BOXING.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1236, 19 September 1911, Page 8

BOXING.

HOW LESTER BEAT LANG. Grim determination, unflinching courage, vomarkablo powers of euduranco and recuperation, coupled with tho true combative instinct —all those factors assisted "Jack" Lester to gain a points decision over "Bill" Lang, the Australian heavyweight champion, after 20 rounds of bittor boxing at the Stadium (soys tho Sydnev "Morning Herald"). Lester was first info the ring; and was quickly followed by Lang, who, although reported t'o have been suffering from influenza earlier in the week, never looked better, and, indeed, as subsequent events showed, inust have lacked nothing on the side of condition. Contrary to his practice, too, he started off confidently, being entirely free from the usual traw of nervousness which characterises his fighting during tho early rounds. Lester, too, was brimful of assurance, and from the start carried the fighting to Lang, v.iio nothing loth stood to him. From a spectacular point of view the contest was perfect, and so exciting was it t'liat tho enthusiasts who attended in such numbers as to tax the seating accommodation to it's utmost, were roused to tho highest pitch of excitement. For Lang's defeat there can bo no excuse. He fought, the fight of his career only to meet defeat. With nil the advantages of weight', reach, and.experience in his favour ho was beaten fairly and squarely by a mere youth, who by sheer aggressiveness and unflinching courage accomplished the task ho had set himself to perform—to wear down tho Australian champion. Never before has Lang fought with such confidence. At the outset he, perhaps, misled as to Lester's abilities, started off full of confidence. But lie had under-estimated the valuo of Lester's methods. Crude they may appear to bo, but that fact notwithstanding they aro certainly elfcctive. Lester may not bo a finished boxer—no one would ever seek to lay that to his credit—but as a fighter he ccrtainly is entitled to recognition. Of courso he, as a representative of tho American school, upsets nil our preconceived ideas of the hit, stop, and getaway type of boxer, to which class Lang belongs". His sole aim is to get to close quarters, as it is while in that position that he invariably manages to get in effective work. With but little variety in his method he crowds in all tho time. Taking no heed of punches which would stop many another strong boxer in his tracks, the boy—for ho is only 20 years old —smilingly bores in as regardless of them as if they were so many love taps. And when he works in close, what a transformation is seen 1 The wild swings which characterise his outfighting coaso. and in their place damaging rips and uppercuts delivered alike with both hands and for both tho body and jaw with telling clTect. These short punches aro the most damaging in Lester's by no means extensive repertoire, but t'hey are so elfcctive that they enable him to keep his opponent puzzled. Then there is his wonderful of recuperation. This was especially noticeable* during the seventh and eighth rounds. Under the severe punishment' inflicted by Lang, wh'o at that timo was finding tho body with heavy drives, Lester seemed to tiro, but only momentarily, as tho next round saw.him attacking as vigorously as before. . . . Les- , ter hung to Lang all tho time,'never giving him an instant's peace, and when the final bell rang Lang was in such poor shape that it is more than probable that with a couple more rounds to go ho would have been knocked out. A moment's pause, with all the crowd expectantly standing on tip-toe, and then Mr. "Snowy" Baker, the referee, walked over to Lester and raised his arm in token of victor. The old champion had fallen! The new champion was before them. That the victory was a popular one was testified to by the resounding cheers which greeted the referee's decision. The attendance was estimated at 10,000. GOOD FARE AT TOWN HALL. Thcro promise; to be a good evening's sport at the Wellington Association's tourney at the Town Hall on Friday next, when the chief item is the contest for tho light-weight championship of the Dominion between Tracy, of Wellington, and Hannan, of Sydney. Tho former has been the holder of tho title for some years, although many have como forward to dispute his title. Tho present challenger was unknown hero until recently,

when, ho mot oml somewhat easily defeatod such it sterling exponent nr. Kcll.v. Two preliminaries, which promise to he of nio'-e than average interest, will fill in the" first part. Rogers, who made an excellent showing hero against Go.-liug, is to meet Hardy. a local boxer with some Sydnov experience, and Ellis, the champion feather-weight, is matched with W. Ireland, tiie local champion of Waipawa. OTHER ITEMS. . "Jimmy" Clabby has decided to pay another visit to Australia. Au effort' is being made to match Gup. Devitt and Arthur Cripp.s at Adelaide for the middleweight championship of South Australia. "Jimmy" Hill, who is asking the Wellington ijoxiug Association for a match, recently Inst on points Co Frank Fitzjohn at the end of 20 rounds. Something of a stir was created (says the Sydney "Referee") when it became known that Messrs. Smithors and Buchanan, the well-known city solicitors, acting as attorneys for Tommy Burns, had, in accordance with ail agreement existing between the ex-world's champion boxer and Jack Lester, applied to Mr. Acting-Justice Rich, in his private, chambers for an injunction restraining Mr, Hugh D. M'lntosh from paying over to the conqueror of Bill Lang his whack of Saturday nighfs gate.