BOXING.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1091, 1 April 1911, Page 12

BOXING.

(By "Mercury.-') OUR MAIL FROM MR. M'INTOSII The Big Man on London Doings. Writing to Tut: Dominion from London, under dates February 10 and 17, .Air. H. D. M'lntosh gives some very interesting details of the arrangements, and before-! he-bat tie gossip of the Lang v. Langford match. The unfortunate issue of this contest (Irom a white man's and •especially an Antipodean'* point of view) rather detracts from tho interest of this part of Mr. M'lnfoslfs eomhiunications, hut a resume of his future plans, told by himself, make good reading. In the earlier of his letters he writes':— For the contest following the meeting between Langford and Lang in London, I havo signed "Porky" Flyiiiv of Boston, who recently beat "Jack" Burns, to meet Bombardier Wells or "Iron" Hague. This contest to take place on March 1. (Wells won on points—"Mercury.") After the above meeting the next contest held at the Olympia annexe will be between "Freddy" Walsh and "Johnny" Summers, either at 10st., ringside, or catchweights. This is sure to prove one of the best matches that I have provided in London. Harry Lewis, the American welter-weight, who recently knocked mi. "Johnny" Summers in four rounds .il Olympia annexe, London, has como out in the open, claiming the middle-weight championship of the world. Lewis not only desires to secure this honour, but. is also anxious to meet Langford at 158 lb. (list. 41b.), the American limit, for what claim Langford makes to the honour. Lewis is also after Gabby, "Dave" Smith, and "Jim" Sullivan, tlic English niiddie-weight champion, and it is verylikely that one of th? subsequent matches at Olympia to be put on will be between Lewis and one of tho men mentioned. "Johnny" Summers and "Young Joseph," the English welter-weight champion, are being matched to meet for the latter's title and the Lonsdale Belt in April or May, at the National Sporting Club. "Eddie" M'Goorty, the American middleweight, is now in London, and will be matched to meet the best middle-weight' in England. The accident to "Abe" Attell's arm in his fight with "Johnny" Kilbaue in America, has frustrated ono of my schemes for the future. I had matched Altell and "Jem" Driscoll to meet in London for tho feather-weight chaniDionship of the world. The match would have taken place on the last night of the tenancy of Olympia. His Second Letter. In his letter of February 17, Mr. •M'lntosh writes:— The Sporting Editor, The Dominion, Wellington, N.Z. Dear Sir,—Although I am at my busiest just now, I cannot overlook dropping you a lino to tell you howthings aro progressing in London, Under separata cover I am forwarding you some matter that will indicate to you the warmth of the reception that the London press is according to my enterprises here and elsewhere. I might say that until recently some of the papers here have never indulged in any speculative boxing articles, restricting all reports of boxing affairs until after an important contest. I also enclose you some pars, that may be of service to you. With best wishes, I am, yours, vcrv sincerely, HUGH D. M'LNTOSH. Mr, M'lntosh Invades Paris. The "pars." referred to are from tho pen ot James E. Britt. ouco light-weight champion of the world, and now Mr. M'lntosh's secretary. Among them appear the following, which shew the enterprise of, the Australian promoter:— Hugh D; .M'lntosh has added to his Ixmng enterprises the 'mammoth Hin-podronie-riin- Paris- which ho will take over on March 1. Tho Hippodrome has the largest seating capacity of any decently-equipped auditorium in Paris and- in it .Mr: M'lntosh proposes to 'hold some world-important championships. I ho first of these will be on March 11. when ' ham" M'Vey will meet "Sam" Langford. The Parisians are ' very partial to the sport of boxing, and they are pleased that Mr M'lntosh has entered into the field in that citv, as it will tnMire them being spectators at contests that would create interest in all parts of the world. Following tho LangfordM\ey contest, Mr. M'lntosh will put on a bout between Harrv Lewis and Jimmy dabby, who is now on his way to London from Australia. Another bout m prospect is that between Lewis and 'Jimmy" Gardiner, the American welter-weight, who sails from New York to-morrow for London. Mr. M'lntosh is making further plans, and he hopes to nave (between London and Paris) durin* the next six months nt least eight or ten important matches. Mr. M'lntosh is also endeavouring to match "Jim" Sullivan, the English mid-dle-weight champion, against Erie M'Goorty, as a preliminary to enticing tho Englishman into a series of bouts for tho middle-weight championship of the world. Sullivan has expressed his willingness to meet M'Goorty, and if he defeats him he will be asked to meet "Cyclone" Johnny Thompson, who is coining to London in company with Gabby. It is Mr. M'lntosh's intention to bring Sullivan and Harry Lewis together if possible, and, should the Englishman be willing, the result of the enterprise will definitely determine who is the real middle-weight champion of tho world. The announcement made by "Joe" Woodman, on behalf of Sam Langford, demanding for Langford the world's mid-dle-weight championship, has created a warm discussion between Woodman and "Al" Lippc, the manager of Lewis. The result of this has boon that, in the conference at Mr. M'lntosh's office the other day, Lewis signed the contract agreeing to meet Langford at 1581b. ■ringside, for ,£3OO a-sitle and GO per cent, of the gate receipts, winner to take all, for the middle-weight championship of the. world. Woodman has not had much to say in response to this, but perhaps he will start something after Langford is through with Lang and M'Vey. The Muddle in the Heavy-weights. The muddle in the heavy-weight division among British boxers threatens to remain a muddle so long as tho present crop aro before tho public. While Gunner Moir had the good luck to defeat Bombardier AVells at Olympia last month, the Gunner is not a bit anxious to accept a challenge for a return contest, nor will he agree to meet anybody that looks a bit frightening to him. AVells is under tho handling of "Tom" Inch, the physical culturist, who is trying to develop Wells's body, so that lie will have strength equal to his shoulders and arms. All efforts on tho part of Mr. M'lntosh to get any of the English heavy-weights to meet even "Porky" Flynn have, up to date, proved unavailing, notwithstanding that some very tempting offers were made. Local and Other Items. Entries are being invited by the Star Boating Club for n boxing tournament to bo held at the club house on May 2 and 3. The competitions, which are divided into three classes, light, middle, and heavv, are open to club members oulv. "Billy" Elliott and "Ted" Green 'are scheduled to meet at the Stadium, Sydnev, on April 8. Recently, at Ballarat, "Billy" Wcnand. Elliott's successor to the New Zealand and Australasian feather championship titles, met one "Joo"'Falco. and a hardfounht battle resulted in a draw. "Dave" Smith is resting at his home in flnnedin after his strenuous and somewhat successful endeavour to repel the recent American invasion of Sydney. A Riddle of (Edipus. Matters are becoming decidedly complicated in (he settlement of the claims of the various aspirants to the world's lightweight title. The present holder is Adolph Wolgast, who won (he honour I'.'vmi tho great "Battling" Nelson some two years ago inn momentous battle stopped by the referee in tho 40(h round. Since then the Welsh champion, Owen Moran, who has been resident for some years in the States, has been hot on Wolgast's trail. Likewise also has one "Packy" MaeFarland. Both these boxers have cleaned up. everything that has come along in tho meantime, Movnn's list of wins including one over Nelson, the

ox-champion. The latter essayed to "come back," only to be knocked out r.lenn, for the fir*!'time on record, by the .sturdy litlle J3ritisher. This put M'oran right in (ho limelight, and the public joined him in clamouring for a meeting with Wolgast. The latter was coy, however, and, just about this lime, contrived to break an arm in a minor slrue/gle, and so earned a rest. The limb, however, is now mended again, and recently we were advised that, on his latest appearance in public. Hie champion was badly beaten in a ten-round bout by "Kiiwk-out" Blown, a new Richmond in the held. This brought Brown to the front nt the expense of Moran, and now, from a cable received in town last week, we lesrn that the Welshman has been retired allot liar slop by the result of a clash with MneFnrland, in which the latter got a newspaper decision in the usual tenround bout. Meantime Wolgast has been turning a very deaf ear to public clamour for a championship battle with one of those claimants, and has been contenting himself with picking up easy money by knocking down second-raters put up for that purpose by the various clubs and promoters. As a result of one of these affairs, Wolgast is now in trouble, according to the following recent cablo from Vancouver:—"At Los Angeles, Ad. Wolgast out-fought George Mernsic, the referee stopping the fight in the ninth round. The police afterwards arrested the principals on a charge of having taken part in a prize-tight. Meinsic took great punishment, and was about to receive a knock-out when the referee interfered. Memsic, who under the name of "Jimmy" Burns, was a good man once, was brought to the front by "Tommy" Burns, but was settled as a championship proposition by Rudolph Unholz in January, 1908, which meeting gave the Boer his championship match with "Joo" Cans, who in turn settled his claims very decisively. The arrest is apparently the outcomo of the edict against prizefighting in California, brought forward by Governor Gillett, of that State, at the time of the Jeffries-Johnson trouble. Our Old Friend—"Jack" Johnson. Tor some little time past there has been no news of "Jack" Johnson, and just as one wis beginning to wonder' what had gone wrong with his press agent and publicity department, comes the news that the champion had como within the clutches of the law for "speeding" his automobile in San Francisco, with the result that ho had been given 25 days "without the option." Hard upon the heels of this dire intelligence conies the report that he had appealed, and that there was a probability of the sentence being altered to a fine. So there is a chance that the fearful mental vision called un by'the former message of tho world's heavy-weight champion pugilist doing the "lock-step" in the striped raiment that takes tho place of our broadarrow uniform, and perhaps even having to do manual labour (dread thought), may not materialise. More Johnscniana. The San Francisco "Chronicle" recently published an interview in which Johnson expressed some intentions that have sonio bearing on his clash with the law:— "I'm going to race my cars," he said. "I want to have a real rest before I settle down, and here is a good place. I have a car now that can take the measure of Barney Oldfiold, and if he wants a race with mo he can have it, with a side wager up to .£SOO. Later I will go to Europe, and then back to Chicago. This fellow Carl Morris, that new hope, is a joke. I would back anybody to beat him. I don't see anyone in sight, so what is the uso of worrying or working? "Jeffries? I don't think ho wants anymore. Oldfield has been revamping the dope stories just to get some advertising for himself. Jeff. boxed better than I expected he would for a fow rounds, and it was that upnercut and the jab that'. dooed him. Nothing else." Johnson likewise pleads guilty to having saved much of the money he made at Reno. "They can't get this chicken," he declared. "They are not going to havo mc down and out. There is only one chance. If anything should happen to' that bank of mine it would flatten me, and I can tell you they wouldn't need to arrest the president. J would attend to that little matter myself."