BOXING.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1166, 17 June 1911, Page 12

BOXING.

AYHO IS DAY, THE CANADIAN? (Br "MEP-cunr.") London, .Tune 12— Jack .Tolinson, tlio heavy-weight boxing champion of tho world, has arrived in London. He will t'ivo exhibitions in the principal towns. Johnson expectn to arrange a contest with Day, the Canadian. So ran a cable received on Wednesday morning. Now who is Day, the Canadian? Echo answers "Who?" Is he some "white hope" who has not got his name into tho sporting papers? This is so contrary to the habit of the "hope" contingent that it seems hardly possible. Moreover, it is not the custom ot a world's champion "to e::pect to arrange a match" with anyone — quite the contrary. It is tho other party who expects, or pretends to expect, to arrange n match with the champion. And mostly—and more particularly so when the champion is "Jack" Johnson—he expects in vain. More information as to the identity of Day, the Canadian, is awaited with interest. How our Percy Hale Went Down, Percy Hale, ex-forward of our own Southern Football Club, . "came down" badly (after his big sequence of wins in Sydney) in his match with "Tom" Townsend last AVednesday week. The surprising part is that Hale, who has been consis'tcntly beating heavier men, succumbed to a man six or seven inches shorter and actually 121b. lighter. Hale scaled 12st. to his opponent's list. 21b. In the early stages it looked all over a win for the New Zealander, as he scored heavily with his straight lefts, but he seems to have foolishly changed his tactics, as is described in the following account from the "Referee" :— "Halo continued to do well until tho end of the fifth round. In the sixth he foolishly discarded those defensive tactics so successfully brought into play in tho previous rounds, and tried mixing it with his sturdy 'Cyclone' Thompson-like opponent, leaving an opening for 'Tom' to connect with his heavy right, and he was quick to tako advantage by lauding squarely, and staggering Hale. "Following this up with left and right swings, Townsond had his man in such a bad way that he was an ea.sy mark for two heavily-charged left hooks, which caused Hale's knees to sag. Excitement was so great at the turn which affairs had taken that the contestants did not hear the bell for 'corners.' "For a time during the seventh round Hale managed, by back-moving and blocking, also shooting out his long left, to stall off Townsend. 'Tommy' ducked a left which enabled him to get close enough to his tall antagonist, on whose chin ho hooked a heavy left, sending him to tho middle rope, which saved him from falling. "As Hale staggered forward, another left dropped him to the boards for 'nine,' and tho bell rang just as Halo had regained his feet. "Tho end came in the eighth. 'Townsend easily beat three lefts to the head, but the fourth caught him hard. Tho next attempt was blocked, as also was a right uppercut. Townsend lefthooked thrco times in quick succession, and Hale was dropped for nino and two seconds. He again visited the boards per medium of Townsend's deadly left, this time for 7 seconds. "Left and right missed Hale's head, but tho latter, holding on, brought Townsend down with him. Halo took the count to eight. A left hook: dropped him heavily just about threo seconds before 'corners' rang, thus saving a knock-out. His seconds threw in the towel." Hale to take a Rest. That Halo brought about his defeat bybad tactics is corroborated by the "Daily Telegraph's" report, which says: The defeat of Percy Halo by "Tommy" Townsend last week came as a surprise to followers of the boxing game. Without in the least wishing to detract from the merits of Townsend's win, and giving him full credit for being a splendid boxer, the probability is that were the pair to meet again tho result, would' go the other way. First of all. Hale seemed to find his opponent's lack of inches a cause of trouble; soon, however, he got over this difficulty, and punished Townsend severely. In tho sixth round Hale was ill-advised .to mix it with his opponent, who shines at this style. A terrific right as he broke away from a rally staggered Percy. Townsend. quick to realise his advantage, kept after his man, giving him no respite. It was the beginning of the end. nale fought back gamely, but there wasn't sufficient powder behind his punches to keep Townsend out, and in the eighth round the end came, Townsend running out the winner. Hale has since been advised by his medical man that he has been overdoing his training, and has been ordered to keep out of tho ring for at least three months, for which reason his projected match with "Ranji" Burns if "off." Stadium Matters Going Merrily. Matters are still going along merrily in connection with the Provincial Championship Tourney at the Exhibition Stadium on Juno 23. Last week reference was made to the number and quality of tho entrants in the welter division, and, now that the date of the closing of entries is drawing nearer, it appears that tho feather-weight competition will be even better. Ellis, Kerr, Havill, Shields, and Kutncr are all in, besides the "unknowns" from Cairns's School at the Hutt, and the Petone men. There is also talk of a "heavy" of class from Australia, now resident in Petone, and, generally, things at present point to a highly successful meeting. English "Middle" Overthrown by Papke, Coining on top of the news that Australia's recent visitor, "Billy" Papke, had defeated "Tim" Sullivan, the English middle-weight champion, by a knock-out in tho tenth round (nfter being out-pointed up to that stage) the following from the London "Sportsman" will be of interest as supplying information as to the terms upon which the men met:— Papke, tho American middle-weight, has not been in this country many days, but ho has already been fitted with an engagement. Mr. M'lntosh has fixed up for Papke to meet Sullivan, for the middle-weight championship, during Derby week. The venue has not been decided upon, but it will be in London. "Jim" Sullivan, who is the holder of the Lonsdale Belt, commenced training yesterday. The men, who are matched for.tho middle-weight championship of tho world, a title that has been in abeyance since tho death of Stanley Kctchcll, have agreed to box the best of twenty rounds, at list. Gib. (the English weight limit), weigh in at two o'clock, and Papke has posted .£250 as forfeit that he will not be above that poundage. Sullivan is training nt the Elm Hotel. Leigh-on-Sea, where • Bombardier AVclls has trained, and he is being assisted by "A\ : ally" Pack and "Johnny" Condon. Next week a woll- ■ known heavy-weight will be added to his party. Papke, in all probability, will undergo his training preparation at the Norfolk Arms Hotel, AVeiubley, where "Sam" Lnngford recently trained. Squires and the "Jade Rumour." The rumour that "Bill" Squires is coming back to the ring again to meet "Bill" Lang in Brisbane in August, refuses to die. Despite the fact that (he Brisbane Stadium people, who.were reported to have been handling the affair, denv any knowledge of it, and that the "Referee" pooh-poohs the idea, other Sydney papers stick to tho story hard and fast. In fact one of them publishes an alleged interview with Squires himself, in which he not only is reported as saying that the match is all arranged, but goes further, and says that he is negotiating for a contest with one "Professor" Stevenson to engage in a boxing v. jiu jilsu contest which is to take place before the Lang affair. So one does not know what to believe. The only certainty is that Squires ought to know better. They All Get it at Last. An American file thus describes "Cyclone'' Johnny Thompson's' first ring experience on his return to America with

tlio honours of his victory over "Billy" l'aiiko thick upon him :—

Hugo Kelly, of Chicago, claimant of the mii.V.le-weight championship, "upper-cutted" Johnny Thompson, of Sycamore, 111., through ten rounds of savage lighting here and gained a popular decision. Superior boxing skill allowed Felly to land two blows to Thompson's one, although the Sycamore fighter forced the milling. No t decisions are allowed in boxing contests in tin's State, but the popular verdict was that Kelly had decidedly the belter of tho contest. The Chicago man's most effective blow was a right-hand upper-cut, which he lauded repeatedly without a return from Thompson. In the clinches he rocked Thompson with short upper-cuts, and in the open fighting he punished his opponent' severely. Thompson fought a sluggish, rushing battle, and was alwav.s willing to take Kelly's hardest blows to land one on his opponent's body. Jeffries on AVolgast. "Jim" Jeffries came out of his retirement' to see the recent battle between AA'olgast and Ilogan. and ventured an opinion on AVolgast and his chance against Owen Mornn, tho English light-weight, who meets him for his title on July 4:— "Wolgast is the best light-weight in tho world," said Jeffries, "tie is a fighter pure and simple. He does not pretend to bo a fancv boxer. There's no doubt about his gamencss and hitting qualities, which make a champion. "He lias wonderful stamina and improves as the battle progresses. I think he will whipMoran, who is his most' dangerous opponent, and I intend to back him, even though I will not be by the ringside."