IN THE RING.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1860, 20 September 1913, Page 16

IN THE RING.

[Bt "Mercurt."J

THE SMITH-BRADLEY HITCH. At tho Last Momont, Too. Disappointment was tho pervading feeling on Monday morning when it was ascertained that no word had como by cable as to tho result of the Smith-Bradley encounter. When, by Monday ovening tho news was still missing, many and varied were the unkind things hurled at tho head of tho cable maii in Sydney. _ Then p am ® week's Australian mail, but it afforded no clue to tho mystery, latest roports being all to the effect that both men wore in splendid form, and eager for tho fray. Whereat local sports settled down more or less resignedly to a week's waiting, which, fortunately, was cut short on Wednesday by the news that tho battle was off. Smith, it was stated, was incapacitated by tonsilitis and quinsy. Whon tho pair will meet is now, of course, very problematical. Jorry Jerome was substituted for the ohampion, but wo are still in tho dark as to whether this emergency battlo toot placo. If it has, and if Jerome is tho winner, thon it may bo taken for granted that there will bo no publio demand for a Smith-Bradley contest. If, however, the Irish-American settled tho Australian in anything liko the oomfortable manner In which Smith did there should be a record gate at tho Stadium when Bradley and tho champion meet. Aboriginal and Englishman. Jerry Jeromo's latest battlo —that against x Englishman Harry Mansfield at the Sydney Stadium a fortnight ago—proved that tho aboriginal, despite hia two decisive defeats by Smith, is still a popular drawing-card, and his good form on this occasion serves to show how good Smith really is. Conceding his opponent at least half o stono, Jeromo boxed confidently from tho outset, his merry antics sending tho crowd into roars of laughter, and sorely puzzling Mansfield. ' . Up till the sixth round matters .were fairly ovon, though Jerome was perhaps a little the better, his unorthodox left swings scoring many points, jln tho sixth, the aboriginal started in to mix things, and scored best, but; stopped four or five liefty punches, which took a lot of steam out 1 of him. Mansfield forced matters in tho seventh round, and, for a moment, had the black in trouble, but Jerome then camo with a heavy left swing that staggered the Englishman. Tho eighth round was fairly evou, but the ninth saw a further rise in Mansfield'b stock, the black being decidedly second best. Jeromo, however, made a surprising recoveiy m tho tenth and eleventh rounds, and nothing was doing on either side' in tno twelfth session.

A Climpse of tha Roal Jerome. Then came the thirteenth. "Jerry" stopping a right uppor-cut with his glove, made an artistio pretence _ ot being hurt. This completely deceived Mansfiold, who, rushing in .to finish matters, was mot with hurricane letti and right swings. Mansfield clinched, but, immediately- on the. men separating, Jerome was after him like a wild cat, and put him down for seven. At the bell, the towel was skied from tho Englishman's corner.

Man With an Astonishing Vogue. How hard it iB for some men to loso thoir reputations 1 Beaton easily in every battle with men of his own class, one would have thought that Bombardier Wells and his doings would have ceased to create tho slightest interest at Home or anywhere else, for that matter. So far from this being the case, howovor, lie seems to be able to draw a packed house overy time. Set up against a mediocre middle-weight in Pat O'Keofo, at the National Sporting Club, Wells attracted a house crammod to the doors, but again ho disappointed, taking fifteen rounds to dispose of his man. Tho only grain of comfort which his supporters got was tho fact that ho stood up well te O'Koefe's body punohes, and completely outboxed him at long range. . , ' , . That superb boxing is Wells s only qualification would seom to indicate that tho crowds which always turn out to a contest in . which ho figures are not wedded to the modern American wildcat methods. This is a comforting sign. - "

"Why Bombard a Sparrov/ V/ith Crapo Shot?"

Boxing in America is surely in the doldrums when Commissioner W. W. Naughton has to take up tho greater part of his latest letter*to the Keforeo" with an _ aocomrt of tho chaotic condition of ring affairs, due to the agility with which tho world's champions are dodging matches with opponents likely to cause them trouble. With regard to the bantam champion, he says:—

Whenever any violent talk is indulged in in bantam champion Johnnie Coulon'B prosence, the news goes out that Johnnie is the nexttiling to a confirmed invalid, and that his doctor has warned him to avoid anything calculated to excite him. It would almost seem that the only way to keep Johnnie in good health would bo to crown him perpetual king of the midgets, and make it a felony to challengo him. It may bo that this is coarse sarcasm,,but in view of the many times Johnnie's small ailments have prevented, him dofending his titlo, I think it is warranted. According to the latest reports Johnnie is able to sit up and take notico. If bo continues to improve ho may be ablo to discuss terms of a championship match a few months hence. Then, if no further complications arise, and he recovers thoroughly from tho fatigue of match-making, he may bo ablo to start training a f<sw months later. But. pshaw I What's tho use. Why bombard a sparrow with grape shot? Coulon may bo a physical weakling, as tho reports that come from wherever ho happens to be intimato. If such is tho case _he should throw tho title into tho lists and let tho other bantams battle for it. Sinco he acquired tho badge of supremacy, tho bantam championship question lias been as a closed book.

Amerloans Marldng Time. Coming to tlie American feathciweiglits, tho position is not quite tlio same, Kilbano being apparently fairly willing, but promoters sliy. Tlie light-weight business _ is well mixed, all tho availablo space in American papers being taken up with a quarrel between Willie Ritchio mid Ad. Wolgast as to tho precise wording of a certain wager. Mr. Naughton's strictures on Ritchio aro born out by tlio news cabled this week, that Ritchio failed to keep his engagement with Frnddio Welsh. Owing to tho number and variety of the claimants for tlio welter and middle-weight titles, and tho doubts that exist as to how many of them can really make tho legal weight limits, nothing satisfactory is doing in theso classes. Then in tlio heavy division matters are mixed, because 110 0110 of any class is hungering for fight even against sec-ond-raters. A pretty state of affairs altogether. The Wood-Yard Man. Ex-light-weight champion Bob Turner struck troublo at Melbourne recently. When English middle-weight Jim Sullivan '-loft tlio Pavilion Management m tho lurch just before liis battla with

Currie, Turner, who was in Melbourne for his contest witli Harry Stone, was pressed into service, and an opponent found for him, tho said opponent being Ed. Newhouso. Newhouso earns his regular living by running i a wood-yard, and, when called on, liad just finished a heavy day's work. Nothing loth, bo packed trap 9 and arrived at the Pavilion on time. He left for home a couplo of hours later a comfortable winner on points. _________