IN THE RING.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1995, 28 February 1914, Page 12

IN THE RING.

£Bi Ueeccet.l MR. BAKER'S QUEST ABROAD. He Captures M'Farland. It seeniß that Mr. E. L. Baker is meeting with much success in his tour in tho United States, whither lie lias gono in search of pugilistic artists for his stadium fixtures m Sydney. _ Wo have beon advised that he has signed oil Willis Ritchie; tho world's lightweight champion, and Clabby. one of tho claimants of tho middle-weight championship. , More lately, too, ho has secured the one and only I'acky M'Farland.

Magic of M'Farland. This latest intelligence occasioned somo surprise,' for M'Farland lias a touch of magio about him. _It is well understood • that M'Farland is perhaps the most wonderful draw in America to-day, and this notwithstanding the fact that he is neither a champion in name nor 6ven tho claimant of a championship title. Tho Chicago boxer is a "star turn!' purely on account of his boxing and. fighting ability—he has both qualities in tho highest degree. Ho is in tho fortunate position—from a championship being between weights. He is just too heavy for a light-weight, and not heavy enough to stack up against the welters. Still, such is tho magic of his reputation tnat, as before stated, ho is looked upon as one of the most surest "gate-drawers."' . s . Moreover, it is known tnat M'Farland is a man of substance, nnd only recently it was (given out that he intended withdrawing from the game altogether to take up tho study of law,. This latter assertion was, of course, taken with that grain of salt that is the usual accompaniment to any noted boxer's stated intention of retiring—it being an axiom that every boxer absolutely fnd finally retires as often as ho feels liko saying so. However, .giving tins in, it seemed that M'Farland was so comfortably placed at heme that it was a matter for wonder that ho had agreed to make tho long trip to Australia. .

Why Is He Coming? >, Recent files from the Unitod States, however, contain word that may explain M'Farland's complacency in falling in with Mr. Baker's 'wishes. It appears that' ho has got into trouble at home. Some little while back h'a was engaged in a ten-round bout with one Jack Britton at Milwaukee, Wisconsin. First of all there was griev-. ous trouble about the weigh-in. Britton, ..according to contract, made 9st.' •01b., and then his adversary declined to. make bis weight known, and declared that lie would either box as he was or not at all. Finally, the bout started on these terms, but the initial fuss was quite overshadowed by the character of the contest it-self. M'Farland could do no better than make a draw of a match which was marked by poor boxing and rough tactics, tho chief offender therein being M'Farland himself. The wholo thing appears to have been _ decidedly unsavoury, and public opinion was so expressed that tho Wisconsin State Boxing Commission took action, and ultimately suspended M'Farlaud for olio year. Tho general opinion appears to be that the sentence was deserved, although it was tho first time that the offender has come under the ban of any ecni'olling body or . under the shadow of suspicion of having "framed" a contest. However, there it is, and it may bo that it Is owing to this—well, misadventure that'."Packy" M'Farland considers that a trip'to Australia would be good for his health, his pocket, and his reputation.

A Crapfiio Story. Last week '"Mercury" commented 1 briefly on the cabled advice that the indomitable) "Johnny" Summers, welter weight' of England, had been knocked out in one round by his fellow Londoner, "Tom" M'Corniick. Tlie writer ehurwterised this happening as surprising. The''"Bulletin" writer who "did" the contest has something to add. lie says:— The falling of "Johnny" Summers at Sydney Stadium was bewildering, picturesque, and sensational. Ho bad evidently made up his mind that M'Cormick would outbox him if it went 20 rounds, and had determined to overwhelm M'C. in short order.' At the word be bounded across the ring, and fell upon his enemy. He smote with bcth fists. He hurled all his weight into tho and pounded the hostile person right across the ring, with showers* of .'body blows, varied by a few-to the head which M'Cormick covered desperately with his gloves. ■ It Was ■ the ropes that stopped M'Connick's wild rotreet. Bringing up against them he robunded, and strovo to cinch. ' But the fiercest cyclone must blow itself out, and so did "Johnny." And the moment ho subsided into a calm M'Cormick, angered by illusage and aroiised by the way the audience urged "Johnny" on. assumed the offensive. He met a . right swing in tlie chest that, nearly knocked him down, but recovering he sprang again, and lot flv a double broadsido as he did. Then it was Summers who broke ground while ho, gathered steam for another cyclone. Ho backed away till the northern ropes blocked him, and M'Cormick hurled himself at him amidst pandemonium. Summers is most dangerous on the ropes. Dropping his fists he played for tho body.'and M'Cormick gasped. But all tho same he' never stopped hitting. Two lefts landed. Then M'Corniick was standing in close, and seeing "Johnny's" face unprotected drove a right jolt. "The recipient nitched forward on to his knees* and gloves. He was unconscious, but still had oncugh in him to protect himself as he fell. He same down and tried to stop on his gloves and knees, but everything faded out and he again pitched forward. The closing scene is thus described: — "The roar ceased. A rjlenco crashed down on the Stadium, and the voice of Scott calling the count sounded something akili to a town hall clock. Nobody believed that the mighty Summers, the greatest ring general of them all, was out. Ho was takincr all the respite he could get, tliey said. But when tho voico of Scott boomed 'eight' they roared tliat he had already taken a lot of respite and shouldn't overdo it. 'Nine' eame, and the man on tlie floor was still taking heaps of respite Even Scott looked amazed and hesitated for the- fraction of a second before he said 'Out!' or whatever ho did say, for his voice was drowned in the roar of the multitude. From the moment Scott had said 'Box on I' till Summers struck the floor was exactly 2niin.'29sec. But into that, space of time he had eroftded one of the most, spectacular fights ever seen in the Stadium."

Smith Tries a Frenchman. Last Saturday Dave Smith was to have made his first appearance in the ring since bis disastrous clash with "Eddie" M'Gioorty. His opponent— presuming that the contest took place as scheduled—was one Jules Dubourg, a French boxer, of whom not much has been heard, and for whom, under ordinary circumstances, tho New Zealander would have been considered far too formidable an opponent for an opening bout, for this was the Frenchman's first match in Australia. It is probable that after hi 3 severe i handling from M'Goorty, Smith wished to try himself out with somebody who was not likely

to be too stiff a proposition?; hence his match up with Dtibourg.

Tho Frenchman's Calibre. Of the result of the contest tho cable has been silent, but, if Mr. W. F, Corbett's summing-up of tho. visiter (after seeing him "working out" in a trial bout at a Stadium matinee) is correct, Smith should have Wen comfortably, Mr. Corbett writes:—*•

"No fault eauld be foai)4 ifi the Frenchman's appearance. AH evidences of a thorough preparation were there, but as a boxer we is iiot in it. with D. Smith. It might, of eeur&c, bn that Dubourg's opponent, "Nat" Williams, who proved elever enough to beat "Herb" M'Coy, possesses such unusual skill that it would .need a real master of the science to' make a good showing; with him. Dubourg may be a boxer; Mr. A 1 Lippo says ho is, nnd tells those who question him to -wait and see. Therefore wq must take, this latest Gallic exponent o:f "lo boxo" a. good deal on trust.

"Dubourg .impresses me as a. Frenchman who might make it sultry for-most people at his national method of battling with Nature's weapons, known, as la Savate, which is engaging with Jour "fists," two of thetn the feat. AH vvh'o have seen Monsieur Jules under fire at his training quarters—that is> searchingly tried out—speak of the stranger as the possessor of unusual stamina and capacity for' pttflishment,"

Leading the Chequered Ufa. Billy Shields, the ex-Manawatu amateur, who is well known in. Wellington, is having a varied career in Australia, but lie seems to get engagements,fsirly constantly. Tivo of his latest appearances are thus described in Svciney papers:— • ■ " ■ "In a 10-ronnder at a Stadinm matinee, George James Was Billy Shields'? master from the moment the f>air had their hands up. . James is a fighter, and a good one, also he is strong ajWf clever. Shield's ba-s demonstrated qual* ity in skill several times, though lie may not have won many battles. The end was in the third round. A wellaimed punch got hame on. Skidds, and broke him up., The liadiy-weakciied lad gamely endeavoured to stem the tide, but it was no good. • Mr. Referee Marre caught hite in his arms, and, waving the author of tlie mischief off' mercifully stopped the contest, declaring James the winner. 1 "Billy Shields and Ted Hill (says the "Referee" referring to another match) boxed the opening ten rounds, the former receiving the award after the contest hnd gone the allotted term. It was not a great encounter, for Shields generally held the margin of paints in his favour. OccastejiaHy they would infuse a little vigour into the' bout, Airing which there were some, sslkl exchanges, but the great amount of embracing and holding which marked' the encounter robbed it of interest."

Hill Still Champion. On the night of Saturday. Febriiary 14, Jimmy Hilt cemented his hold <va the feather-weight title of Australia by boating his challenger, .Sid Sullivan, oil points after a stirrhijr battle fought 'owt before ,a crowd of six : thousand spectators. ,

Tho Hour of Nsed, Wellington boxing -enthusiasts will, learn' with regret that Hcck Keys has fallen upon very evil days indeed. Some little wlyle ago lie was run down by a lorry, and 0110 of his leers was so badly damaged tlmt,.hi> Was taken away to a hospital. He is how quite broken down in health, and is an inmate of tljo Callaif Park Sanatorium. TlijS is had enough, but tho evil is aggravated by tho fact that his wife and several cliil-dl-eu ore left .without support, anil absolutely penniless. It is proposed iii Sydney to raise a benefit of sftme description for • the one-time- brilliant '"old master," and. it is to: be-.- hoped that something of the Mild can be doiie to help in an hour of need.

Abandoned. Owinc to the im-ponsibility of fiwlim; a suitable adversary for Bomey Ireland the focal association has been forcod to abandon its fixture, "in aid of tit® Oit-i-. Zens' Carnival, scheduled for March 4, It was hoped that Lowe, of Gisbornc, would have been available, but the date was too early for him, ittid foi' the same reason other proposed .bonts wore found impracticable:. It is possible that something may be done later in the month, but just at present so far as carnival time is concerned there j-s ' nothing doinj." ,