IN THE RING

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 7, 9 January 1932, Page 19

IN THE RING

AN^tHER AUSTRALIAN'

BLACKIE MILLER HERE

WANTS ALAN CAMPBELL

: The latest. Australian, to-.seek to display his pugilistic" wares in; New Zealand is Blackie Miller, ex-heavyweight champion of the Commonweaith. Miller arrived last week, and lost no time in lodging a challenge to Alan Campbell with the writer. He reckons to enter the ring : a t 13s^ 101b, .':. . -.. ■". . .

It was in 1924 that Miller, who in his youth was a seaman in the Aua- . tralian - Navy, won the Australian heavyweight championship from Em Sheppard, He defended the title twice .against Em , Wa'ddy and then lost to Waddy, also about that time losing twice to Tom Heeney. , He scored wins, against Billy Shade and Max Gornik. Like .a. fellow Australian boxer in George, Cook, Miller then developed into a globe trotter, and in South Africa he' won one match and lost one against Tom.Heeney again. From South Africa he made his way to Berlin to win a, decision over Paul Samson; and to lose one to Hymann. Canada next attracted the -wandering Australian's- attention, and mr Montreal, he beat EMo Biuox, the. French-Canadian champion, losing on points to Roy Mitchell. [ Miller's showings so impressed the critics that he was next given a chance in the famous Madison' Square Garden, where he ..lost to Martin Burke. In Boston he scored over Eockne Stone, and he also:. beat. GeoTge Gemers. Through. France, Spain,, and, Portugal the- Australian made his way picking; up-'contests in:each-country, and in 1928 he-arrived in Buenos Aires, where ■for'six-months he was sparring partner. to Luis Firpo,' who was preparing for ■;a second contest with. Dempsey in 1929.Tex JBickard'a death, however, decided the f'Wild .Bull", to .give up the .-idea,', and; Miller set out to look-for^fights on his own accounti He had! three in the Argentine and one! in Rio Dei Janeiro.Once: again he found himself back in the: States, and after several contests he returned to his native land'at the end of 1929. Wellington-enthusiasts may remember-Mm being, introduced, by Mr. Arthur Curtayne prior to the Era Connors-Bobby Delaney bont in the Town Hall.

In Australia the ex-ohampion boxed Pat Redmond, Fred Young, and Leo BandiaSj'Who- is now : in England with George Cook. A bad hand has kept him out of the game: for some time, ana it is-in'an effort to re-establish liimself that he .has come to New Zea-land-in search of contests. ': . ,

:' The Australian has had the advantage of working-'out-with some,of the; best heavyiveights in the world; Jack1 Sharkey and Paolino XTzcudun. being' two who: have utilised his services frequently Tvhen; preparing fot big. contests." Wbrld^ Banking. ..;-■.-■.' ./ ■ ~',.':':'

■:; Although.'he has proved his ability to beat nearly all America's, best lighttveighta. Kid; Btrg does' not figure in the revised ranking-list just issued by tjlß, -National Boxing. Association. Canzprieri heads' the division," with' Billy Petrolle and. Louis Kaplan as' the two most likely contenders/ of the . .title. The list of champions at-the various Wights is:' Fly: Genaro1; Bantarii: Al^BroWn; Feather: 'Battalino; Light:

~Canzon,eri;.Welter: Thompson; ; Midd.le Vacant; Light-heavy: Vacant: Heavy Schmeling. -

Berg, who is considered by some to be the-junior welter-weight champion, is placed fourth in: that, classy .Canzoneri being ranked as. champion,; with King ;Tut and "Baby" Joe Gang occupying second and third places. In the middle--weight class, in which th/e title is vacant, Jack Hood is placed; second in preference to Len Harvey. ''Gorilla" Jones is ranked as the likeliest contender. •■-. - ...:.-.. -.. Other English boxers to gain recognition are Al Foreman, second to Battaliuo in the "Feathers," and Dick Corbett, second to Al Brown in the bantam-weight cjass. Pxiino Camera has dropped from-fifth position to thirteenth in the heavies. Sharkey is retained as the most likely challenger, with Tommy Loughran, the former light-heavy champion, as the next best. The Association passed a resolution urging, the creation of an international committee for. the purpose of approving or rejecting title claims. ,;-,lt ,was suggested that the committee consist of one member from each of the International Boxing "Onion,■•..the, British* Board of Boxing Control, and the National Boxing Association. Singer Knocked Out. : Stepping out of the featherweight class, the champion, "Bat" Battalino, knocked out Al. Singer, in two rounds in Madison.. Square Garden early, in December.... Battalino. carried so.much weight that he outscaled the former lightweight' king,1 whose defeat, it is said, probably brought-to a close a career as strange-as any in. modern ring annals. Two: years ago Singer knocked out Sammy-Mandell with half a dozen punches to win the lightweight crown,, and then, in his : first, title defence, he went out before one punch from Tony Canzoneri. " Mandell has already- hung up his gloves, and; it looks as it the boy who dethroned him. ;Onco again knocked from the ranks of the.top.-notch.lightweights, will have to do the same. . ■ , ; Good Boxer; Little Money. \ "'.' .■ Fidel la; Barba, ,tbe former flyweight champion, , is. still .boxing' with, great' success among the featherweights, and -hii; latest.victory Tras to score a oneiround knock-out over "Wildcat?' Carter, a reputed brilliant- negro fighter. The receipts totalled £220-^a significant sigii of the,times. 1. Bdxeisj as Wrestlersi ;:':-:- :i ■' ■George Godfrey, the. negro;, heavy-, weight, unable to get.fight's, has.turned wrestler . and; iis /appearing;: with fair, success.: The negro, however, is apparently; pretty easy ;as to the: sporthe'adopts to make.:money,.for he' is still challenging the Boxers. Godfreyis not the1 only boxer who" has^ mat; ambitions, for leon. See was once reported to have said that when Camera won: the world's heavyweight boxing. cha'mpi6n4 ships, he'was going,[to. take on- the {wrestlers. .. , -." t .... .-'J .■• -< Mickey1 Walker Drops a Decision; ,■ ' Jfot.allMickey Wafer's battles are' fought Jin. ,the .ring.*.' -The : ex-miiidle4 weight^ .champioa;and;'present contender; ifor the-world's..heavyweight; title, has recently been a prominent figure in theXaw ' Courts, where he has been defending a claim, by his •.wife for. £5000; for the maintenance of his children between June, 1929,: when, the couple permanently separatedj to Julyj 1931, whenf Mrs.: Walkers-divorce decree was-made absolute. Mrs. Walker alleged that' the champion lived lavishly from 1925' to, 1928 on an income averaging more;. ;than jdß3ojOoOv'a-iyear.V.,,. Walker, ad^ mitted. that he' was. 30, years of, age/ and said that he: had been, fighting-, since; 1917. •-- In denying:: that he had ever given £20 tips-, to. entertainers, Walker 'said that the. fighting game was much' better in.' 1927 than it- is

to-day. The decision in the legal bout was won by Mrs. 'Walker, who was awarded £1000. ; Fairhall Goes Back. Tommy Tairhall, retired welterweight champion of Australia, who has been in New Zealand.for the past year or so, returned to Sydney by the'Marama yesterday. Pairhall has prospects of fights at the Leichardt Stadium, but he told the writer that he would be back iii New Zealand within three months. Among those on the wharf to bid the Australian farewell were Pat Connors and Ted Morgan. Fairhall was accompanied by his wife, who joined him while he was in Timaru.