IN THE RING.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1788, 28 June 1913, Page 12

IN THE RING.

IBT "MERCUBT.'U GLIMPSE OF KEYS AT WORK. His Daily Training Here. Tho training operations of Hock Keys Imvo been followed with the keenest interest by the boxing fraternity in town. Our visitor is putting the finishing touches on his preparations in "Tim" Tracy's gymnasium, under tho supervision of Mr. Mark Golden, his managertrainer, and "miide, • philosopher, and friend" generally. One notices. that tliero is always a good "house." Enthusiasts somehow manage to ba on hand between tho hours of throe and four p.m. daily. The proceedings take just about an hour, and consist of a tlvreo or fourround bout should a sparring partner bo available, skipping, ball punching, and wrestling, tho latter consisting of a bout of. "pullcy-hauley" work with tho hainor, the intention of the "rough up" being to tone Keys for close work in tie ring. Some of his Sparring Partners. Mr. Golden reports his charge as being thoroughly fit—quite as much so, he tola the winter, as he was during his previous visit here. It is one trouble lies in the shortage of opponents in liis training Spain. Unfortunately Frank Ellis, who would have been very useful in this respect, has been out of action lately through indisposition. However,. early in- tho week "Tim" Tracy peeled off. and took the Australian over three or four rounds at a 6mart clip, in which our ex-champion showed emphatically that there is a, "kick in the old horso yet." . '"lWimy" I'hompsoni too, has been useful in two or three willing "work outs," and his form has earn ed the good opinion of Keys, who thinks that, with moro experience, the fair; headed one should bo heard of. Another sparring partner of whom Keys thinks well ib E. Stewart, the Victoria College l'ight-weight, with whom lio boxed a "flirefe-rounde'r" at tlve college "gym" on Tuesday evening. On this occasion Stewart certainly did show up well. Ho should be a very valuable member of ■ tho Wellington team at the New Zealand championships at Timaru next month. His Fodman, Hagerty. As for Hagerty, lie does not arrive until this morning, and no word has como to hand about Ills training, but it can be relied upon that lie will be "cherry ripe" by July 3. He knows that this is his big opportunity, and be will make tho most of it. For some time past he has been wanting to get Sydney to try his luck among the first-flightersi and, if his can arrive there with a verdict over Keys as a passport, he would find no difficulty in getting a start. What Chanco Has Hagerty? As for Hagerty's chances of attaining this end, ft must be admitted that he has a big hurdle to surmount. On his Bide he has ambition, youth, vigour, etui-a-bility, and a very fair degree of boxing ability, all backed by a. good punch in each hand. Against liim is a very high standard of scientific boxing, and the wise head of one of the craftiest ring feeiusrals of the Australasian ring, and— this' is importeiit—the "moral effoot that tho knowledge of these facts carries with it. llis saving grace would seem to lie in tho fact that Keys is "ally" of a punch, or rather of that peculiar quality of punbh that wins contests by- the knockout route. It will be Arduous for Hbgerty. In order to win, Hagerty must get in close, and stop there. He will have to keep on top of his man all the time, or Ills will be cut up by degrees at long range. And he must not bo persuaded into lenilirig at Keys. Lyn Truscott outgeneralled him in this respect, and so will Keys unless ho is very circumspect in this ■ particular. The veteran will feint and baulk, as ho knows so well how to do, and, should Hagerty get leading out of distance, ho will bo caught off his balance, and down will go the points to Keys. Whoever has charge of Hogerty's corner on the convincing night) will have a responsiblo post, for this. will be a battle in which leadership is going to count more thau a good deal. ■ / A Narriw Escape. A recent American cablegram published in Sydney runs thus:— Vancouver, June 15. "Jinuuy" Clabby earned the decision, ovor "Eddie" M'Goorty at Butte, Montana, yesterday, after twelve rounds of last fighting. In the first round -M'Goorty almostknocked Clabby out. Clabby twice went to the iloor, and stayed there for nine seconds each time. However, he was awarded the decision owing to liia superiority at in-fighting, and his aggressiveness. Clabby will be well remembered from his Australian tour, and M'Goorty,. of course, is the gladiator who . knocked "Dare" Smith, out in one round, ahd also performed tho saulo operation, on "Jack" Harrison, the English middleweight champion. Apparently he very nearly succeeded in the contest . under notice. The methods of "Eddie" M'Gcbrty must be somewhat sudden. A Sudden Person—Herbert M'Coy. "Knock-outs conducted with heatness and dispatch" can be added to Herbert Al Coy's sigu-board now, judging from the results ot his two last clashes. with •Joe ltuasell, tho Australian "leather" champion. The first of their tlirco meetings was won. oil points by M'Coy. . Tho second occurred a lew weeks back at Brisbane, wlieu, alter establishing a substantial points lead, Russell was Knocked out ill tne third round. Un Saturday week the third meeting took place at the btadium, aild as (despite llis great reputation as' a leatherweight) Russell is personally unknown to a fcydilry light audience, and also on the strength ol liis 1 receiit wiu over iiai-ry Stone, a great crowd assembled to see him lace M'Coy again. A sensational contest was oxpecti-d of the boxersj and "they delivered tile goods." At least, M'Coy did.. lie filled the order iu quick time, too, for tho contest lasted oiuy 'it seconds. This sudden fiuish and the manner thereof are described in the "lieferce" iu these terms: To give an idea offc tho speed at which the contest was waged, it may be mentioned that M'Coy met his opponent within a yard or two of tno latter's corner, and at once shot out a left, irom which Russell backlnovetl. M'Coy followed up, and witli lett to tho nose, and then another of that sort; each being countered by rights in the body. M'Coy next landed a light left on tho face, auu then almost simultaneously came a right swing, which dazed the Qucenslandcr so severely that lie knew not how a right upporcitt caught him on the chin, and put him down and out for a much longer time than tho ten seconds' allowance. Russell has certainly made a bad start as a- light-weight. He still holds tho feather title, but finds trouble in keeping under the 9st. limit. He will now wish, perhaps, that h(i had Kept in tho smaller class. Of course, n certain amount of hard luck always attends a sudden knock-out, but, apparently, he is not husky enough for the M'Coy class of boxer. The Spectators—Jsl for 37 Seconds. The bad luck already mentioned is not altogether confined to the beaten boxer in these cases. Tho "house" also participates. And 1 liis is very much the rase when (as is the practice at tho stadium), no preliminaries are staged. Tho feelings of the enthusiast who has paid his £1 for a reserved seat for a contest lasting 37 scconds can be better imagined

than described. The subject is too painful to dwell upon at length. As Others Sen Us. Says tho "Referee" on a recent happening at Pahintuai—Tho Fact tliat Tom M Grntli, tlio Noivtoivn light-heavy-weight, cut even with Ireland in a 15round bout does not speak highly of New Zealand's present champlonship'fcrni. Summers and Burns. During tiie week tho cables advised that at tho Sydney Stadium last Saturday, Johnny Summers liod defeated Sid Hums on points in a 20-rouud contest for tho welter-weight championship of the British Empire. The winner is tho champion ot England in the welter class, and is' consequently tho holder of tho Lonsdale Belt, symbolic of tho championship. Jlr. Baker wroto the National Sporting Club, London, asking that this belt and the English title might bo thrown in to the scale for Saturday's contest, but the London body quite reasonably declined to permit the .belt to be competed for except under its direction. Tho men have met twico previously, and each has n victory, the second going to Summers on points, as in the present ease. Tho result is almost of world-wide interest, and, in England, at any rate, it will be looked for with much eagerness, as Summers is very popular in the Old Country, and is considered by many to be the best in the world in his class. A Point of Interest. The trouble about the settlement of this view is that the welter-weight limit varies so much. In America it is lOst. 21b., in England lOst. Gib., niid Tn Australia lOst. 91b. It is thus possible for each of these countries to possess a world's champion unrecognised in the other parts of the globe. Tho position is a ridiculous one, and adds another to tho alreadv long list of reasons why there should 1)6 an international scale of weights for cham-, pionships in all classes.