IN THE KING.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2156, 23 May 1914, Page 12

IN THE KING.

{By MtEtteun-j:.]

WHAT AILS THE AMATEURS? Jmio B.~J. Hagcrtv (N. 2.) v. 1 ? . O'Grndy (NM.W.), Town IMI. June 2S. —World's ClmupionsMp, J. Jo'tiHsou v. V. Jlorau, Paris. ' Comnarlsbns are Odious* Another series of provincial championships has becouto past history during the wees, ami naturally enough comparisons with similar tourneys '-of tho past, though proverbially odious, are inevitable. It so happens en tins occasion that those comparisons are pa-rt-iealfU'ly odious, tor it must bo confessed that they are not at all favourable to the championships under discussion, la fact they show a very riwrettahto tfc, wine, not only in.the quality, hut also m the. quantity of the amateur talent available for competition purposes in the Wellington district. Poor Quality—Small Quantity. I With two or three exoeptioJls, tho I standard in all the classes is far below that oi previous years. After witness*. ing tha bouts on Monday and Tuesday, ojio is apt to wonder what would have happened to most of tho -competitors had there bee.u any Kudds,. WatcWlis, J>evitts, Eilises, WeiraaiHls. or Kerrs, just to tako a few names at random., op- ' posed to tlrein. The possible exceptions are tho three feathers, J. Oliver, tho clover boy from Cross Crook; E. Lea.ry, : ■of Weliington.! and J. Stewart, of I'etofte, and perhaps J. Smith, tho I' - tone lighti-weightj who .had no opportunity of showing his test form, but' whoso display in tho. exhibition, bout with C. Watson gave indications of iio little boxing ability. It- will bo seen from this that it is in tiio biggo.r divisions that toe deterioration is most marked, bat it does not end there, The dry rot Ims attacked every olbs.s ( and threatens to -undermine tha atoateiir section of tlso sport altogiJtJier. This may seem a sweeping pondsmnat.io'a 5 but "those who have followed, tlw sport since the- intee.ption of the jiresent system ef Control must agree that it is no exaggeration of tho oSisting state of affairs.

It now remains to find tij© reason for the basksliding—and a remedy for it. • Unfortunately' each is equally hard to find. is the Association at fault? Thei'o is 'a certain seßtfou of rnalcoateijts that puts tho b'kmio at- the door of tho controlling body—the amateiir-9 arc not suffieieiitly catered far and en* Muraged by the association, ■ say tiley. But is this a fact? A little esp.erieneo of t-iie work of the exftcutivo in ..dealing with local amateurs would show {bat the direct negative is the only possible rO' ply to this question. THe Casual Arrisiour.

.In jjoiat of fast,, the ofEcials can tcs». tify timt the boot is oil tie other foOt~ that tbo amateurs show ' a deplorable; lack of enthiisiasm, and a oasuainess- in their dealings ivith tho assoriatiMi. that is discouraging in tlio extreme. lTor : example, take the case of the present : louran.mo.ntj which is typical of that of tbo last two or three ycai's—only rather Moro so. At the meeting of i'ho 'executive last week, at which the entries carao up- for review, tbo number of nominations to bo dealt with was embarrassingly largo. so that tbo dTS.\ving committee bid arranged no less than fourteen bouts for each right, and it was judged advisable to put tbo tinio of ■starting forward to 7.30 p.m., in order to got tho xwagtMayao through before midnight. liut what was tbo oivtoivio when "t3j.e meia-tea went up"? On the first. night there eigiit contests, while oiv tlio- seco.iid®' was found nece> B.ary to put on two -.special bouts to mako tip a programme of seven items. '

Soggh on tho EWcutivo. Allowing for tho usual small percentage of failures to '*pass_ the doctor," and to inako' the weight, it will bo seen how many were the elevoftth-hoiiT seratcMn.gs, o.nd there- was m notice given oi these ■defections, Tho men simply failed to appear. The ' work \ thrown on Hie officials on cash sight by this cavalier behaviour is not hard to imagine. It means constant and, re peated' alterations of heat drawings .right at the last minute: it nieans that tho competitors. earni-fit b.cs told in proper time when the.y will ha wauled } that tho programmes issued to tho public- are. simply useless jb ;t guMe ns to what is. to -happen ;• and generally that tlio work j ef eontret is ono long story of annoy-j auce a.nd worry. Nor is this o.xpQr.i.e,n«G ] confined to the elia-nipioirship tourneys, i It is iinjch the saino when the titno: conies for tho ittrartgeinont of .prellmrii- : aries for professional' bouts. Wanted Cooperation, Tho association is fliottestty willing. and a-asiuae to encourage the amateur : ; —it is oiw of the main reasons Oft its osisteneff—-and in return it has every I right to oxpcqt a wrfcain .amount of. [ reci.j3fociiy Mid supiinrt frpivi tho amateur, but in the relations between the I two .of recent years it has expee'ted these I qualities' in v.a.iii. However, there is no virtue in labouring a subject that flivly beeoiiWS mo.ro distasteful with arguincjit. What has to 1 bo dofie now i-8 for the association Mid the boxers to ■co-operata in discovering and removing' the causes fef. the blight which is undoubtedly .spoiling aniato-tir bosing in NVclliiig't-oii. In iiic-ir httridij is the' wolfjjjTc of the Sr/ort, and it behoves both parties to "get busy" in ftirth.oranoe oi its •well-being. Rlftg incidents of tiia tourney. Now as la the actual ha.-ppei-iings a| tho tournament. Micro- ; is . not space liS'ailablc for a rcstfmo of tlm bouts— those were- fl-li-iy reported in tljo daily ■columns—so it is intended ii<jw to tfaU ■mdy svilis the outstanding features ef ti»o meeting.

J* Oliver, "Fedcfer" Champion. First and foi'Cinost tJjcVij comes Up fof comment the very good showing pvit, i.ip ; by J. Oliver, the.'''tea lb of," already sc-k-cfcett for spepial mention.. 0-ii the oi: ; st niglit iio ' was pitted ag.n.Fhs't one IX Bcfoe, ,i bnj' with sonic, 'EiisK»h ospcii-' cneu, aitd'it decided knowledge: of flic B-amo. This was a pretty bout with Oliver.extended s-irifiViottMy to fcltotf. mk host paces- He has a gafld left., straight and. hard, over whiei) lie showed wp'n-; durfiil cw'itrcfl, and frequently svli.cn his lead missed tbrsßlA l»w opponent's back-snoring or duckini:, ha managed to. scare a stindttg pw.i.cK' wrft-h the same hand. His footwork, too, was .good, fl'iw fn-qurntK- ffiAtle the ojipositirti'i liii'ss: very badly, while still keeping bi» v»: iWgs for' retaliatory iweastifcs. Mi sis wns ray effective, m> short-arm work bsitig cteaji sM dcoi"On Tuesday \& clash*! with Stewart, in what proved to bo the tit-tut ef the teniwv, and fniriy Won from. a good niMi iiv sheer boSns? ni)i.!it'.v-. »■'■>, wliiit was as"sportsmanlike and attractive s bmtt as oiw could rt-ish t,o 6oe. Si.cw'a.rt is a strong aggressive boxer, who tares •it) and carries the battle to bis man a'l the tim", b"t Oliver bad bun jU-s't slukM all tlio way. •. Be beat his ihim to the puK'h, hcW. Ws «f« m *« c -! tt |; o 'rtirlf, nnd showed nil th« pood points of ln« pfVKrtis tfeplivy. 'Wrtn, S m-fclo extra, Hi defensive td&tlcs. Oliver won tiro special trophy donated by the/asseniatinn'u president for the most scientific display, and won it well Bantams—Paw and Poof. Neither the bantam nor til* K&hiwoiirht contest* enll for mere Hum passhii; "remark, the towel', between L. TlMimpsoii and ft. Amdvovvs, was a sf/m----ilm" affair, marred or- both sides by >>ntinuwi clinching ai»l he-Ming and ! bift.ir.ji, with Andrews as- oftavder w- ! chief in this respect. It was won by h.

Thompsoji, tliare being only those two entrants. Smith the Shining "light." Tho fig-ht-wcig'bt bout between j. Smith, of Po-tana., aM W. J, -ftitofarkiio opom?d very _*ell, to ho a good cxhftitki.il, but the end camo ill too quickly. Willi -about a minute of the first retiiul to go, jiSm-itii jet •go a. heavy .light, which 'Blaefarlano misjudged, and while ba.ck-fiwv.ing took jfc fairly fa tiro jaw, The .refoMM did tho rest.' Smith ttewicd oat again in tiro exhibition bout, already referfetf to, ■and showed -sonic? pretty light sparring, to wit-job his exponent, C. Watson, act-, cd as a will-big aw! good-na-tuj'cd feij. Trqublo v/ith the Welters. Tho Welter 'contests Jed to 'irouhlo, Tho only two starter,;, J. I4u.fi.ter and ; It Ma-tfiirkM-o, met Uv'iee. . On t-h-a firrt oeftaston Hunter got tho decision .through. I Mac&'lano being disqualified for pefIslstwg in liolil'inVr -tactics right o« tho gong for. tlie iiual round. Tho boys were -so evenly nuttclicrt. thai tho <joiijm-itteo brought them together ii-gajii in a special boil* tin Tuesday, and. gh-j-g again disqiialiiication was the result. This timsi it was llmitev Who trailsgfossed. tho "buttng" of Bunion After -two minutes' .good work, Hu-ijv ■tef Jet ge a -left swihgi W-hich -tttissaij, lie iWfiowod tip qaiekiy with a vitriuJ rig-lit hook, thiol.) landed hard eu (iio jaw, and M-asfisrhnic. went down. Tho count went to fivi?, and he wes Just ris* ing wlisA Mnnloi* clashed, in and -sent him dawn again with another: cfi"p to tho jafr, for which tho referee promr/fcry dis* qualified hiiiu This piling was -fondly objected to by ii Bcotioij. of tho .house, but of this matter more anoii. Considering llio circumstances, tho association eoufd do a lot worse than te bring these two together again in a ary to' the big nja-teli between J. listserty and Ffaffk G'sratly, BchcdttM for Juno ft.

Mod'lofiro "Middles." 01 tho middle division, it W\ oSilj bo sali th'.ii' it was .a eiso v(, B. jiiwii) first, the rest, a poor lot, nowhere. The wifmer boxed (fj'iu characteristic stylo, a ; nd had no v'rowblo at ;ii'l. J.n tho final bo Mot RJMltsSeh, .who fed .p.nfracmsly beaten a coloured comedian from tte South Seas, in t]i& pefsOft of 11, Cahill, but who, though gamo enough, \vn& merely a passive resistor to tlio finiiio ottslafights. Was Hume Hit?

Tho heavy division provMod two bolife, In the initial rotirid of 'tho first heat 'between S. (uladifig and \V. Kitnie, the ftttme.f With toil pounds tbo better of tho weights, aiid #th o:v<.>r'y physical advantage, and nioro hosing ability, was having an easy .passage, Wlieii, in n. TC.ix-.up_ in a corner, Huino wont down over liig opponent's thigh. H:o stayed down, .and the referee, toldiiyj thai ho had. not been struck down., ordered him to got U-pv A second admonition failed to bi-isg him to Ms foot, and to waa disqualified, to ilie-, accompaniment o : j a, vigorous chorus of dissent. A Cooii Finis Ft. 11l tlio Etta], '©lading mot S, CJerald., n, Wiararapa boxer, .and a _ really good *la-sii that is, in.sg faV as vigour,, dotermfliatioit, aud ftil'tinraiess to. Of Scientific boxing th.cro waslittlo ut tho absence -fit cfinqbes, ari:d tbo : good humour and vo.rv_pvid.ent ardour of the two' bifl .men, wfiicif itlpaitt soriiotlii:iig doing all tire- time., 'made a jTopulaf tarn,. Gerald got the decision and earned ifc a teiihs-Aiid v/jiyj Reverting to the. episodo, aiwind wijich .nnich .discussion hag arisen,, tho 'eutisso.li.bitt arguincnts liav'o ■sliqw.irpietity eori'cilnsi.yely. that tbo tnio inrai'dftc'sTS of 'Hunter's disqualification has iro't been understood. ' Tbo : d'isoussio.n has cpntred lihieftj' ronnd tbo question -as to whether' or not Jiacfai'I ta.no was "up 1 * wbcH strufrk tbo seeond time This phase of tlio case dms not outer into tho rustler at all. Tbo rule bearing on the point At issins, aeeordUHt : to tiio Hula Booif fif tbo New SJo.a'l'aud ■Uosiflg Gofln-ci'l, ruus.Cpa'go 2.5): "A'competitor wl'iojia-.s ■knocked down lii.s opponent must immediately a'e'tiro to tho'cooier farfes.t fitm his .opixm•Qiit."

This is tho rule that Hunter braise, and fio earned his disqualification. The breach placed .M-acfadaiie (st such a disadvantage and so prejudiced his clraiicos of winning that it would have boon * gross iujusticp to him. not to have applied the .penalty; fiunter> a particular fy sportsmanlike baser : nS & rule.,. nto-■lrießta-iiiy lost his head, as many another more •experienced man. has done— ■■ and that is all there- is to it. The Eagja "QUis" tha Wallaby. In .Australia things.'hare been .happen-i-ttg oi late that deservo'ruovo space than it "is passible to accord, them jitst new. "iriieso HappSningß have- spelt- disaster, to the island coiitiiie.nVs two ctaek tightweights, -Hugh Sehegau and ltos, M'Cbj. ' the former owo more went mi* dor to that devastating Amsrieafo w'birl\vind, Hilbiirn Sa.yloT, while .-Mw, as reported by cable., was 'settled in the fifteenth round ttv -aiiotlidr of Uiieio Sam's represchtalivds tii th.o.th.o ■pors-on ol "Joe"' ''Sh-ugriift. ; iHtfSduoing J, .ShugMe'. This latter gladiator is..one of the PttTt*' sfc 'R-L, flafer in the fetat&s, -and -sent oiit.lit/the. fidufflfmy of '•Jimmy'' Clahby. jH,O '& A '^ i - Vl " Yorker, arid, like "Pal" .Rrown;-Sailor, "j-'olf"'Smith, Harry Stone, _a'n.d Mhtrs-, lias foukl t-tiH closo ■cOr.po.ra.tioji-s. formed iiv tbe riiampiofl:sl(ip dwisious ill Ampi>)k so hard to break in ; l<? thivt ho has conio oversea to *in aftffictdnt tiW"? and tertuno to o.nstfr6 iecogWrtiott an tentative land -on- Ms return, ihgtjto is i> Pood mm is showii te hoidtfcni °< jt'Coy, details of which have yet- to ■reactt us, .. ' ..