BOXING.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1085, 25 March 1911, Page 12

BOXING.

(By "Aiercury.-'l

How Papke Beat Smith. Particulars of tho Papkc-Smith battle, as gleaned from Sydney files, show that tho weight question had a deal to do with the settlement of the affair. J.t will bo remembered that the men agreed to weigh at list. 111b. (ring-side), or forfeit ,£IOO. At tho weigh-in the New Zealander scaled list. 7Jlb,, and Papke, with the usual Yankee slinmess, paid over the forfeit, and was content to let it go at that. It is freely said, and has not been contradicted, that his actual poundage was over 13st., but, anyhow, ho was so much bigger than Smith as to put tho issue beyond all doubt from tho start. Even then, tho reports agreo that Smith out-boxed his man all the way, but eventually succumbed to superior poundage, strength, and roughing ability. After the-battlo. the combatants. woro interviewed by a representative of the Sydney "Sun," and aro reported as under:—

Papke Denounces Australia, Papke was as fresh as paint. "How did I win?" ho repeated tho "Sun" man's question. "Why, it was bccauso I was fit and able to beat him in all departments.;,l outfg)ight_him. > I was well—better " 'than I"Tiavo"been" since"l' have been in Australia. I was only three pounds overweight, and I could havo got down had I wished. But a day or two ago it began to rain, so I .said, 'Guess I ain't goin' to pull myself down for nothing. What I guy I'd be.' That's ho\v I built up flesh and paid oyer my yoiuen deposit, I knew . I was right when wo had one or two rounds, and when five had gono by I was certain it was only nocessary to wait. I had him rattled. I was strong, and when I got my chance I forged right in and ended it. Smith fought all right, but 1 fought better. He didn't hurt me very much, but that was because I,didn't let him." "What do you lncah to do about the title?" Papke was 'hsked. "The title was never fought for," he replied. "I wanted to fight him for it, but ho fizzled out of it, so that it was never disturbed. I'm ready to fight for it at any time. But it won't be here tnis time. I'm going away on Wednesday." "About Australia?" put in tho reporter. "What about it?" Billy asked. "Well, what do you think about it?" "About Australia I will say this. They are not sporls. Why, they haven't given me a fair deal since I came here. They have had me in the pan and roasted me until I am almost sizzled. Eight from the first they were up against ine— press and all. I was sick with jaundice and other troubles right through the piece, and when I didn't make a big splash right off they jumped on me. They have been jumping ever since, and even now, when I have won, they are sizzling me. What else can I think of Australia?" "I like Dave Smith," he added. "He's & fine fighter and a good, fellow."

Smith Goes Out to Supper. "Davo" Smith admitted defeat, but said that it was not altogether because his lucky opponent was a superior man.' ''I have 110 desire to make excuses," ho said, "but what spoiled me was that I was very sick. Last night Tom Cubitt. and I were in the ciry for dinner. We hud oysters, and Tom was sick right away. I went to a show and stayed'there until I was driven out with pains in my stomach, and a general feeling of illness. I went home, and spent a Sleepless night in pain and vomiting. I was very lit, and felt'quite confident. But when I got up this morning I was beaten by a poi--efln. I was afraid that I would not bo able to go on, and I would not have toed tho mark had it not been that I did not want to break faith with tho public, who. have been so good to me. I knew I was gone. My body was shalcing all over, and I was weak and unable to pick up. I lost four pounds during the night and morning, and though i gained a little during tho afternoon I was not myself by a long way. A man wants to be tuned right up to concert pitch to fight a battle like that I have just taken part in! I was n6t, and I was beaten. I was just right, too, and I wins sure of tho result." "Don't you think ho was too heavy?" "No," said "Dave." "He was heavier than I was, but had I been myself 1 could have given that much away even though Papko fought much better than ho (lid before. I knew in the fifth round that I couldn't, go into the twenty. I was weak—not from punishment, but from exertion, and I was only waiting for tho blow in the body which would bring about tho end. It came. The punch would not have knocked 111 c out if I had been at my best. But with my body weak and my strength failing I had to sink under it. I'apko is a good strong fighter, and a good fellow, but I am sorry I could not give him more trouble than my frame would allow mo to." Smith said that now that this fight was over he would take a holiday in New Zealand, and before lie fought again he would get fit and strong.

The American Leaves Unmourned. Papkc has gone to London.' Like th 6 rest of tho American contingent, he left Australia unhonoured, unwept, and unsung. Even tho glamour that surrounds the person of a successful pugilist, and makes him forgiven for so much by the man in tho street—even this hero-worship (assisted by wholesale advertising and "buttering-up" of tho Americans in and out of season by the Sydney "lieferee") has not made the visitors popular. In their private lives we have little concern. From all accounts they were reputable citizens, but, for their ring methods as a whole, there can be only one verdict, and it is one that has been pronounced by the Australian public and press (ivith the exception of the "Referee" section). It is a verdict of wholesale condemnation, and it speaks well for the welfare of the Australian ring surroundings that it is so, The spirit of public toleration that has allowed the abuses that mar American

boxing to become so pronounced is one' that is not wanted 111 Australia. Why Cannot the Style bo Stopped. Even in America itself it is becoming recognised that matters have gone luo far. One "Hat" Mnstcrton, a boxing scribe of repute in the United States, has his little say on the matter as under. Tho' extract is taken trom "Boxing":— "While speaking of the tug-of-war tactics pursued by nearly all of our boxers, I'm constrained to believe that the practice is largely due to fear on the part of the contestants. It is hard for anyone to believe that men who know how to box will put in most of their time clinching and hugging each other if they were not afraid to stand up and fight like men. Take, for instance, the contest between Goodman and l'owell at the N.S.C. a short while ago, and the only conclusion to be arrived at is that the. men were afraid to fight. They knew that little damage could be done in clinches, and that is tho reason they put in most of their time pulling and hauling each other around the ring. "The fact is, about 90 per cent, of the tilings the New York fighters do in a boxing contest are dear violations of tho rules, for which they should be promptly disqualified. The reason they are not is no doubt duo to the fact that tho crowd would immediately pounce upon the referee. If it did not actually attack him, it would hoot and howl in such a riotous fashion that the referee would consider himself lucky to escape with his life. The New York patrons of boxing caro little for rules, it would seem. Kicking, biting, and butting is as popular with them, and perhaps more so, than clean, scientific boxing, and referees and club managers understand this to be a fact. And that's why boxers have no fear of disqualification when thtfy commit a wilfnl and deliberate foul. "Over in England the other day a court of competent jurisdiction held that the referee of a boxing contest had a perfect right to disqualify a contestant if, in his opinion, tho contestant was nol try ing. It seems that a boxer who, in the judgment of the referee, had been disqualified for failure to put up a satisfactory exhibition, brought a suit against the club for the loser's end of the purse. The court, however, held that he had no grounds for action. If the decision ol the English court were taken as a precedent in this country there would be a decided improvement in our prize-ring contests. A boxer who, when lie finds himself getting whipped, endeavours to pull himself through the contcst by clinching and holding, should not only be disqualified, but should get no pay for his work. The decision of tho English court was eminently correct, and it ought to lie taken as a precedent to govern boxing contests in this country. Full polver should be given to a referee to disqualify a boxer who, in his judgment, was not doing his best. In this way fnkers and stallers would be driven out of the business. The system in vogue around New York permit's a fighter ,to stall or fake, ns the easo may be. without being In danger of disqualification or loss of prestige."

"Bill" Rudd Flew too High. As hinted last week, "Bill" Rudd flew too high when ho signed on with an old, experienced warrior like "Joe" Costa. A detailed account of the meeting was published in Tuesday's issue. This show.ed that it was in tactics that the New Zealander was beaten—an opinion that is borne out by the following from the "Sydnej Morning Herald":—• "Iting-generalship alone, notwithstanding the fact that his condition was not all that could be desired, enabled Joe Costa to gain a points' decision over 'Bill' Kudd, of New Zealand, at the Gaiety Athletic Club last night. Several times Rudd had victory almost within his grasp;. but lack of experience and a tendency to lose liis head prevented him winning. Costa boxed well, and conserved his strength till towards the end of the contest, when he was outboxing Eudd. Despite this check, Rudd had 'made good" in Australia, and should now havo no trouble at all in getting good matches and plenty of them. His next is with. H. Smith, a South African "heavy now in Sydnev, and is scheduled for April 5. i l'ercv Hale is still going strongly. His latest is the defeat of one "Jack lewrie, in 12 rounds, the cx-Wellingtonian getting 'the verdict after dealing severely with, his man. , "Hilly" Elliott has been attacked and knocked doivn by measles in Sydney. Ho is still taking the count. To-night Frank Fitzjohn. the hew South Wa'es ex-amateur, meets .Joo Russell, tlio holder of the title for the Australian "feather" championship, at Brisbane,

From Mr. H. D. M'lntosh in London, under date February 10, comes a long and interesting letter enclosing much matter about the Langford-Lang battle. It was written just previous to that unsatisfactory event, and it sets forth his intentions for tho future. Owing to pressuro on space this w'eek, Mr. M'lntosh's communication is held over for further reference next Saturday.

THE RING STYLE OF AMERICA, HOW LONG WILL IT REIGN?