IN THE RING.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1716, 5 April 1913, Page 12

IN THE RING.

(By "Mercury.") STADIUM'S STIRRING TIMES. What time Herbert H'Coy, Jack Read, anil Dock Keys and Co. were busy at the Stadium in Sydney settling in a manner ei.tertaining to ine public and profitable to the Stadium proprietary and themselves tho question ot the resident lignt-iveight supremacy of Australia, tiiero was a boxer building up si record in the West that was bringing him rapidly into lino with the crack ten-stoners. This was one Alf. Morey, liglit-weigiit champion 'of Western Australia. At times Morey's light siione with but fitful brilliance, but even when beaten his showings gave evidence of a deal of talent that needed only experience to develop it thoroughly. Kecently, Morey, like young Lochinvar, camo out of tho West, and journeyed to Brisbane. There ho defeated Arthur Douglas, and, though beaten, put up a clinking twenty' rounds against Frank Thorn. These perlormances, on top of his good showing against Frank Picato in his debut at tho Stadium a few. Saturday nights ago, threw him sufficiently into the limelight for a match'for the resident light-weight title with the holder, Jack Kead. The bout eventuated on Saturday week, when twenty rounds of fast exhilarating work saw ttie Westralian emerge from the encounter with the championship, and, Incidentally, tho big end of: the purse. Stirring battles have been tho rule at the Sydney Stadium lately, and. Mr. "Snowy" Baker must bo a. happy, if a busy man, nowadays. On Monday, March 25, ah enormous crowd assembled at the big arena to witness tho first appearar.ee during the present visit of Johnny Summers, the welter-weight champion -of England, and holder of tho Lonsaalo belt in that class. Opposed, to him was Frank Picato, tho Italian-American light-weight, whoso Australian performances liavo shown him to be a tough and vimful lighter, jif not a particularly skilful boxer. Tike resulting argument is described by the Sydney press as ranking with tho best of tho many good contests seen at tho Stadium. Summiirs Beats Picato. The boxers weighed-in Summers 9st. 12Jlb. (a very light welter champion), and Picato lOst. Bight from the gong the bout waged at racing speed.- Picato, in his stylo, set about forcing- the pace to his utmost, and tho Englishman responded in kind, and. so tho battle raged at fever heat until the end of tho twelfth round. At tliis timo Summers, by virtue of his clever boxing, was slightly in the lead, but tho issue was still , very open. The 13th round 1 was the only slow ono of tho contcst. The fierce clip was telling its story on both men, and apparently •neither was desirous of taking chances during; this the "fatal thirteenth." Then things livened up again. Summers won tho 14th and 15th, tho lGth out even, and then camo Picato with a rush. Tho. points of tho 17th and 18th wero his by a big margin. It appeared as though his spurt would run him out a winner. He was undoubtedly the stronger at tho time, and Summers was evincing an anxiety to clinch at every opportunity that was causing his friends some perturbation. The 19th saw the enormous crowd on tip-toe. with expectation. It also saw tho end of the battle. Summers twice , downed Picato, and on . the second occasion tho referee reached the count of four, when ho noticed Picato fall back in his attempt to rise, and immediately pointed to Summers as tho winner. Boxerii We Wot Of. ; Last Saturday night "Billy" Wenand, our. ex-amateur feather champion, was scheduled to appear at tho Stadium in opposition to George Taylor, of Victoria. Other boxers well' known in Wellington more or less in the public eyo in Australia aro Alf. Gault and "Billy" Elliott, who a.ro now basking in reflected glory through being on the Johnny Summers' training staff as sparring partners,'"Jack" Clark, Who was knocked out in the 12th. round by "Pat" Bradley at the Stadium, in a midrweek fixture, and "Billy" Shields, who lraxed a ten-round draw with ono "Jack" Leslie, as a preliminary to a bout of minor importance between A. Tierney and I'. Freeman. i On American Methods. Tho next of the English visitors now in Sydney under engagement to "Snowy" Baker to figure in public is the "feather" "Boyo" Driscoll, who is to meet tho clever little Victorian Charles Simpson. Driscoll is much travelled as a boxer. He hits mado lour tours through "The States." and is a firm bolicvor in the much-questioned American ring style. On tins subject he expressed himseh' in the following terms to an Australian interviewer:—"When I Wasn't used to the American methods, I tell you they hurt me a good deal when 1 was learning. Do you shako hands here iu the last round? Wo do in England. In America I went .up to the other man in the last round to shake hitnds, and he gavo me a clout that put mc down for nine seconds. They broke my nose, and gave me this ear (it was a present from Willie Kitohie), and 1 got a lot of new gold teeth. But I came to believe in their style the one to make you the best lighter. lam quite .willing lo go under the English rules or tho Australian, as I can box in tho English style, too. But for developing the real quick fighter, give me the American rules." For his own sake, it is to bo hoped that the visitor will not allow his predel'lction for the tricks that are vain, for which the American boxer is peculiar, to be too pronounced, for these winning little ways, shown in all (heir glory by Pauke and Co., do not make either for popularity or profit in Australia just now. A Good Year. From the Hawke's Bay A.B.A. conies a copy of its fifth annual report and bal-ance-sheet. The past year lias been a profitable one. The committee started with e, deficit, but is now able to report; ii balance to the good of some ,£SO, speaking testimony to the energy and ability oT tho association secretary, Mr. A. 1?o3enberg, and his executive. Four tourneys wero held during tho season, tho local championships, and tho ThomasMitchell, Hcgarty-Porter, and HegartyTruscctt professional contests, to tho success of which tho association owes its present sound position.