ATHLETIC SPORTS.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1327, 3 January 1912, Page 6

ATHLETIC SPORTS.

BOXING. THE TWO SAMUELS. M'VEA-LANGFORD. AS SEEN BY "THE BULLETIN." There wcro some 20,000 or 30,000 hot and dusty people-far more than tho staggered tramway service felt qualified to eopo with-at the great Stadium of Sl'lntosh, at Eushcuttor's Bay, Sydney, on Boxing , Day (says the ■ "Bulletin"), lhoy came to see the 20-round coolness between Langford.and M'Vea, two ima-es done in .ebony, or, rather, i n bufnt sienna. Ihero, was Hip. usual gathering ot male supporters at tho corners of the ring, and the clothes of that gathering were /omlerlul to behold. The partiel included.bottle-holdCTs, fanners, the men m charao.ot the block of ice to put on the patients neck. ; the gentleman who poured water ■ over... his principal, the giver of good advice,-and the person who bestowed, moral support. . Tho audience applauded a littlo when some, ladies entered,; and tho man with the megaphone announced that "Jim" Barry, a Onited States heavy-weight recently arrived; was just aching to hit the winner where- it. would do him most good. ■ ■ ■ •

The two coloured,men seemed unequally matched. Langford looked small by comparison, and his hair was cut so short that he had practically none. M'Vea was much bigger, and had a mat of wool on his head. .Ho had the longer reach and the greater weight. His extremities were like masts, and his chest suggested the side of a' quarry. Langford wore an affable countenance, which might, if necessary, do.service in nigger minstrelsy, while, the other, man looked on the world with a-warlike, expression. It. was, indeed, ,i fighting countenance that'M'Vea turned, on. the admiring multitude. On appearance, iii fact, the oil© feature of equality !was' that both men were named Samuel. . ~.'..

Langford arrived first in a remarkable dressing-gown. M'Vea turned up later in an amazing garment: of "similar description, and accompanied by a red and blue umbrella o£.,heroic dimensions. Langford inspected M'Vea, critically, as if searching- him. i'6r hidden weapons. M'Vea inspect'Langford'at' all. Eeferee"Snowy"'Baker-took off his hat and prepared to pursue, li is -profession bare-headed in the hot sen. ' Later, he changed his mind, and resumed his hat. It was a fairly-strenuous and skilful, but rather dreary cbmba.lv and went tho full, twenty rounds. The men were very evenly matched, despito the discrepancy of size.' ■ Langlord- had a deadly punch which should havo 'tootled the question if it had'been hi the end of.'a longer arm. M'Vea had a hit like an astronomical telescope for length, but apparently' there wnsn't -a heavy, enough missile at the end of it.

There wasn't one knock-down in • the whole proceedings; though the friendly countenance of Langford slid halfway to the floor once. Langford rushed the game, and did most of the hard work. Hβ had the courage'of a long line of bulldogs, and his one great desire was to got at his enemy.- M'Vea kept on the defensive part, of the-time, which'Langford never did.

Over and over again tho swiftness of the big man's loug_ legs got him briskly, out of a coruqr which looked a very awkward corner indeed. - It was Langford's ambition to sraito the vast, area of his antagonist in any lawful ..part, and, when, they clinched, the busy littUs boxer biffed ; his. enemy on' the back to s:ivc time. He haled,to ho.doine nothing, but there was so much of M'Tea's back that he hadn't a chanco to'hit all of it twice before the'last gong-sounded. M'Vea aimed at Langford's face for preference, and closed his right eye in one of. his rushes. That was about the 16th round, and thereafter Langford fought a. somewhat one-sided campaign. Towards-the :end, the, sun of his other eye threatened to set also, though, these were the only signs of damage he showed. There were no visible evidences of deterioration on M'.Vea, except, that he t sometimes wore a moro' hostile expression than at other times. Ijangford's blows were far tho moro audiblo of the two, but then-he was hitting the battlements of a very hard and bony, though somewhat slow proposition. "BILL" EUDD DEFEATED. ' A very large crowd at the Sydney. Gaiety on Boxing Kight witnessed a most exciting battle between "Tom" Towns, end and "Bill" Itudd. After several badly-matched pairs had' boxed preliminary bouts, the contestants in the main event entered, the .ting. ■ ._ • Their weights were announced: Eudd list. 61b., and Townsend list. 41b., but both looked heavier. ■ ■ ■. . Rudd opened in a very confident manner. After feinting with his left he swung his right good and hard. He tried again, but Townsend ducked the blow. Three straight lefts sent Townsend back in his tracks. Eudd's anxiety to connect again with tho right missed badly, and Townsoml. swung both hands. Eudd replied with left and right, Townsend ducking and catching them on tho top of the head. Townsend rushed his bigger opponent,' and with right ni'.d left inado him run.. Turning c.uiekly, ho swung a heavy-left with, sufficient forco to drop his opponent to the boards. lie refused : to take the. count,. and smotherr ed as ; Eudd swung left and right;-then suddenly unwinding, ho ■scored a heavy left on,'Eudd.- ....

The second was a most exciting, time. Twice.it looked as if Townsend would be unable'to toe'the. mark, bo'.ug dropped for eight and five seconds, nnd several of the onlookers wore'preparing 'o lynye, to heavily did the plucky Tswnsend-.drop in his last fall to the bcirds. Hut at tho count of fivo and ami'tst niuch chrering. he rose, and was actually chasing Rudd when corners' sounded. Once, in au endeavour to land: a swingingTownsend missed,, and, fell heavily on his knees. . ,■■'..

Rudd began the.'third, rounlriy Inudin? a lie-lit left to the forehead. Tnvnseml replied with left to the boa J. ftllowing up with, right; and Uft, dropping Rudd for seven, secon Is. Townsond gave his ' man no time' tn ' recover; i-<-chased him round the ring, and, bailing him up in. a neutral corner, ..swung a left,' putting him down, !ud.;ut. amidst a scene of great oxu , t. j tn?.nt.