IN THE RING.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1984, 14 February 1914, Page 12

IN THE RING.

CBi Meecubt.l WHAT IS M'GOORTY'S METIER? The Husky Pair. Tho Bradley-M'Goorty match is over, ana though M'Goorty won, tho .bright, hopes that tho champion would have to extend himself all tho way have come true. The fragmentary cable message, thonglv simply telling us that tho battlo was hotly waged "all the way, and that Si'Goorty won on, points, is sufficient to make it plain that M'Goorty is far from t®! n g the terror that his two defeat? of 'Dave" Smith would lead us to believe. The measurements of the two men are: M'Gootry. Bradley. Inches. Inches. Chest, contracted ... 37£ 36 >, normal 39§ 39 (arms at side.) ~ expanded. ... 43 42J Waist 30J 30 Biceps 14j 14 Neck lfij 16 Forearm 1H 13} Thigh 21 23 Calf 144 15 Reach 72i 68Jr Height 1 oft. lOJiii. sft. Tin. It will be seen that M'Goorty has an advantage of 3} inches in height and 4 inches in reach —two important factors. Then there is tlio question of weight, which was touched on at some length in this column last week. Weighing was to have been at 2 o'clock, and the battle at 8.30 p.m. To scale the mid-die-weight limit, M'Goorty had to take off some pounds, while Bradley would build himself up. To Bradley, the 6J hours between the weighing and the battle would make little difference, but in that interval M'Goorty would put on anything up to three,or four pounds. This was another big advantage. Yet with' it all he could not stop Patrick Bradley. Need he bo Fearod? When full advices come through it is safe to say. that it will be found that M'Goorty's" boxing is not in'line with his hitting powers, which themselves are not what his victories over Smith seem to indicate. His physical advantages and his ring experience did most —('Mercury" hazards the opinion—to gain him tli(j victory. "Dave", Smith must have regained a good deal of his old confidence after this battle, and, maybe, if ho defeats "Jeff" Smith, he will sue for a third battle with M'Goorty—but at catch weights or for the light-heavy title. A Blighted Hope. "Gunboat" Smith, conquerer of "Sam" Lanrford, and the numerous tribe of "white hopes," walked over "Tommy" Burns's protege, Arthur Pelkey, in 15 rounds, on New Year's Day. Great were the speeches to tho press by "Tahmy" in praise of Pelkey. Ho was the greatest heavy-weight discovery of recent • years, and an air cf mystery was added by Burns coaching Pelkey behind: closed doors. Curiosity being aroused, tho astute ex-champion was ready with the explanation that ho was "putting Pelkey wise" to certain points about Smith's methods. • With all this, tho San Frar.cisco public, which really oueht to have learned hy this time that "Tommy" is a firstclass Jonah and a millstone round tho neck of anyone unfortunate to be supported by him, expected something great. "Gunboat" Smith they knew, Pelkey they'had "Tommy's" word for; and, further, thoso who had seen him in training always came away impressed with the belief that the lengthy Canadian had to temper his blows in order not to hurt his sparring partners. And then,,.after all, this was what they actually'safri Smith failing time after time to connect with that famous right of his, throuizh Pelkev's clover ducking (the one point of the game at which ho showed himself profieielit), and Pelkey paiufullv ineffective with his punches, which landed frequently intho early rounds. As the bant progressed "Gunboat" Smith changed his tactics, getting elo.w in, pending in shorter punches with his ri"lit, and landing frequently... Then Pelkey, becoming discouraged and plainly slowing it. Smith's confidence increased, and from ■ the twelfth round on hi? opponent was a chopping block, the end coming in the fifteenth round, when Smith at last connected with his right swing. Murder Will Out. It would seem that Packy M'Farland has for some timo been sailing under false colours. Tho reason why he has not competed as a middle-weight long before this is simply because he hafc not been found out. It appears that the little wonder has been trading on his reputation. In nine cases cut of ten, where he has been not only tho drawing card, but the sole inducement for tho crowds attending at all, it has been his custom to put olf the: ceremony of weighing till the hall was packed, and then refuse to weigh at all. But, recently, in Milwaukee, he was at last cornered. In his matfch with Jack Britton he attempted to play tho old gamo, but this time it was a case of "no weigh no fight," for one of the rules under which tho Boxing Commission of the State of Wisconsin works makes it compulsory..- Still, lie compromised by getting weighed in' private, but it afterwards leaked out that he weighed in in the neighbourhood of 1501b. 'L'lion, further, to show his independence, he boxed in a very indifferent manner, the upshot of it all being his suspension for a year by the Wisconsin Commission, i This is a small thing in itself, for M'Farland can draw a house anywhere in the Statos, but it is Nemesis in another direction, for it put tho whole of the States alert to his game. The consequence will bo that, when he seeks a battle now, he will have to meet men of his own class. Mr. M'Naughton well sums him up in these words"For while Packy is a terribly riiee fellow _ in private life his notions of pugilistic ethics are vile." . . Strange Reading. .Strange as it may seem to New Zealanders who know him so well, the West Maitland boxer Billy Hannon is comparatively' unknown to Sydney. It was not till a week or so back that he figured in a- contest, at tho Stadium. On that occasion, matched with Dan Tierney, he had 'matters all his own way, winning by a knockout- in the sixth round. Arigllng for a Big FIsH. Mr. Victor Foy, the well-known Sydney. sportsman, wants to put up £500 for M'Coy to meet Ritchie at tne Stadium, and Mr. 'Baker will, in consequence, no doubt redouble his efforts to securo the presence of the world's champion, in Sydney. With both tho Stadium and Olympia after him hotTooted, Ritchie will be in clover when it comes to dictating terms. One wonders, by the way. how the rivalry beJ twoen the two big promoting firms is going to finish up. Custom Stales, Etc. For the third time Johnny Summers and Arthur Evernden have clashed, and, for the third time, tho latter has gone under to Summers, who, by all accounts, could have knocked his opponent out. It was a poor battle, and tho shrewd boxing public in Sydney stayed away | in thousands. Burns Contemplates Sydney; Tommy Burns is coming to Sydney in tho near future, and.it is'stated that ho will open a boxing school at Olympia. This would give the new place a big lift, for tho ex-champion was a popular personage in Sydney round about tho time that Jack Johnson deprived bim of his title. As hendy a man as wo have had in recent years,

Bums should prove a success in his new role, though it must be confessed that he, has not yet been able to put mucii of his skill into Jack Lester, Arthur I'elkey, and Co. By the way, Burns engaged in a mill last week, when hfi put ono Battling Grant away in tho fourth session of a six-round bout, and, a few days later, old Bob Fitzsiminons is reported to havo shown much of his former skill against Knock-qftt SweeiiejC To be still battling at 52 is a wonderful per' formanco, or else a sign of senile decay. Suggested contests for tho Sydney Stadium are: M.'(loorty v. Jeff Smith, Evernden v. Bradley, Bradley v. Diibourg, Jeff Smith v. Bradley, Jerome v. M'Goorty, Jerome v. Jeff Smith, Holberg v. Picato, Puis v.- Newhouse.