IN THE RING.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1782, 21 June 1913, Page 12

IN THE RING.

IBY "Heecdet.'U

HOCK KEYS IN WELLINGTON. FIXTURES. t u i t 3—Hock Keys v. J. Hagerty, Town Hall. Arrival Here After Seven Years. After a lapse of somo seven JW "Hock"—or, to give him his full baptismal names George Arthur—Keys is with us again. Thoso of our boxing public who saw him in action during Ins nrevious engagement to the local association against Tim Tracy, or m his training work with Alec Dunn, his sparring partner on that occasion, will lind satisfaction in this intelligence. Prom reports received from Australia, Keys is one ot tho favoured few whom (to make a gricvious misquotation) "age cannot wither nor custom stale thoir inhnito variety. Ho loolcsi fit and well, and admits to a confidence in his ability to put up a really good "go" on July 3. This confidence is lii no way belied by his appearanoe. His Present Manager. It will be remembered that, since his last appearance here, tho Australian crack made a boxing tour of America. Ho was "managed" in that trip by Mr. Mark Golden, and has been fortunate enough to securo the services of tho same gentleman for tho present tour. Thiß is to l>s no fleeting visit if sufficient inducement offers to keep Keys in tho Dominion. Provided there is sufficient demand for his services, he purposes staying threo months or so, His Age and History. Since his present importation was mooted, "Mercury" has received several inquiries as to the age of our visitor. Ho was born at Hillston. in Now South Wales on January 20, 1880, so is now just over 33 years of age. He won his first battlo in September, 1905, and battled his way steadily to the top of tho Australasian ladder, eventually holding the lijfht-wcight championship. His "come back' performance during this present year will bo too fresh in tho minds of tho readers of this 1 column to require, recapitulation. He has been sont by the Stadium man- ' agement against tho best of the Australian ' and visiting foreign light-weights, which ! should bo sutiiciont proof that his present form is no make-believe. His latest engagement of note was his twenty rounds with Harry Stono two months ago. He was beaten by tho American, but the sting 1 has since been taken out of this defeat ' by Stone's subsequent victory oyer Johnny | Summers, the English champion welter- ' weight.

Great News—Summers May Box Here. Apropos of Johnny Summers, Keys states that the Englishman's contract with tho Stadium proprietory has expired. E. L. Baker guaranteed him five matches at ,£l5O per match, so that, unless he is signed on again, lie is now a looso end. If no further business turns up he will shortly be leaving for Homo. 'Our visitor is of opinion that Summers would seriously consider an offer to bos in the Dominion, and he is borne out in this by a letter which oame to hand by the week's mail from the cx-Manawatu boxer "Billy" Shields. In this epistlo Shields, acting on Summers's behalf, has asked tho Wellington Association what terms it would offer the Englishman for a contest with any lOst. or lOfcst. man in New Zealand. He states that Summers can make lOst. with ease. This looks like a chance foil a really big thing for the association. How about a Summers-Keys match in tho Town Hall? True, it would be an expensive affair to stage,'but, oven then, the venture should be quite within the region of practical finance. Even if Summers were guaranteed <£100 for his end, tho thing, could be done. Such a match would be far and away the biggest affair staged here. The chance is bound to suggest itself to the association as being altogether too good to let slip, and probably by the time that this appears, in print a letter opening up negotiations will bo on its way to Sydney.

Disqualified for Life. 1 ' Last week it was reported in this column that tho Wanganui Association had disqualified Len Porter for life for cause," and had written the council ot the N.Z.B.A. asking for its endorsement of the sentence. The council met on June 11, and in the report of the proceedings in the Christchurch papers appears the following:— ,

The Wanganui Association forwarded the evidence taken in a case against a professional, end his reply thereto, 'i'lie association, considered, that tlie caso was proved; that it was in the interests of the sport that the person referred to should be debarred from any longer being associated with boxing in the Dominion; and asked that this decision should receive the endorsement of the oouncil. It was agreed to endorso the disqualification. Although no names are mentioned, it is apparent that this is the Porter case, so it would appear that the light-weight champion's day is over so far as New Zealand is concerned. What Did Porter Do? Porter's oifence, so far as can be gathered, is that ho accused the Wanganui Association by letter of having: been a party to the decision given against him by the referee on the occasion, of his defeat by Lyn Truscott. He _ practically accusod the controlling body", in short, of conspiring to defraud him of the verdict and the winning end of tho purse. Naturally enough this allegation was deemed too serious to be ignored, hence the association's rigorous action. The sentence passed on Porter is drastio to a degree, and, without the exact circumstances of the case before me, it is impossible to express ajt. opinion as to, whether it is justified or not. . It means that if Porter desires to stay in the boxing gamo, lie must leave New Zealand, amd, in any case, it means the forfeiture of his championship title, which reverts to its former holder, "Jim Hageirty. The disqualified boxer ,is not one to take such a judgment lying down, so we may be prepared to hear more or the matter, if only in the shape of an appeal. How Stagg Mopped up Picato. The last Stadium fixture of note reported in, the Australian mail was the "international" between Prank Picato, of America, and "Sid" Stagg, of England. Stagg was beaten Borne little while baclc by P. Bradley, by a knock-out in the thirteenth round, but it is very evident from his latest achievement that lie had not then been, lomg enough ashore to have struck form. , On the occasion under review, ne not only brat Picato, but outpointed him all the way with tho utmost ease, and in such a finished manner that the Australian roports unanimously hail him as a boxing marvel. The "Referee expert classes him with J. Clabby as being the cleverest boxer imported to date by tne Stadium management. Graphic Story of the Affair. The "Bulletin" describes thei contest in its own way, and as it shows how completely the Englishman) alternately smote and nonplussed his hard-fighting adversary, this journal's report is selected tor reproduction. It runs:— The fight between "Sid" Stwg, of London, and Picato, of the U.S., .at Sydney Stadium,-was mainly a matter of statistics. Stagg hit Picato on the nose, by the agoncy of a peerless "straight left," 1752 times. Picato missed Stagg's jaw 11 o tlnleß *J° u r for twenty rounds. Sometimes no missed it as often as 20 times a round. While engaged in eluding his persevering enemy Stagg ran 41 miles; or close on a quarter of a mile per The words, "Get m and fight, Picato, were howled from tho ringside, py persons totally unacquainted tfith tlio strenuous Yankee pugilist four times a minute for as long as the contest lasted-which is to ray, for 60 The advice was well-meaning, but unnecessary, since Picato was always getting in and fighting; or, at an) remarks w.oto passed onoe or oftener bv every member ot tho crowd of 10,000, or thereabouts, ' that wore present: Stagg is a pretty : boxer, but ho has 110 punch ; Picato 1 is a gamo lad. but as slow as a worm. Congestion of the Itushcutter Bay tramway scrvico sot m punctually, at i 10 p.m. The writer nearly forgot to i mention that Stagg was declared the winner

No Will, and Consequently No "Wol(jh." Tho world's championship rn&tch for tho liffht-weight title, Ixstwcon "Willie' Rntchio and "Joo" Hivora, ho1i«1m1oc1 for July im Ban Francinoo, linn Wn declared "off." Tho questionooff f wafl tlio rock upon which tlio ncKolifttiona wcro wreckcd. The cluirnpion# Kitchie, hold out for a in tho morning, and tho opposing party dnrnandod (bat t-hiu all-dmportnlnt operation fthoithl bo Informed at a timo not prior to two houra beforo tho contest. Neither *ido would givo way, bo tho affair foll ( through. This will not add to Ritchio'fl fa<*t waning popularity. Tfiß would-bofoernon and flomo of tho American Hporlinjc whUth liavo inndo soino vory trenchant remarks about his nfifility on f;idc-«topping BoriouH matchos. Thin look.t vory liko another enso in point. Jlnd Kitchio been koon on tho battlo, tho chance aro that tho woir!)-in#-in busi.nnHs would not havo boon found i/nHurinounta-blo. In short, had thcro been I a will tlicro would havo been a ' weigh. Stadium Struggles. Tho Stadium match' for last 1 week, of which wo aro fltill awaiting nowflj lay between Iferbert M'Goy and "Joo' iliiAsell. This was tho first timo that tho feather-woight champion has fought away from his native JJrmbane, and js a roturn." Thoy inct about a month when M'Coy won on a knock-out. f JV nipht's fixturo \h between tho two Lnfflish. wlfcer.s, "Sid" Bums and "Johnny Summers. Australasian Championships. It is proposed to hold th© f Australasian amateur championships, which arc to bo oonducted this yoar by the N.Z.B.A. in Dunodin on Soptomber 22 and providing these dates suit tho convenience of tho Australian associations.