IN THE RING.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1330, 6 January 1912, Page 12

IN THE RING.

WHICH "SAM" IS THE ONE?

(Bt "Meecuet.")

The Story of the Big Sporting "Wobbler." Full accounts of the big fight now to hand are so conflicting that one wonders whether any single one of them is correct. The majority seem to favour "Snowy" Baker's verdict, but others— notably the "Referee"—angrily denounce it, while the "Bulletin," perhaps wisely, omits to state in any definittj manner which of the combatants it considers the Victor.

Heading the ''Ecferee's" account round b.v round, one forms the opinion that M'Vea never had a chanco any time. Every blow which he landed is explained away by this alleged model of sporting papers, while almost every hefty blow which Langford landed is magnified into a punch that should have oufed the . recipient for more than the ten seconds' span. According to the "Beferee," too, those wonderful lefts of M'Yca's almost invariably wasted their . force on Langford s guard. Langford's closed eye at the end of tho fight is attributed to contact with M'Yca's head instead ol' his gloves, while, the roasting administered to "Snowy Baker for his decision is a fearsome thing to read.

A suspicious coincidence is that Langford's few words of protest at tho. verdict are tho recurring theme of tho "Ecferee's" two-page sonata. "Tommy" Burns's verdict is for Langford, and this, coming from the ex-champion of the world, must carry considerable weight if it is his honest, unbiased opinion. ' On the whole, however, it seems l'easonablo to accept the majority press verdict, coupled with the most important one of the lot, and the only one that counts— that of "Snowy" Baker, the referee. Whatever his riualilications to judge a tight, the Australian is well qualified to render a decision in a boxing contest.

Both men appear to have given and taken a whole heap of punishment, though, if M'Yea had taken all that the "Referee" gives him credit for taking, he could hardly have survived, whereas, as a matter of fact, he appears to have finished tho fresher of the two. Tho enforcing of the police regulation regarding the clean break would seem to have been the making of this affray from the spectacular point of view, for there appear to have been very few clinches, and the boxing ail through was clean. • _ ft is amusing to contrast the 'Beferec's" opinion of Langford at tho present time with that which it expressed at the time of his victory over ''Bill Lang. Then Langford was hut a juedi; ocre personage as a champion, and "Bill Lang was supposed to have a fair chanco with him if only he could keep his head. And, indeed, if Bill Lang had any possible chance in the world of getting within meastirablo distance of securing a verdict over the black, then Langtord must truly have been a very ordinary fighter, for thero iisver was a greater "false - alarm" as a world's champion that poor, honest "Bill" Lang. To-day, according to tho "ficferee, Langl'ord .is a wonder, second only to .Tack Johuson, and second only because of Johnson's size. Either Langford' was under-estimated then, or he is being over-estimated now. It looks as though both were tho case to come degree —and that M\oa. fought a bettor fight than the "lWeree gave him credit for, while Langford did not put up so great a battle as *7;, would like us to believe., lhe latter was evidently tho more daring and dashing and tho former the cleverer, and on this score gained the verdict. liver since the last invasion of Australia by the American fighting fraternity and ''The Amateur's" visit to. America, the "Referee's" .views of boxing have changed from admiration of tho (j O a Mac* stvle of "hit,stop-aud-get-away, t to a firm approval of the later, American method of getting in and mixing things, and this change is hardly conducive to impartial judgment of a contest, in which cleverness in hitting and getting away is opposed to ability to lake pumshlnsnt in order to givo it. Thero aro those 011 this side of the lasjiiftii who have not forgotten the 0} <1nev paper's 0110-sided attitude during the visit of I'apko and Co., when it defended tlio Yankee middle-weight's roughing tactics and condoned his evil practices, and who aro not inclined to place'tho reliance on its judgment that they did in days now two or three years past. What is Really Smith's Calibre? Word of "Dave" Smith's victory over "Jack" Lester was received with great satisfaction locally. This victory though not as striking as if it had been gained on a points decision, is nevertheless pleasant news, more especially as tho cabled report stales that Smith was leading 011 pbints at tho time of tho breach which entailed the American's disqualification. The struggle to get. within the 12st. 71b. limit must, have 'weakened Lester considerably. Still, without some such condition in the articles, Smith wuuld hardly havo hoped for victory despite his far superior skill, both with hands and feet. Though uniformly successful of late the ex-New Zealander seems to have been slightly inconsistent. He fought disappointingly with "Bandsman" liice and couV! only draw with "Jimmy" Clabby, who is a much lighter man, and yet ho defeats probably , the second best while heavy-weight of the day. A return match with Clabby will probably decide whether he is quite the champion wo all hopo him to he. As far as weight is concerned he should bo well matched with Langford, provided the latter were bound lo fight at, say, list. 61b. (which ho declares he can mako), but; the lattor's superior strength, experience, hitting powers, and ring craftsmanship all go to shatter tho idea that. Smith would havo any hope of lasting out a contest with him.

What a wonder old "Hock" Keys must be! lie at anyrate has shown that it is possible for a boxer to "eonie back." Had condition and strength stood to him he must liavo defeated "Uugliio" Mehegan for tho light-weight championship, and now wv read of his defeating ".Jack Head and actually finishing the better of the two in tho last round of their contest. When lie meets Australia's light-weight champion again Keys should have an excellent chanco of finishing the distance with him, and this would in all probability mean a win for the one-tinio wonder—tho clcvorcst boxer Australia has produced silica Grill'o. The Fall of the Millerton Idol. After three rounds, during which a largo crowd got mere excitement than they usually get in twenty, "Bill" liudd fell a victim to "Tom" Townsend on Hosing night. Uudd i>! asgame <is they make them and as dashing, but the skill which placed "Dave" Smith whore 110 is, is lacking in him-heiice liis defeats.