in a final summing up next week. Send-off to Devitt. On Wednesday night Mr. Harry Richards gave a valedictorv "At Homo" in his well-appointed little "stadium" at the Newtown Pastime Club, in Douglas Wallace Street, to Gus Devitt. As is 1 generally known in boxing circles Devitt left yesterday to fill his engagement with "Dick" Cullen, in Brisbane, and a good muster of local supporters of tho pastime turned out to bid him farewell and incidentally to enjoy a very creditable display by Mr. Richards and his pupils. The first item was a skipping turn by Master Brady, which was quite reminiscent of Hock Keys and Rollo, and was deservedly loudly applauded. Tho boxing items were all interesting, particularly so in view of next week's championships at the Town Hall. The two best were bouts between Tancred and Leckie, in which the welter champion suffered not at all in comparison with his weightier opponent, and between S. Porter and 'one TVost, an A.B.' off H.M.S. Pioneer. The sailorman was announced as one time runner-up in his class in the Army and Navy championships, and gave a display of clean, vigorous boxing that could be : emulated with advantage by most of our local chompionship aspirants. The guest of the evening turned out against his host and showed excellent form over a four two-minute round bout. Altogether the work reflected much credit : on its organiser. i Mr. Richards reports that he has a I good team entered for the local chamI pionshipa, its personnel being Rndd (heavy), Quinn' (welter), Murphy (light), and Ellis (bantam). A. Gault has been engaged as instructor to the local school by the Napier .Boxing Association, and it is intended to match him with "Tim" Tracy late in July.