IN THE RING.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1545, 14 September 1912, Page 12

IN THE RING.

[Bγ "Mercubt."] THE DOWNING OF PAUL TIL, Monday.—Hegarty v. Burns, Opera House. October 2.—Truscott v. Murphy, Town Hull. Sydney Band Plays the "Marseillaise" for Paul. The second of the "internationals" now in eos-sion in Sydney lias resulted in another victory for the Southern Cross.-Last time it was the'"Stars and Stripes" that were lowered; on this occasion it was tho Tricolour of I'rnnco that was struck. Then it was "Bill" ltudd who carried tho Australian colours to victory against. Krnost Zanders; now it has to bo chronicled how Herbert ("Kid") Jl'Coy followed this very good example by forcing Paul Til, ot .France, to cry "Hold! Enough!" The international eido of tho contest was made much of. Tho entrance of the glfldintors was heralded by national airs from a baud—"Advance, Australia," for M'Coy, and of course "The Jlarteillaiso" for Til—an innovation which comes in for some gentle banter from "Tho Daily Telegraph," which journal, despite Mr. Speaker Willis's disciplinary treatment, is still capable of assuming an. air of lovity towards Hme-hoaourcd institutions. Thus tho "Telegraph" on the musical entry: Tho band struck up a new tune as the boxers climbed through the ropes. It was a selection, in honour of tho Australian. "Why the deuco are they, playing 'Tho Star Spangled Banner , ? inquired a mystified listener. "There's nothing" said another frontseater, "to stir you up Jike "Rule Britannia.' It's a grand old tune. Hurrah."

"Rats," ejaculated his companion, "don't you know 'The Death of Nelson' when you hear it?" "I'll bet a dollar, and leave it to 'Whiskers' (an irreverent nicknamegiven to (he band conductor) to settle it. that it's 'Hearts of Oak' they're playing," was another opinion given. However, there was no doubt about the next tune. As the strains of "The Marseillaise," the French national anthem, reng out, the crowd saw no incongruity in kilted Highlanders playing- it, Paul Til rose from his seat, and stood to attention like a soldier. Britishers all around the ring stood with bared heads, and then cheered. It was the dramatic moment of th<j night. What Happened to Paul When the Real Band Struck Up. The Toport of the actual engagement runs as follows:— Then Referee Scott explained to the boxers the New South Wales police rules. His language might have been Eskimo so far as the frenchman was concerned. But his principal second, "Sam" M'Vea, tho coloured American heavy-weight, acted as interpreter, and Til, with many nods and shrugs, intimated that he understood them perfectly. I Forthwith the business of the evening began. But it was not much of a fight. The visitor was always outpointed. The young Victorian vent at the hero of 200 contests as if he was as easy as eating green peas. Of the two he was quicker with his fists, and Til stopped a battery of light hits with his nose.. Not undaunted, he soon showed that he was a two-handed boxer, with plenty of vim behind ■ each punch j but it was soon manifest that he was up against n better, weightier, and more skilled man. M'Coy, with confidence radiating from his eyes, liko light from a street lamp in a fog, waded in with telling effect Ho was the. attacker in chief from the jump, nnd for a start always used a cat's-paw-like left which was never out of Til's face. The little Frenchman was game, but he had to break ground under the weight of the onslaught, and although ho enmo back lie was fighting something* that mostly wasn't there. Left hooks-, left jabs, 1 straight lefts,, right crosses, right body punches, and uppercuts wero all requisitioned to silence tho small bundle of fighting material in front of him, but because of M'Coy's clever footwork they mostly represented energy wasted. Til did score with a left hook to the body occasionally..but the blow landed too high —going under the armpit instead of to the ribs—to seriously incommodate M'Coy.

Early in the contest a dragging punch struck Monsieur Til's left eye. That punch hurt. The farther the contest went the more plain it became that the Frenchman, although making ft gallant effort against a superior man, was sure to be beaten on points. His supporters, however, clung to the hope that he might seenre a knockout. There wns a chance of this, for the pair mixed things freely. But at the end of tho ninth round Til limped to his corner, and before the time came for the tenth to commence his towel was thrown in, and M'Coy, who had not a mark on him, was declared the winner. Til explained afterwards that he had wrenched his ankle. It was just as well lift met with this mishap, for in all human probability he would have secured a very bad beating if he hod been able to continue.

Most of the other accounts run along these lines, except for minor differences. Thus several papere put tho cut on tho eye sustained by Til to an accidental butt from his opponertt. Th(> "Bulletin," however, strikes out on a lino of its own, and has a deal to say about M'Coy's allegedly foul work and roughing. The.-*? features appear to have been apparent solely to the "Bulletin" man. They lack corrobor,ation in this from the other papers, or from tho Til party. Monday Night's Clash at the Opera House, If portents hold good, Monday's clash at the Opera House between our feather, champion, "Jim" Hegarty, of Timani, and Theo. Burns, of Sydney, will bo worth watching. The issues at stake are the feather-weight title of the Dominion and a purse of .EGO, nnd it would take a prophet of parts to sort out tho victor. Theo, Burns—the Man we are to See, Our visitor, Theo. Burns, has been boxing with such of our local talent as has been available, and is in rare "fix," his one trouble being that he has not been nblc to find as many sparring partners as he would have liked. However, in the sparring that has come his way he has uliowu himself to be one of the fastest boxers yet imported by tho association, and, moreover, the possessor of a punch in either hand that commands the utmost ■respect. lie strips at about B*t. 101b., but loolls considerably heavier thmi this, beiug tail and of a rather "lathy , ' build. Conqueror in Twenty-five Battles, For the rest, his record tells a plain story. His battles already run to the respectablo totul of twenty-seven, of which he has lost but two,' and this all in the short space of under two years. Twelve months ago ho camo into prominence by winning an Bst. 41b. open tournament at Wonderland, Sydney, and on the strength of this success Hew at on'ce for higher game. In fact, he flew for championship honours at once, and, moreover, nearly "landed the goods," being beaten by n small margin by "Ted" Green, tlic holder of the tide, in a I'fll'ouiid contest lor the bantam championship of Australia. This was good going for (ho novice, ns Green is p-iierally classed us tho host Sst. ■111). ch(uu)iion yet produced "on the other side." Since Hum Burns has stacked up against all and sundry at his weight, and only met actual trouble on one other occasion. This time his conqueror was "Jimmy" Hill, who outpointed him over twenty rounds, but in which our visitor sustir.ned two broken ribs in the sixteenth, so cicfent was not disgrace. Two of his other battles wovo draws, (ho rest n= stated being ckan-cut wins. The Man who will Meet.Theo. Burns. "Jim" Ilegarty, the holder and defender of the title, although personally unknown to a local "housi-," is well known by reputation. His professional career has been short, and his record is small. It consists of two victories over Frank Ellis, of "ours," which is achievement enough in itself to stamp him as "extrn special.' , Ilis nmuleur record is long and honourable, and is unblemished by defeat as a "fwillicr." Xot only have New Zealand championships oorae hi? way—he \yns nt I he lime of his "going over" the holder of I au Australasian title, Hβ has been both.

Australasian and New Zealand champion in both the "feather" and light classes, and included in his record is a win from Allen Maxwell, of Taranaki. On the present occasion ho will have about half a 6tone tho better of the weights,/ and as ho is fast, aggressive, and clover, he can be relied upon to make the Australian show his beet poces. So with two boys of this class showing their l>est paces, there should indeed ba something to see.

Ilegarty, by tho way, is being matched by the Timaru Association with Porter, our present light-weight champion, for October 28, which is indication enough of the position which he holds in the estimation of his fellow townsmen. Astonishinrj Tidings Regarding "Dave" Smith. While tho Australians are holding their end up in their own soil so well, it is to lie regretted that there is diro disaster to chronicle to her aims abroad. This is no less than that "Dave" Smith has met. with ignominious defeat in his lirst cssivy on American soil. Tho suddenness of tho news added considerably to tho ehock, as it was not oven known in Australia that Smith was in America. Hβ was supposed to have been nursing a badly-cut loot in Unhand, preparatory to a meeting in Liverpool with one Jerry Thompson, The Fighting Fisherman," at tho end of last month, so the whole affair seems dccidclly puzzling. Even if Smith had got his foot right It is hard to believe, how ho could have got into condition enough for a 'hard fight at such short notice—for it was a hard fight iu which he was engaged— his opponent being no less than Eddio M'Goorty—a boxer looked upon as ono of the world's forefront "middles." However, there it is. Smith was knocked out half-way through the first round. Particulars of the disaster reached Sydney by cablegram last week, and show that M'Goorty caught Smith napping in a clinch with a left—a punch that, although it was not the actual deciding factor, dropped him and [Virtually finished the affair. The cabled summing-up runs: The contest was a Utterly disappointing one to those who had looked to Smith to make good, for the Australian, instead of compelling M'Goorty to move all the way, proved an easy victim, and was dead to tho world when the referee intervened exactly lmin. ifTsec. after the gong clanged for the opening round. : Smith never looked liko having a chance, and although he was not marked or badly punished the two blows that knocked him off his feet had plenty of powder in them, and Eut him in such a condition that had o survived tho second he must have been down again and out ere tho round had concluded. It is a long time since a fight crowd received such a rude sliock, and had their calculations ro ba,dly upset, as was tho case last night, and the opinion this morning is that promoters will be dubious about giving Smith further matches until ho lias fought his way up again. • It is evidently another instance of. a boxer foreign to American ring methods going down before the "all-in-protcct-yourself-ut-all-times" tactics tolerated in the States. Still, although Australians may find solace in this explanation, poor Smith's misfortune will strike a sad Mow abroad at the prestige of Australian boxing.