IN THE RING.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1515, 10 August 1912, Page 12

IN THE RING.

[Br "Mercdbt."] THE DOCTOR'S FIAT THIS WEEK. Murphy Shall Not Bo;; To-Night, It waa a very disgruntled Boxing Association that mot on Wednesday to consider "What to do about it," Just when everything seemed rightfor a very succesful tourney, aud, right at the eleventh hour, came the crash. Murphy had failed to pass the. doctor! A pnlso olid a toinperaturo registering over a hundred each, duo to an attack of influenza—those were no attributes with which to face a Ilannan in. the ring, so » reluctant "Denny" was turned down by the association's medical man. "Undoing" the Advertising. Ahd then Mr. Talbot, tho B.A. secretary, got busy. Ho had to. There was just time to get in an advertisement advising the postponement as soon as this step was decided upon. Placards had to l>e printed,' and tho whole work of undoing a fortnight's advertising fixed up in an hour or so. In tho main this was dono. By seven o'clock the alteration yrns fairly well known, but there were still quito a number of very disappointed would-be patrons who were turned eadly away from the Town Hall by tho placards on the pillars. The association is to be sympathised with. The initial outlay of such a meeting is heavy, and, on this occasion, extra, expenditure had been entered into to get good preliminaries—both Peogelly and Havill having been imported., Still it is to bo hoped that the Murphy-Hannan. affair is only postponed—hot abandoned— and that, when it does come off, public support will, in a measure, compensate for the present disappointment. The Established Caosar— Langford. "Sam" Langford has now fairly proved his superiority over his coloured brother ll'Vea, and it is to be hoped that the match in , Sydney last Saturday will be the last of the series. It is the fourth— Langford's score being two wins, a draw, and a loss. Evidently this battle was a repetition of the last on<^—the ' smaller "Sam" forcing the fighting; and so gradually running up a total of points sufficient to out-score those gained by M'Vea for his defensive work and general shiftiness. Langford will now presumably be kept in Australia, against the advent of "Joe" Jeannotte, whose coming seems fairly certain. More than this cannot bo said with safety about tiie movements of ( any 6f that capricious brotherhood—the champion ' and "near-champion" pugilistic brigade. Then, apparently, the survivor of tho Langford-Jeaitnette dash is to be sent against "Jack" Johnson ic Australia of course, to the usual proviso —"unless the champion changes his mind," or, rather, to be more precise, provided that tho cycle of changes which the champion's "mind" will undergo in the meantime brings it round to the point of view in which he existed and had his being when last heard from by Mr. H. D. M'lntosh. The Man with the Poor Name, but the Good Punch. Apropos of the M'lntosh engagements, it is now 6tated that the promoter has secured "Packey" M'Farland. The great little Chicagoan will need ho introduction to readers of this column, and if the report proves correot, the Australians are in for a treat—especially as Hughie Mehegan should have returned from his American trip (rich in fighting lore if not in- dollars), in time to hitch up with the American light-weight. M'Farland is admittedly the cleverest man in the business to-day, "and the importation of one such Stylist will do more to improve Australian boxing than the exploitation of a hundred "heavies" ot tho "Jim" Barry and "Porky" Flynn type. Nathless. It must not be understood that "Mercury" is under tho impression that Mr. M'lntosh is labouring solely for the good of Australian boxing, and the Australian boxer. It just happens that way this time; that is .ill. Very Interesting Visitor calls on "Mercury." During the week "Mercury" received a call from an interesting pereonality in American boxing circles—Mr. W. J. ("Billy") Hart. Tho visitor hails originally from Salt Lake City (Utah), but • for many years had his headquarters in San Francisco, wherS ho was, both privately and officially, in close contact with all the big men in the pugilistic public eye.

Afr. Hart claims to have enjoyed close acquaintanceship with such old-time heroes as Peter Jaokson, J. M'Auliffe, "Kid" M'Coy, "Joe" Choyriski, "Jim" Corbett," the great "John L.," "Bob" Fitzsimmons, and Co., and most of the later generation, headed by the late lamented Stanley Ketchell, also "Battling" Nelson. "Ad." Wolgast, "Packy" M'Farland, and others of the present "topnotcners." Naturally he was full of "ancient saws and modern instances," nnd has a fund oi pugilistic reminiscences of great and peculiar variety, and he should know 'whereof ho epeaks, sinco his information, ho claims, comes from the inside, and has boon gained through long years of refereeing in some of tho most important couteste fought in the States. In the list -which he gave "Mercury" oi tho battles in which ho officiated as the third man in the ring, there are the following, selected at random:— • : "Jack" Johnston v. "Joo" Choyneki, when tho present champion was knocked out in the third round, back in 1900. ' Marvin Hart v. "Jack" Hoot. "Kid" M'Koy v. "Tom" Sharkey. Marvin Hart v. "Tommy" Ryan. "Bob" Fitzsimmons v. Peter Maher. "Jack" O'Brien v. Marvin. Hart. Among the smaller men, but perhaps not lessor lights, Mr, Hart controlled the destinies for the time being of "Packcy" M'Farland v. "Harlem Tommy" Murphy; "Ad." Wolgast v. "Spider" Kelly; "Joe" Gans v. "Young Corbett," and so on through a formidable list of names that are as household words to followers of the gentle art. Hβ was in that Fatal Ring at Reno. Questioned concerning more recent ovents, "Mercury's" informant had much to say of interest. He wae present on that fatal day, July i, 1910, at Reno, and states that ho. left the ringside—of which, by the \vay, he has photographs showing himself, cheek by jowl, with tho old-time gladiators, who hod come together from tho four comers of the fistic universe for that eorry occasion—a wiser and a very much poorer mna. No Light for the White Race at Present. In the present heavy-weight situation, Mr. Hart eau see no light for the white race. Iu all tho aspirant , . , to championship honours he can see no grace, save possibly in one ease. Tho "xception is Luther M'Carthy, \vho recently pot himself taken notice of through badly-beaten big Carl Morris. According to tho veteran, M'Carthy has been fighting round the "smalls for years, although even now well under 25 years of age. He appears to have all the qualifications—stands Cft. 2in., and scales 2171b.; just over 15st., and game throughout. Ho was born at Shnwnoe in the Indian Territory, and his parentage is peculiar, his father being Irish and his mother a Cherokee Indian squaw— which certainly sounds like a good lighting combination. Of "Packoy" MTarland, Mr. Ilart eauuot speak too highly. Ho stales that it is the best thing in the world for "Ad." Wolgast that MTarland cannot moke the flst. Tib. required in America fur lightweights, or he would hold his title no longer then it would tnkc I lie Chicago boy to ask him tor it. Another boxor for whom he plump.-j heuvily is "Johnny" Conlon, the bantam 'champion, whom Mr. llnrt describes a< invincible. Of the "middles," he thinks "Mike" Sullivan, one of the twins of (hat ilk. the best, but there is a doubt as to his weight, while the others, Klaus, Gibbons, Lewis, and Co. aro much of a muchne>s. Coming Events. On August 21, at Palinerslou North, Pelcr Cook, who late vanquished "Alf." Gnult in Auckland, is meat ing "Lcn" Porter, and tlic winner is to Ik matched with Billy' Hanjiaa for a. September fixture

by the Wellington 8.0. For October the local executive i 6 endeavouring to securo J-'tMk Fitzjohn, of Sydney, who beat isilly Elliott here last season, ae an opponent for J. Hegar'ty in his division.