RING NOTES.

Grey River Argus, 24 April 1911, Page 7

RING NOTES.

(By "Cross Counter" in" the "Post."

The mighty W. W. Naughton has been and gone, and has left behind him some news notes — some old, some fresh, but all interesting. The exigencies of space in an evening paper prevented the following additional items from getting into the interview published in the Post on Tuesday evening last:— It is interesting to hear (from Mr / >Jaughton) that America has to thank Australian invasion of years ago for ier present position of dominance. Hen like "Jem" Hall, Oeo. Dawson, Peter Jackson, Tom Meadows, "BilIv" Maher, and "Steve' y O'Donnell brought over the upright, straight left |tyle jof -fighiting — introduced it (to fee States. Then came the reaction, ihe search by the stricken Yankees for counter-attack. In the end, and is a result, came the fierce, hardhitting- infighting American champions. ' Questioned regarding the position, He would assign to that great fighter I "Bob" Fitzsimmons, in the list of Marquis of Queensbury heroes, the American said that after he came to the States the ex-Timaru iblacksmith appeared to change his style, and become more of the natural pugilist. If "Fitz" had come to the States ten years earlier than he did," added Mr Naughton, "he would probably have proved the greatest heavy-weight the world has yet known. The 'old man' could hit terribly hard from a short distance. 8 * ; ! ',^S) 'some personal^ notes. Wolgast, the present lightweight champion, is a natural fighter, dur-, able and tricky, with a lovely right upper-cut. It was mainly this weapon that took the championship from that , battered warrior, "Battling" Nelson. Abe Attell, one of the "little" men, I is (says the visitor) to America what the marvellous Griff o was to Australia. The wonderful little Attell is a great favourite, and trains for a battle just enough to see him through. He lives well, and takes; no great or . particular care of himself, but he is a marvel of speed, shiftiness, and science. He can hit hard enough at times, and altogether stands out as an exceptionally fine, little fighter. Reference was made by Mr. Naughton to the difficulty some "heavy" light-weights have in making the American limit 1331 b. Wolgast can do it easily, but men like "Packy" McFarland, who have to work strenuously — work as far as weakening- them selves — leave too often their fight in the gymnasium. Surprise was expressed 'by the critic at Dave Smith's first victory over Papke, but none in the latter's win in the return. When "Cyclone" •Thompson beat Papke, American "fans" laughter consumedly. Mr Naughton has a shrewd idea as to what caused the merriment. Me Naughton was greatly tickled at the idea that Lester, Burn's protege, who fights Lang in Sydney, came to Austarlia under his auspices^ "Just tell your people from me that I didn't chaperone Mr Lester" — added the visitor. He commended the New Zealand Boxing Council's care in having the competitors medically examined before a fight. In America (as here) an outcry is raised when 3( pugilist unfortunately dies from the result of injuries sustained in the ring, and then, said Mr Naughton, there is a feverish and strict examination! of. the men for about three months. After that — well, it doesn't matter so much. The council's abolition of the kidney punch — really hitting with the "heel" — too, was com mended. In America it is known as the "anvil" punch. Mr Naughton anticipates considerable trouble over the definition of' what is and what is not a "kidney" punch when the question of disqualification is a probability. There is a lot of talk through Amer ica of the fight put up by Carl Morris, one of the score or more of the "hopes of the white race," who won his fight with Mike Scherek this week (says a Sydney paper). Morris won £1300 by the fight, and the scene at the ringside was an extraordinary one. Drink-filled cowboys and railway navvies came along", and brought with them the big bell from the locomotive that Morris used to drive. "They would have .brought the engine if they could have carried it," says one paper. Anyhow, they rigged the bell up beside the press box, and made an incessant racket all through the fight. Schereck's hardest job was to stagger around the ring, waiting for his quietus, for Morris won all the way and fought 11 strong battle. The English critics have a wonderful opinion of Sam Langford, whom they regard as the next holder of the world's heavyweight championship. "A mere superficial inspection of Lang and Langford," says one authority, "might lead one to think that Lang, standing six inches taller, and evidently weighing two stone heavier, had all the physical advantages. But a closer observation reveals the enormous width of Langford's chest, his thick, capable thighs the welded stength of his iron jaw, and th enormous strength of his wellrounded and supple arms. He moves with the silent stealth of a panther, and one is not long in being convinced that he \is the perfect blend of. strength and speed. A~dd to those qualities the mental attributes of courage, cunning, audacity, enterprise^ opportunism, and all the rest of it, and can j^ou wonder that Langford has been described as the ideal fighting machine, or that Jack Johnson is rather shy of meeting him?"