IN THE RING.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2144, 9 May 1914, Page 12

IN THE RING.

[Br Mercuht.] THE SURPRISE OF THE WEEK. Bell's Astonishing Battle. Tho week's surprise Ms contained in tlio cablegram published on Tuesday reporting the Jesimu'Uc-Bi.ll battle, in London. Jioli is an Australian secondrater, who ;:;adu the London trip some months ago, in hope of bettor loit-tme that he met .with in Australia, and, apparently, he has been successful. How it has happened must seem inexplicable to thoso who watched hi® homo career, ' for, though well fitted physically for his chosen profession, ho seemed to lack almost every other qualification necessary to a successful boxer. Bis skill was mediooYe to a degree; he had no punch, and he had no capacity for taking punishment. Hew,' theft, it will be asked, could lse give 4 seasoned war* rior like Jeanne; to s6 hard a battle over fifteen rounds that there Oonlil have been doubt at; all over the verdict? There appears to be no answer, unless it is that Jeaisuette was untrained for tho occasion. This is the Australian's second essay in the English ring. His first appearance was bow® few weeks ago, when he met Petty-Officer Curratt, the big exArtilleryman, who was in Australia last year, and who was soundly beaten by Bill Lang. Bell tost this boat on a foul in the>eighth round, at which time lie was well ahead on points—a surprising enough performance in itself. The Man Ball Met, By his latest achievement,, however, the Australian has easily eclipsed this. Last March, Jeanuette was given a decision over Georges Carpontier—a very doubtful deoisisii, it L? trtie, but a win just the same—which shows that, while lie may have deteriorated a little since the days that he was considered a fair match for Langfoid and il'Voia at their best, he is still in the front ranlc'of present-day "heavies." He is now thirty-three" years .of age, trafc is a proverbially straight-living baser, and has kept in fairly constant work. Jeannette lias, it must also be remembered, boxed every heavy-Weight of note, white of coloured, who has* been in-the ring for years past. ll* oven has a decision over Jack Johnson, gained in 1905, when he ivoii oil a foul in the second round. His mast noteworthy performance was in April, 1!J09, Paris, when he beat Sam Sl'-Vea by a knock-out' in the #th round. On three other occasions he met; M'Ve-a, the result being one defeat and two draws. With LaiigFord he has clashed seven or eight times, the most rec-ent occasion _ being at the end of last year m America, when lie was given a newspaper win after a ten-round "110 decision" bout. And this is the man who, 011 Monday 'ast, could do no bettor t-Ila.ll get a close points' decision over Colin Bel!—long looked upon fci Australia as a broken "White Hope" and a false alarm. Again, 0110 is fain to ask why and wherefore—and Echo answers: "You can search me." . Tho Progress of Ellis, Ex-Wellingtemah Frank Kljis is apparently coming along niccly "on the other side." His latest showing is given a good deal of space in tine "Referee's'' letter from Brisbane, where otjr exchampion is dosnfeiied at present. An extract from the report runs:— "Patrons of the Stadium wcro treated to a great battle on Saturday night between Frank Ellis, the New Zealand feather, and. that game youngster, who recently crime to us from Sydney, Hector Melville. The, Sydney lad forced the pace for practically, the whole of the twenty rounds, and it required all tho clever footwork and ring tricks that Ellis learned from Hock Keys to keep away from the weighty punches the boy from Newtown sent after him. As a fact, he did not keep away from more than a frcrcentage of them, whilst every time lie came to land a piim/h ho found a . cha-rgs waiting. Hector was 'unlucky in getting twice bumped by Frank's head. "Mr. Micls Djinn gate the d'eci. sion to the Netv Zeala.udsr, tel'ioso splendid footwork, back-moving, and defence generally had no doubt imj pressed him. That there! wore plenty who agreed with Dunn's judgment was shown by the cheer which broke through the hoots of those who disagreed." Saylor's Weakly Knock-out, That irrepressible citizen of the United States of Aitte-rtea, Miiimrn Saylor, has been at it again- This time his victim was Nat Williams., the English light-weight, whom he Jcmrcked out in the seventh round at Melbourne on the night of last Saturday w-eek. Os-ice again the determining blow of tho coiitest was Saylor's favourite occipital punch, or, as it is known in Australia, tho "rabbit killer." It is ft drop on the back of tko neclc. As usual, also, the American was conceding weight, weighing-in at 9st. BJlb., to "Williams's lOst. 311b.; but also, as usual, ho was in 110 way hampered by tho handicap. He assumed tlio aggressive from the start, and pursued his oa-stoftiary worry* ing tactics until ho had broken down his man's condition and defence. As stated, tho finish came in tho seventh round, when Williams was beaten to tho ground, aftc-r pluckiiy sustaining a severe'gruelling. 'Saylor ■ appealed to tho referee to stop the contest, seeing that he had his opponent practically beaten,and, although his appeal was iio't actod' upon at the time, a halt Was called soon after. This, although Dot. a clean knock-out, coauts as such under the new conditions in Australia, Two Americans in Opposition. While the battle described above was being waged in Melbourne, two American welters wore making their debut"before a Sydney crowd at the StadiumThese wcro Frits Holland, the.prategß of Tommy Burns,, who recently out' pointed the Englishman Tom M'dormick'at Melbourne over twenty rounds, and Jim Fitton, who was making ill's first appearance in Australia, It was apparently too soon after his -landing for him to do himself just-ice, and he paid tho penalty for his lack af condition by going under in the ninth round. The end came simultaneously from polide intervention, A Feather International. - Last Saturday's Stadium, contest in Sydney should hav« been a good one, if it took place as scheduled. Tho participants were Frank Thorn, one-time feather and light-weight, Australian champion, and Leo Johnson, the negro feather, whom Tommy Burns hfDttght out from America, The Man With the fading Niana, It is a significant sign, of tho wane of the mana of Jaek Johnson that, his movements are now so liiueli ignored. The lack of excitement, in fact,, of interest,' displayed ili his next ring appearance contrasts vividly with his former experiences, ami the i'ltef, that he is to defend iiis'titlo 011 June 537 for an alleged purse of £00(10 has been allowed to pass almost without comment. However, this is the case, Hk prospective opponent, is one Frank Moraii, an American heavy-weight of some — only "some"—repute. Tile meeting is to take place in Paris, and it is reportI ed that the purse lifts been subscribed by a syndicate of wealthy American residents of the French capita). More Crist for tho Baker f/HHs, ■ Mr. K. L. Baker, nrt'i' in Europe, is still engaging talent for his Atistfatiftrt circuit. His Americas importation*

are arriving by every boat, and, byway of variety, he is sending out I'our Ffeii-chmer>..and a Swiss champion. The tatter's rmftio is Bqdoux. Tho names 0 ftho French gladiators are held over until such time as tlwy arrive, as they are such that they could not live in the memories of readers. What the Australian "barracker" is going to do about them "Mercury" is afraid to think. Seeking the Bubble Reputation. Tho Australian light-weight .laek Read, who went to America with Sam Laugford, is meeting with only inoder* ato success. The latest news of his doings shows two defeats —one in twenty ■rounds at Ilhode Island, at the hands of one Fred Helsband, and tho other iu A'ew York by Bill Bennett. The "bubble reputation" seems to bo no easy thing for a boxer to capture iu the United States. Bout to be Staged Hofe. , As was anticipated in this column last! week, the local association deemed it i wise to postpone the provincial, chaov pkmsliips for a fortnight, so they will come up again, for discussion next week. S The association now has another matter on its hands —tll& settlement between _ Jim Hagerfcy, our light-weight ; champion, and that clever Australian light-weight Frank O'Grady. The. latter has signified his readiness to come: on the terms offered by the association, viz., .£l2O purso a»d £20 expenses, and, llagerty is -willing to meet tho Australian. so there' are only tho usual pre- 1 iivjinary matters to settle . to el-inch' what should he 0110 of the best contests yet seen in the city. No date has been decided upon, but same time next month should see the Town Hall packed for this fixture. The Battle at Hastings, Congratulations are hereby tendered to Denny Murphy for his goad win over Barney Ireland at Hastings on Tuesday last. It is .satisfactory to find that he is back to his old form again, and more than Satisfactory to'see that his kinds have quite recovered, as they must have done to bear the brunt of tho battle so well. What's in a Name? At Tiinaru cn Wednesday night of list week Syd. Fitzsim-fna-ns —nephew of the ouo and only Bob of that ilk-ijusti-* fted the suspicion that -experts in New Zealand have always had that his name is his only claim to greatness. Some ttn«> ago the .Young was tempted to try his duck in the ring in Australia, and, despite Uracil booming in certain {garters, he showed pretty conclusively what was more than suspected. in tho laird o:f his birth, name.lyi that despitfi his sjzo and gameness. ho is far .from the "white hope" class. On iho present oceftsiOQ he wag stacked against the New Zealand "heavy," W. BarUett, who welghed-m nt 12-s't. fllb,, to ITitzsimmons's ISsfc., and who boat him sotitsdly -on -points over fifteen roltncls.