IN THE RING.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1593, 9 November 1912, Page 12

IN THE RING.

—__4 [B* ''Mebouet."J

i, ERCOLE DE BALZAC-A FURY. i — A Terrible Son of La Belle France. The southerly fury of last Saturday week is explained by the latest advices whioh have arrived from Sydney; and it ivould appear that our gale was but a gentle summer breeze in comparison with ■that which raged at tho Sydney Stadium that uiglit. One Ercolo do Balzac, of France, forgetting his nation's reputation for politeness, storined away at Reg. Midwood 'midst the noises and hoots of some three thousand spectators, the frantio appeals of a bewildered referee, the despair of an interpreter, who had to bo summoned to the referee's assistance, and the wrath of tha police. From the opening of tho first i round Do Balzac tore into his work as wildly as his illustrious namesake did in the early hours of mornings long years ago, when produoing, for the-world's edification, those novels that have made him famous for all time. But surely, as a human whirlwind, the illustrious .Honore of the past was a mere circumstance alongside the modern Ercoie, n'ho, on the occasion under review, smote his antagonist hip and thigh' with hand, and—in an emergency—with head as well.. He sent tho atmosphere swirling away in gigantic waves; he loosened Bedlam; in plain Englißh, ho."just bolted." And thero was no holding him. For eight rounds Reg. Midwood bore up bravely, handing;an occasional one back in between times, but, in general, suffering from the heavy guns of one whoso talent is undoubtedly, wasted out here. A division of De Balzacs would no doubt have ended the Balkan-Turkish war ere this. '. ■ Finally; Referee Scott gave tp trying to • interpret tho Queensbury.' rules as laid down by the Frenchman, and ended tho difficulty by disqualifying him. Had tho battle been allowed to proceed to the end they would 'no doubt still be looking for the.ohaotic ruins of Midwood, and those of the Frenchman, too, unlaws his fury had proved too much for the howling thousands who would surely have fallen on him. Would a '£2000 Forfeit Keep Papke Straight? . Judging by cabled accounts, Papke was engaged on his old disreputable tactics in. his affray with Carpentier. The Yankee bargains to enter the ring ■ at a certain weight under pain-of forfeiting a sum of some ,£l5O or .£2OO. In ,an important match, when the stake is large, and. the betting heavy, the loss of this forfeit is as nothing compared with the money that will come tohim by winning. His'opponents come into the ring fined down to draw-the weight, and, ccnsequentiy, in most cases, -deprived of some measure of their physical strength and endurance. Mr. Papke suffers no such handicap, and the moral effect of this knowledge,must alone tell on his opponents. .■""'' Those who fight Papke at a.fixed weight should insist on a forfeit of about '.£2OOO, but the chances are that our American friend would find; it "worth his'.while to forfeit even that. ■■'■.'. Who Is the World's Middle-weight? Very amusing is the news that Carpentier, having decided to forsake the class, the middle-weight title goes to Papke; What'about Klaus? And what abuut H'Goorty? And, finally, what about tho., middle-weight limit which has bested Papke-every time they have . come to grips? • , It is doubtful if any middle-weight of class can lay any claim to the title, Papke, Klaus, and M'Goorty would all find it the heaviest contract whioh ever entered into if-they tried to make list. 4lb. And, .after them, who is there? Only that misnamed "Cyclone" Thorny son, and "Dave" Smith, and "Dave" Smith has not for many .along day. .'. Prospective Match Between Johnson and, .."Old Father Time." The fall of Rome was not greater than another fall that has just happened, and the celebrated rooster's wail that "to-day we're eggs and to-morrow feather-dusters" must be running through l Champion Jock Johnson's mind at the present time. The charge against him of abduction is being ventilated in the Courts with that sordid, detail and general public clamour so characteristic of the amazing American race. The end of it all will probably, be a victory for the white .race at-last, for, if the accounts cabled are fully true, the champion is certain of a contest.against "Old Father Tiriie" that will probably last'at least ten years. And the scene of the conflict will be a United States prison.. Were "Mercury" anything of a philosopher he might moralise a little • bit on the situation, but will content himself with pointing out the old maxim-that, to every action there is an equal, and opposite reaction, and, to Johnson's fast going of the last-few years there appears a very-likely reaction of a lengthy period of standing still. " . How are the mighty fallen! And it is generally themselves, and not their enemies, who achieve it. Which is Chief Bantam? "Terry" M'Govern was bantam champion of the world. After him came Harry .Forbes, who, lost the title to' "Frankie ' Neil, who lost it to "Joe" Bowker, who was beaten by Frenchman Ledeust, who now claims the title. Meanwhile it is cabled that "one 'Kid' Williams defeated 'Johnny' Conlon in a ten-rounds bout at Now T£ oris on October 18, arid so won the bantam supremacy of the world." ', Which is it? A satisfactory way of settling the argument would be a match between the two. So the Frenchman evidently thinks, for he has sailed for America with the object of meeting Conlon. Keys and M'Coy, ■ "Hock" Keys and Herbert M'Coy will meet again next Wednesday. It will be a record crowd that-will witness the battle, which should be a splendid exhibition of the noble part of the art.