IN THE RING.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1425, 27 April 1912, Page 12

IN THE RING.

[Bt "Miucukt."] the world and the week. Our Own Association, 1911-12, Taunting tlio Wellington Association 011 its "princely profits" lias boon almost an industry with somo in tlio past. It is an industry that ought to be vary (load now, however. The annual balance-sheet shows that whatever tho association may liavo taken from tho public in the form of cash, they have given buck to tho public in tho way of sport. In every case, except tlio ilannan-Tnicy combat, the expenditure is ou nodding terms with tho receipts. Hazing back over tho association's year, one notes that it is still wuauut quarters of its own. Always alive to this need, tho couimitteo apparenly hnvo tlono overytlnng they cuuul in this direction, but it is hard work hitting one's head against the titanic iceberg ot apathy all tho time. .Many members seem to imagine that the erection of club rooms requires 110 effort— like Topsy, in -Mrs. Beecher Stowe's story, tliev "just grow." However, thore 11 ro signs that this desirable work will not bo much longer put off. Let members back up their committee, and tho thing ought to bo as good as done. The only unsatislactory disclosure in the association's balancc-shcot this year is the fact that nearly half its members' subscriptions are outstanding. With a membership of 80 and a guinea subscription, only .£4O ss. was received in the way of subscriptions last year. The forty odd members in default apparently need some sort of gunpowdery reminder.

M'Vea—Post-Waterloo Excusei, After Wellington won Waterloo, tho excuses mado for the French defeat wero many and weird, and the same always occurs after a battle of any description, particularly after ono in which each of two men with padded fists try to convince the other that 110 is the superior person. And the latest M'Voa-Lnngford affair is no exception. M'Vea is now declared to have "gone stale," but the truth is that he was affected in another direction. Despite the climate, etc., he had a bad attack of "cold feet" after tho seventh round, and this crippling application settled both his heart and him. Since the clash M'Vea has had another accident, consequent upon an argument with tho innards of his motor-car. Tho accident will keep him out of the game for a few weeks, and may possibly interfere with his langford and Fiynn engagements. 0 Poor, Poor Attelll

Misfortunes never come singly, and "Abe" Attell is the latest to whom the truth of tho old saying has been brought home. It is now certain that he is not even second best among tho featherweights. His latest deleat—that at tho hands of Harlem Tommy Murphy—was just as convincing as the licking which he received at tho hands of "Johnny" Kilbane, who now holds the title. Says the "Referee's" American commissioner. Attell was far and away tho worse punished of the twain, but I cannot say that Murphy gained a decided lead until after tho eighteenth round started. By that time Attell was dog tired, and, my, how tho secondcrop Irishman piled in. Ho rained in short-range upporcuts, and Attcll's reciprocal powers seemed to have faded to a whisper. When Attell lurched to his chair at tho round-end he was damaged indeed. The concluding round was all Murphy. Attell tried a few feeble counters, and then acted in a manner best calculated to impress a referee with tho idea that a draw decision would be the fairest ruling. He appeared, to lack the vim to hit'out, but he shouldered around tho best ho could, and kept wiggling his elbows and waving his glovns as though the other man : had nothing on him in the line of being busy. But tho other man was scoring, and when ring-master .Tack Welsh split thein out at tho "cease firing," and hoisted Murphy's glove, thero was never a protest. It was Murphy's battle by « good margin. Facllis est Descensus Averni. Our own "Bill" Rudd, of whom wo expected (jreat things when ho first left for Australia, seems to be well 011 the downgrade. Tho other day ho succumbed in six rounds to welter-weight "Pat." Bradley. Enough said surely.—Easy is tho down-path indeed! Lester and Some Others. Now that tho star of his ambition has set itself in a humbler firmament, "Jack" Lester is doing better. Following on his recent victories, ho has accounted for "Jack" Howard, whom he battered into such a state of exhaustion in ten rounds that the polico intervened. Whilo 110 lasted, Howard outboxed tho American, biit tho latter's strength proved too much for him in the end. Arthur Douglas, . tho forceful South African light-weight, who has fought 60ine stirring battles in Australia, appears to have "conio back," for, the other nipht in Brisbane, he fought a draw with "Jack" Read, and the decision met with a mixed reception, as tho majority of onlookers considered Douglas had won. "Matt" Wells and "l'acky" 'Farland have been matched to meet in New York, and a pretty contest should result, for

they are undoubtedly the two cleverest lHit-weights living, and the only two capablo of finishing a bout with "Ad." Wolgast. If tlio Englishman wins, Wolgast must meet him. Frank o'Grady added another leaf to his laurel wreath by defeating Frank Thorn at Adelaide recently after twenty rounds of clever ring work. Tho bout was pretty all through, O'Grarlj especially shining with his footwork mid straight left, while Thorn's in-fighting was most effective. Both wcro trained to the hour, and each was able to stand any amount of punishment. There were some heavy exchanges, and the advantago went first *to one, and then to the other, although neither ever looked much like being knocked out.