RINGSIDE TOPICS

Evening Star, Issue 20137, 30 March 1929, Page 7

RINGSIDE TOPICS

BOXING NEWS AND NOTES SEEKfXG CHAMPIONS. STADIUM HAS A SCHEME. Since Mr Griffith promoted his last tourney, won by Jack Mason, very many lads have come to light who only require practice to develop into boxers of good class, and as they cannot all be catered for by means of short-distance preliminary bouts, the genial manager of fistic matters might reasonably organise another competition for those who have not competed in any kind of a scrap beyond ten rounds (writes “ Solar Flex us,” in the the ‘Referee’). And as feather-weights seem to predominate, 1 would coniine this competition to those that are little more than novices, whoso weight does not exeeeil list. Since Lime immemorial, as far as boxing in Australia is concerned, h. Inis been tnrneys and tourneys only, that have brought to light the host. Take, for instance, the Olympia, at Newtown, where such real lions of the boxing world came to light in the persons of Tommy Uren, who, though a welter-weight at the time, soundly trounced the great American middleweight Eddie M‘Goorty, and Ercd Kay, who, like Urea, beat the extremely clover American, Jimmy Clabby. They emanated from tournaments, as also did that wonderful lad, Reg. Sproule. And it was for what lie did in a tourney at Newcastle that the groat Los Darcy first came under the r. dice of good judges.

Dave Smith’s good work in amateur competitions brought biin to the trout as a star attraction when be did linn professional, and, in fact, it was through tho same means that almost every champion wo ever had became known, and the experience thus gained helped them to the front of their profession

As matters at present stand, with so many good-class boys eager lor light, but .only a limited number of nights at their disposal, it is impossible for tho promoters lo c;.ter lor tiie lot. Some must fall to seed whilst awaiting their turn, and who will say that among them there may not lie hn!s who, 'with plenty of ( nconragoment., would become champions!’

Thu Stadium Company is a mCno a (fair, and as such must make oeiy post a winner; but, evon il the lust or second, or even the third, tourney prove non-paying, they should, nevertheless, continue. Hut I don't Honk there would be a loss il i lie heats were fought out as preliminaries to Wednesday and Saturday night main events. And the promoters would reap the benefit later on, when, through tho tourneys, class boxers were brought to the surface. Only by' these mean-. will_ Air Gnffith lie able to draft the sheep fruu tho goats. Since writing this I have been C.’d by Mr Griffith of a plan lie has in mind —-tiie best, by the way, Died, lies ever been thought, out, and must insult in much good. It is liis intention to comb De Slate in search of good material, from which the best will be remodelled ami made more than iiseliil. The plan is to olfer inducements to tho best 10.7 man in almost every town in the State lo come lo Sydney, at the Stadium's expense, lo compete in a tourney. Excepting men who have figured with success over the Marathon journey, the proved host ot each place will ha eligible, lint such boxer must be well accredited as to ability and respectability by some well-known authority of his own place of residence. The thing will ho properly done. Large placards are to he presented and placed in shops fhroujhout Now South Wales—a move that will surely interest all concerned, whether he be a boxer or a supporter of boxing.

NO JUtAWLJi.iI. Til!-: REAL CHAMPION. As a rule. Die honest-to-goodness lighter is hard to pick a quarrel with; i,r fact, they will often take slams Lo keep out of "mix-ups of any kind. Then again there are some who imagine they nmst be tough and mix-up in scraps m order to lei the people know they are professional fighters. Tho latter class never amount to much. The late Joe Cans, considered one of the greatest light-weights that ever

lived, boasted that he had never struck a blow in anger outside of the ring in Ids life. It was a record to he proud of, lor Cans had been thrown into some of the worst company imaginable during his ring days. It showed that the champion had selfcontrol and plenty of it. During the time that Joe was on top lie lived in Ualtimore and owned an hotel. One evening several friends of the coloured champion visited him at tiie hotel and were having a good old fanning bee when they were interrupted by a well-known fighter about town, who had too much booze under his holt for Ids own good._ Ho was quarrelsome and began picking on Joe. The latter tried to induce the fellow to leave, but he would not have it, and let go a right swing that caught the champion on the eye. Everyone expected to sec the champion land on the intruder, hut Joe only grabbed the fellow by the arms and forced him out of the place. Everyone about the place was dumbfounded over Joe s action, for they could not imagine a fighter of (hins’s calibre taking a wallop, such as he did, from a third-rate png without retaliation. One of the party asked Joe why lie did not give Idm a good thrashing, and lie replied:— “ I have never struck a blow outside of the ring since I became a fighter. I mean by that that I have never hit anyone in anger and hope I never wiil.” Cans was always quiet and reserved. Ho never intruded whore he was not wanted, and had a kindly disposition. Even when he was making Ins lastlight against the white plague, that finally got him, he never lost his genial ways. _______ HERE AND THERE. An English paper has the following supposed interview with Ranlino Uzendnn:—“ In America 1 heat them all. J will beat them again. 1 met Keeney twice and heat in in three times. My left punch is terrible, and my right is worse. Eor every fight that I have not Avon 1 have excuses to offer. In my next fight may the best man win (tin's is absolutely sincere), and the best man is me.” Stanley Ketehell mod to take five punches'to get in one, ami when lie connected that one—the fight was Avon. The IHlipino Johnson tried to emulate KeichoVl when he fought his last contest. hut when Roberts hit him one he never got a chance to take the other four, nor did he get the chance to land Ids one. Immediately after the TTccnan-Saycrs Imre-knnckle tight For the championship of England, Thackeray, the novelist, wrote: ‘‘lf I Avcre King, I would send Tom Sayers to gaol lor a month, and make him Sir Thomas on coming out!” Such avos the sentiment of England on. those days—on the one hand.; the clement that froAvncd on lighting as a misdemeanour; on the other hand, the vast hero-Avorshipping public that had taken Tom Sayers to its bosom. Hilly Grime is done. That is the opinion of everyone Avho Avitnessed his poor display against La Mar ha in Melbourne. . On his return from America excuses Avero freely offered for Ids failure, and it Avas declared that his experience had made him an all-round improved fighter. TVhen Hilly Avas not clinging on for dear life he Avas crouched almost on to the canvas, and the loud cheers that greeted the pair when they shaped up soon turned to hooting of the most derisiVe kind, and many of the spectators did not remain to see the bout conclude.