IN THE RING.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1854, 13 September 1913, Page 14

IN THE RING.

[Bt "Mebc[;et."] HOW HOCK KEYS SUMS US UP. September 22 and 23.—Australasian Championship, Dunedin. Redoubtables Meet To-night. Plenty of interest will thicken round tho aifray at the Stadium to-night. It has long boon watched for, and it has come. Dave Smith is to meet a man who is the owner of a punch that hurts —he is to meet Pat Bradley. So far as tho present Sydney boxing season has gone, each man lias beefi unconquerable. Smith has more than recovered the form which lie lost on his American trip, and has fought himself to tho top of tho light-heavyweight ladder. _ Bradley started among the lesser _ weights, and has figured with distinction.' He has "knocked" every man put against him, and, what is moro, has done it in quick time. Homerlo Struggle Likely. The disparity between the two lies in their physique. Smith has a pull in height, reach, and weight, although the last advantage is not so pronounced as when the match ■ was first mooted. At latest advices Bradloy expects to weigh in at between list, and list. 41b. —tho middleweight limit. As first ho asked that Smith should bind himself down to list. 91b., but tho light-heavy-weight champion politely declined to bind himself at all. He anticipates being well within this margin, all the same, as when ho beat Jerry Jorome at Brisbane a few' weeks ago he just got the list." 91b. exactly. Sinco then he has been in hard training for tho hardslugging Bradley, and he has said that, as a result, list. 61b. or list. 7lb. will be as much as he can measure up tonight. So, if Bradloy can build up to the list. 41b. mark, tho difference will be neither here nor thore. The struggle should be .Homeric. It will be a strong, elever boxer-fighter against a rugged, durable fighter with an extraordinary punch, and, in addition, enough of skill to keep himself out of troublo of an ordinary kind. Smith's problem is to get Bradley into such trouble that will find his skill at fault, and it'is recognised that to do this'he will require all his clever' boxing powers, speed, and ring-craft. This partly accounts for the public interest in the affair. For the rest, tho personal popularity of the men and the surety of a good "mill" will no doubt take a crowd to the Stadium to-night that will fairly make its sides bulgo. The Victorian and the Dana. The last stadium contest of note' of which word has readied us was the meeting between Waldomar Holberg!, the Danish champion, and Herb. M'Coy, of Victoria. It may be remembered that,' in July, tho Dane was stacked against Hughie Mehegan very shortly after the date of his landing in Australia. Consequently lie was not at the top of his condition, but nevertheless he extended Mehegan for ten rounds or . so, and eventually took the full oount in tho 17th round, after making an excellent impression. The Dane as the Critics Saw Him. The result of this good showing was that ho was pitted against M'Coy— Australia's next best light-weight, and hence the clash under notice. As expected, tho "go" was a good ono. Holberg confirmed his first good impression and showed himself to bo a good, game, hard-hitter, but not tho boxer that the Victorian is. M'Coy won on points at tho end of 20 rounds, and so another good battle has becomo Stadium history. In the "Sun," Mr. W. F. Corbott has the following notes on tho disturbance :— Had Holborg been possessed of a bit more "devil" ho might have won. Wide open opportunities were allowed to slip, and on not a few occasions did Holberg .step back when it was his gamo to follow up and mako all ho could of an advantage secured at the moment. Holberg should have gained a good deal in those situations. Ho is a strong, rugged follow, with great capacity for punishment, and he has tho power to drive a weighty blow home. 1 Three times did the Dane have tho Australian up against tho ropes, and on each occasion ho skipped away as nimbly and readily as if tho affair was a mere spar and he desired to give his adversary greater floor room. That was all ' very nice, but it was not war. .When a man is out to make war he must mako war. Let us havo as much of the velvet glove in tho ring as wo can get; it smooths the rougnness; but if tho boxer desires to succeed in his profession the iron hand must be beneath tho glove, and always couched. .Tho acoount oontinuos:—M'Coy fought a good, well-judged battle against a man whoso oft'-hand knocking-out of Ward in England mado him appear dangerous to fool or take chances with. The Australian always held the Dane as safo as ho could, and at that felt a good deal of tho force of several of his blows. M'Coy was particularly lucky, in that on two occasions right-hand punches struck the insido part of his shoulder slightly before making contact with a moro dangerous place. Each of tboso blows appeared to have enough force in it to knock M'Coy out had the way been clear. The Championships at Dunedin. On September 22 and 23 tho Australasian Amateur Championships come up—this time at Dunedin. The Australian States are sending good teams, and the boxing public of Dunedin seem to bo in for a good timo. Tho Queensland and New South Wales representatives are travelling in ono party with Mr. Frank Underwood, secretary of the New South Wales Sports Club, as manager. Tho personnel of these two teams is:— Queensland:— Feather-weight, C. Carr; light-weight, M. Hanfoy; welterweight, M. Quinlan; middle-weight, W. R. Ewart; heavy-wciglit, W. Thompson. New South WalesJ. King, bantamweight ; F. Brownleo, feather; P. Lacey, light; F. Macquarie, welter; and M. Duffy, middle. They will sail by the Willochra on Saturday, accompanied by tho Queensland representatives. Mr. F. Shaw, of Dunedin, has boon appointed by tho Council of tho New Zealand Boxing Association to act as refereo for tho meeting, but at the time of- writing, tho almost equally important positions of judges bad not been filled. Why not Mr. T. W. Sampson, our local referee, as one of tlieso officials Strong Arm Legislation. Apropos of tho council, it is extremely satisfactory to see that tho governing bodv is showing somo backbone in upholding tho affiliated associations m their endeavours to control tho sport properly. As a case in point, the following paragraph appears in a southern paper's report of tho last meoting of tho council:— . . "Tho Northern Association forwarded evidence taken in connection with two individuals who, after agreeing to compete at its competition on August (>, withdrow at short notice. Tho association considered that mi view of all tlio circumstances,, life disqualification was a fitting punishment for tho offenco, but was prepared to leave tho term of suspension in tho hands or the "Appeals, nsainst the action of the Northern Association wero received from tho individuals oonccnied. \ arious roasoim giron, the mam ono being that thore waa no rulo giving a local

body or tho council power to disqualify a person for refnshic to compote. "The council decided that-the individuals concerned had broken their agroemont with the Northern AseociV tion, thereby causing that body grave inconvenience, and that while thero was no specific rule on the subject, still the council had disciplinary jurisdiction over all competitors. It was agreed that as tho offenco was of a serious chat-actor tho suspension should bo for two years, to take effect from tho date of the offence."

Hock Keys on New Zealand. Hock Keys has returned to Sydney, and on his arrival was interviewed by a "Sun" reporter, whose story runs as follows: — Ilock is full of life and liopo for t!ho future. During his trip lie had four matches, but did not lia,vo tho best of luck. -He was given ono decision, another bout was declared a draw, and tho two others wont against liim. He considers that t ho did hot loso any, but is not crying about tihe fact. Tho returned boxer says that Hngerty, the New Zealand lightweight champion, is a strong, rough lad, and lias' the makings of a really good boxer. He always wants to be in and doing, but ho has- a good deal to learn. The New Zealand referees, as a whole, did not sfcniiko Hock as being very capable. ■ About tho best of them was Sir. Dyer, of Auckland. Ho understood tho gamo, and gave points for cleverness, a part of tho game most of tho otlior men did not appear to take into consideration. Keys thought that the Auckland people were tho most impartial, in the Dominion. There ho was given a good reception, and any of his work which monited it was applauded. Li Wellington it was different. Tho onlookers could see only tho local ® mail, who was cheered oven when his blows went astray or were blocked. "Sforarry" wonders whether Hock would have found tho Auckland audience so impartial . had ho been boxing a local mail thero instead of an Englishman. As it was, of course. Keys carried tho sympathy of the Auckland "fans. Tho "Sun" writer continues:— Hock wants to . get right back into the game again in Australia. "I would like, ho states, "to have a go at M'Coy again. We liavo had four good matches, and I can prove against him that I am my old self. I have built up wonderfully, and in my last affa.ir with Murphy scaled 9st. 13Jlb. That s heavier than I've ever been, and I am cortain tihat I will make good as soon as I am given a chance by Mr. Baker." Tho "Tar Baby" Returns to Business. "Sam" Langford has started in again in America, as' witness this cable message received in Sydney per the Independent Cable AssociationBoston, September 3. In his scheduled fifteon rounds bout with Flynn. "Sam" Langford won on a knock-out in tho fourth round. Ten seconds before tho gong sounded for tho termination of tho fourth, Langford landed with a hard right, and Flyim went down and out. Australian Ring Notes. Notes from Australian exchanges oh somo old acquaintances read as .Follow: "Bill" Rudd has been steadily improving his position. He has always been known as a man with a punch. Latterly ho has beei,i training carefully, and a marked improvement has been shown in his ring .methods. By way of reward ho lias heeoi matched with "Jerry" Jeromo, and the two are to meet on, Wednesday, September 17. "Frankie" Ellis, tho New Zealand feather-weight champion, lias como across to Sydney with Keys to try his luck. Ho is a solidly-set and very likely-looking lad. Keys prophesies that" Ellis will be top of the "feathers before long; but Ellis does not want to butt in among tho top-notchers right away. He wants to meet a second-rater Erst of all, "just to get a footing," and after that, if ho shapes well, he will chaso "Jimmy" Hill, "Joe" Russell, "Charlie" Simpson, and the rest. "Len" Porter, who recently defeated Hagerty in New Zealand fox the lightweight championship of that part, is in Sydney following up his trado, hut would like to meet somo of our second-rat-o, light-weights. .