THE BIG FIGHT.

Hokitika Guardian, 14 January 1922, Page 3

THE BIG FIGHT.

DETAILS OF FIGHT.

AUSTRALIAN ANI) N.Z. CARLE ASSOCIATION. LONDON, Jan. 12 The Australian Press Association representative states Albert Hall was crowded in every part when the contest began, including a larger percentage of women than ordinarily. It was seen Cook had plenty of supporters. Their cheers and cooecs were vociferous as lie entered the ring. He stuck a. doll mascot in the corner. COOK’S GOOD START.

The opening three rounds promised a better fight than turned out, but it soon became evident that Carpentier was only waiting an opportunity for landing his famous right.

Many of Cook’s bai lackers .were misled by his partial success in ihe infighting, but there was no weight behind his slaps upon the Frenchman’s neck in the clinches.

Undoubtedly. Cook was flagrantly guilty of holding in third round. The referee cautioned him severely tlieroauent. Carpentier spent two rounds in taking Cook’s measure, and in seeking foi an opportunity of landing his ,ighi. Carpentier made several misses m attempting the same. This suppoi v\l the erroneous idea that Cook was going to give a better shownig than really was

the case. Cook landed more hils in Die i ing filial the Frenchman in the first two rounds, but the.latter’s blows did much more damage than Cook’s. Carpentier only began to warm up to earnest fighting in the third round. The damage he then quickly inflicted was responsible for the semi-dazed manner wherein Cook was guilty of hitting the Frenchman after the gong.

The fourth round was only half over when Cook fell into the simplest trap, lie gave Carpentier an opening which the Frenchman was so patiently looking for throughout. Carpentier, with lightning rapidity, landed a right swing to the jaw, and, as Cook went down, lie repeated a similar right swing with such speed ajiul dearness that many" wrongly imagined'he had hit when Cook was actually down, this error resulting in some shouts of ‘‘Foul!”

Summing up the position, Cook was quite unequal to Carpentier’s calibre. The contest, intrinsically, adds nothing to the Frenchman’s reputation. Me had little to heat, and was easily the superior man in science, intelligence, and skill, against which Cook had only weight and a well-trained body to offer.

Interviewed By the Australian Pres Association, ns .lie left the ring, Cooksaid: “It was the second right, when 1 was falling, that finished me.”

BEFORE THU FIGHT. LONDON, Jan. 12 Cook arrived in London from his training quarters before lunch, lie was enthusiastically cheered as he entered a hotel in the Strand. On the bonnet of his motor car was, as a mascot, a doll dressed as a ballot dancer, with a yellow tab attached to it, inscribed “Good Luck, Digger!” There were other mascots inside the car which included an Australian flag, and a model bulldog. A pair of Indies’ evening siioes hung behind. After greeting liis friends and posing for photographers, Cook lunched from a pound of beefsteak, three eggs, bread and butter, and weak coffee. Then he went to bed.

Before going to the Albert Hall in the evening Cook ate another similar meal. Cook informed an interviewer: “I feel that I am going to have the fight of my life. When I face Carpentier, 1 shall feel as 1 do when ) sit down to a Big steak. I'll be happy. I have been interested in all this wild talk about Carpentier’s terrible right. It seems to me that it has put the wind up the critics. It has yet to do the same to me. Until Carpentier proves he can floor me, I’ll think, as I’ve always done, that his punch is one of the most exaggerated things in the world.’

CARPENTIER’S BIRTHDAY. AN INTERVIEW. LONDON, Jan. 12 Carpcnlier celebrated Ills 28th birthday bv defeating Cook. In an interview, Carpehtier said “book is a good game man. 1 found it very hard to hit him in the right spot, owing to his good cover. He was exceedingly clever in ducking some of my right punches. .TIMMY WILDE’S OPINION/ Jimmy Wilde, interviewed, said: — “The fight was a, good one. Cook hexed extraordinarily well. He gave Carpen tier a lot of trouble. The “Morning Post” says;—“Cork showed immense pluck, but lie was lucky to escape Carpentier’s early punches, and to get into the fourth round. There is no comparison between the work of the two men. It was like a master swordsman overcoming an ugly opponent coming at him with a bludgeon.’