IN THE RING.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1313, 16 December 1911, Page 12

IN THE RING.

®T "IimOTOT.") THE SYDNEY STORM CENTRE. December 20—World's Championship, | M'Vea v. Langford, Sydney, Smith and Clabby—A Draw. Two items of intercst were flashed across tho wires from Australia this week. Both had reference to big engagements last Saturday, ono tho M'Vea-Lester "return" in Brisbane, and the other the "Dave" Smith-Jimmy Clabby affray in Sydney. Of the two the latter had the more interest for Now Zealanders, and the details of the encounter will bo awaited with much interest. The result, a draw over 20 iard-t'ought rounds, points to one of two things, eithor that "Dave" of ours is not adhering to the vaunted improvement in his form that gave him tho decisive victory over Jack Howard that marked his rotnrn to tho ring ill Sydney, or else that tho American has come along very fast since his lost visit to Australia. It rather looks as though the former were the case. When Clcbbv was out last season, Smith had no difficulty at all in beating him. Moreover, the New Zealander gave indications of a falling hack in his form in his last match, against "Bandsman" Rise, aud, again, on "the present occasion he must have had an advantage of about 101b. in the weights. This does not look like progression. It would have boon a daring boxer who would have attempted to concede tills handicap to the Dave Smith who cut the combs of Billy Papke and "Cyclone" Johnny Thompson so effectually at the Stadium not many months back. Xo doubt thero is a reason, and it may very well b<3 that tho business worries of Smith's Sports Depot interfered with his training operations, or it may bo that he did not take his usual care in his preparation for the Clabby fixture, on tho strength of his previous victory. We shall have to await the arrival of the mail before these things are made clear to us. Until then judgment on "Dave" is deferred.

,1 Lester—A Light Lunch. [- The other "affair"—the MTea-Lester t- bout—simply gave the man in the street - an oportunity of saying "I (old you so." '' It gave the Brisbane public a chance to n see .M'Vra in action, although Lester ap1_ pears to have been a very light lunch, and, what is more to tho point from .the 3 promoting standpoint, it brought more bullion into the M'lntosli coffers, bo it may lie said to hare filled its purpose, J and" we can let it go at that. It also l ! drops Lester from the "White Hope" ranks (if (here are enough of tho species 3 in exislenr.o to make a ranlr), for if ho could only stay eight losing rounds with " Jf'Vea, where are his prospects against J Langford? They arc nmi, nix, and void. ° Stadium Doings. ? On Wednesday Dan Hjnn, one t s Longford's training stable, and a fai e second-grade American "heavy," was bil e ed to make his how to a Sydney amlionci his opponent being "Bill" turner, th j Tasmanian champion, at tho fe'tadiun r and to-nig!it the sanio arena. will sc t "Cyclone" Thompson open his preseti - Australian season with "Bandsman » Rice, "Dare" Smith's Teeent victim, a 1 his vis-a-vis. Thompson and Smith com I together on December 31 and then ther . will bo happenings. t Our recent visitor, "Billy" Elliott, ha i his- next match arranged for Februax, HI, when lie will meet "Jimmy" Hill - whoso place he took in his engagemen with the Wellington Association, at th Sydney Gaiety for ,£SO aside. - Can This be True? c Tho "Koferee" publishes tho foliorini 1 upon which comment is surely unnecos • Siirv:— [ '"Billy' Murphy is coming. 'Ware th< J old 'un, yo vaunting modem champions I The world's one-time feather-weigh ■ champion cabled mo irom Aurkl.mil oi t Thursday last: 'Over Monday. Fight th< ' Ixst of them.' 'Billy' is a man of : ' lew words, and he means business. "•fust gird on your armour, yo trem Ming leather-weights ami be prepared ' 'J'ho old war-horeo has scented the bat tie. There's too much light in Sydney's ■ atmosphere just now for .Murphy's proe< of mind. Will bo glad to shake hand: with tho greatest little fighter of hi: time, and a good fellow any way one looks at him." Oiir Linht-wcight Tangls. The news of "Tim" Tracy's defeat al Auckland on .Monday night by "Alt" Gaiilt camo as a disappointment to local enthusiasts. It was hoped that Traej would at least finish the present season with the light-weight title still to his credit. Now he has lost it, regained it, and lost it agaiu—that is provided the present affair was official}- notilied to the governing body as involving the title whioh apparently is doubtful. In the mv£«nt case Tracy was rash in making the match so close to the ilillerton nfiair wilh ' Arthur" ICellv, as was pointed out in this column last week, it is asking a lot of any man to box a closely-contested 15-round bout, travel irom jUillerton to Auckland and engage m a match with a boxer of. Ganlt's calibre, al in the space of nine davs. J racy would not ask another man to do it to moot him and yet it is what he I o i, • Consequently ho could int *10 himself justice and consequently 'ugn'.n tho New Zealand light-weight muddle is more mnddlesomo than ever Consider the position. Tho following is not the order of the matches, but it .shows the results.-—lTannan beat Kellv— Kelly boat Gault—Gault beat Tracy-Uan-'tiati beat Gault—Tracy beat Hannim—and now Gault beats Trtvcj" again. How Gault Won, . Tracy's defeat is discribed thnsly in the Auckland Herald Ihe principal bout of the evening was a 15-rounds contest between the two wellknown professional. light-weights, T. [racy, ot Wellington, and A. Gault, of Auckland, for a purse of .£l3). Tracy's weight was given as Sst- 121b. and Gault's as Jsl. 11 b. 1 racy, as usual/opened slowly, and tho first three exchanges were iu favour of Gault, who played for tlio body with some success, and also landed a few good ones to the jaw and face. I racy got in some lefts to the jaw, but there was not much sting in them. In the fourth round Tracy's defence improved, his ducking, footwork, and blocking causing Gault to miss fretiuentlv. But tho Aucklander scoied with a right and left, while Tracy sent a few lefts to the jaw. In tho fifth round Gault nearlv kncckcd Tracy out with right and left to the jaw, but good work enabled the Wellington man to weather the storm. Near the close of the round Tracy just missed an opportunity to knock out Ganlt. T'racy began lo pull the points rouiud, making good play with his left, with which he scored particularly well in the seventh round. But in the eighth round a right hook sent Tracy to his knees. For a few moments ho blocked, then he missed with the left, and a right jolt to the jaw sent him to the boards. He took the count of nine, rose rather groggy, and camo into a clinch. But ho was sent down again, rose gamely, and was clinching, with Gault looking to a sign from tho reforee and refraining from finishing his opponent, when the towel was thrown in from Tracy's corner. As it was just on time, ■it is possible that had the towel not gone in Tracy, might have pulled round well, for a few minutes later he appeared none ' the worse. As it was, Gault .won. Mr. T. I'. Burke was referee. After the match "Tim" was subjected to the time-honoured interview. lie, says the "Herald," scarcely looked as if ho had gone through tho . contest, and said that Gault fought in very good spirit. "Gault," ho added, "is a wonderfully-im-proved young fellow, and won fairly on his merits. I am very pleased to think that he will follow in my footsteps. I am sorry that to-night's contest did not carry with it the light-weight championship of tho Dominion, but I am prepared to meet Gault in a return battle—and give him a'chance to gain the championship— under tho auspices of the Northern Boxing Association, which I consider to be the foremost boxinj: body in New Zealand. 'Gault's offensive tactics weresplendid, and Ins recuperative powers were nixxl. As I have lost for the first timo in Auckland, T am glad it was to an ■\net-laud bov. Tf he wins tho chamlighting Australian boxers should lie.jp iiionship, the experience he has gained in ltim to defend it. I am perfectly satislied that tho better nun won." Two of the preliminaries possess interest for Wellingtoniaiu Of these the above authority eays:— On o of tho eve'lis most looked forward Jo wm tho msetini oi the two crack is*.,

ther-weights, P. Ellis {Wellington's champion) and E. O'Mcara (champion of Auckland). Jillis's weight was given aa Sst. 101b., lrliilo O'Moara weighed Bst. lljlb. It was a spirited bout trhilo It lasted, but too brief, tho Aucklandcr boillg knockc<l out in tho second round. Ellis had tho better of the first round, ho scoring with both hands to face and body and blooking O'Meara's right very well. In the second round Ellis continued lo oarry the battle to his opponent, using both hands freely and quickly. Both lads took chances in this round, EJiis not being so particular about O'Meara's right, which he allowed to land solidly two or three times. But suddenly the bout terminated. O'Meara tried his right again, found it blocked, and ho tried lo work away from a right hook. But Ellis was too quick, and another right hook caught O'Meara on the point and sent him down for the full count. S. Porter (light-weight champion of Wellington and Wanganui) and Moloney (an old-time light-weight champion of Auckland) fought four throe-mimito rounds at catch-wights, Porters weight being given as 9st- Gib. (he looked much heavier) and Malone.v's as lOsl. 5Mb. Ilio first two rounds irero not very exciting, hut there was more milling in the third. Maloney got in sopie good lefts and used the right to effect now aud again, while Porter relied on rushing and swinging tactics. In the last round Porter continued to rush and swing, but he ran into several good straight lefts to the jaw from Malonev, who was the cleaner boxer. The verdict," "Maloney wins," was a good one. At the Stadium, Svducv, on VVedneMlay week Frank Picoto boat Mark Iliggins m a wr'etchedly-oontosted bout, sfopp«t by the referee in the fourth round. Boxing Gloves in all qualities. Punch Balls and Extra* Physical Excises of various wakes, at Dcutone, 58 Winis Street.—Advt.