Big Fight Surprise

Hokitika Guardian, 1 June 1922, Page 4

Big Fight Surprise

COOK DISQUALIFIED. ALL HOLDING AND LITTLE SCIENCE. MAN DON, April 8. L was a smashing right-hand punch, delivered in tli:* Hth round, anil sent in wi ll accuracy anil rapidity' that must- have astonished those who accuse Beckett of slowness of thinking and delta.a v. that was the undoing ol Cook in the fight at the Holland Park Hall, Loudon. last night.

lie was movipg inwards at tho time, but so terrific was the punch that lie staggered back on bis beets, ami long before be was given time to recover Beckett had landed another right and a left that had plenty of sting behind it. It was all over from that moment. Cook was tottering as be sought one of his favourite clinches, but Beckett, fighting tigerish ly, lashed him with shoit-arm blows that quickly reduced the Australian to a state of complete imnntenee.

Flo was so manifestly beaten that it was really no wonder that he held on with all jiis might. Had he attempted to step away he would have gone down in a heap. Stamina, hope, everything, bail gone : Cook’s sole chain e <>f remaining on bis feet was by dinging to Ids opponent as a’barnaele to tin* side ol a ship. Beckett worried him, wrestled with him. arc.l all that was left of bis strength, but Cook 'continued to bug and hold until the referee, to the reliel of everyone-—and very rightly, it may be said—stopped tlie . proceedings and award'd the light to the Englishman. DISAPPOINTING FIGHT.

Those who were watching Beckett's face at the instant of the disqualification were given a nun ark aMo display ol varying emotions. Anger, distress, anguish, supplication—They were all on Beckett’s rugged face, to bo. chased away in the end, of course, by y wide, satisfied smile that was plain proof ol bis pleasutc and Ireedoui Ironi anxiety. As a contest it was about as indifferent as anything ever w itnessed. Iwn street-corner quandlers would have put up an exhibition that (rum the point ol view of merit would have left i! thorottgldv in the shade. Tin* fact that lhe referee slopped li e light mi tinea oc-

casions--tlie first was w ithin a minute el the start—to deliver, lectures to the fuel) is the best possible evidence that the tactics elliploved were linin'. THE CHIEF OFFENDER.

Conk was tlie chief offender, lie was obsessed by a notion that il was bis dntv to keen I lose. I le Iclil openly and flagrantly, bjil Beckett was not nudeMoving of blame. It was rather a pity in the eireumstames that .Mr Douglas, the leferce. did not take tin* ting. Had lie done so we might have been saved at number "' incidents that u:o L. s' lorgolt u. I ,*,*k,*U did not mid to hi: rep Hat tan t< any great ex!._*nh, although it is mil

dun to liiin to say that at times l.e did try to 1,0':.

Cook la uothinc; to remember the fight. What-rent' he had as a contender for wid's i.-l-ii!"<;]ii‘iii.slii|> hoti<ii; 1-k i - 1. ;; .■ i ;•> -iuh :U> e'ito’it th'iit, it w ill not ha in tic Hast surprising if he ill !(•:! out sit. g•;.1 . i! .• CilllllOt he [he • r ~i e v-weight ]>uIn h. .Midway in l l.e four 1 h round he landed on Hadn'tt with all hi-: strength. It was a Ido v tied l!:-\v sltaight to the jaw hut lor all i l .. idl'i". I. it lad it might as w !! have I eon a lireaih of summer wind. Beckett was not ; vea stagger-d, and 1 somehow' fancy that the failure of the jjrti-'i (i d 111. <•!i ol (Volt’s conlidenee. He laid put everything he lad into t'. ( dc'.iu ry, and it n.iisl im.e hevii vorv dl loiiieriing to Inin to «I:fscov.r that i’eikctl. v a not only still m his feet,'hut fighting with the same fury that had ( l.atacit:;ised him at the start.

Of science, ringernft, finesse, or boxing cleverness thttv was none. There

was eh. e-unaii. r hauling in nbund-ntu-e, hut ii was of poor quality, and, what was even more disappointing, it was not always distinguished lay that fairness which we have a right to expact in an Kuglish ring. Beckett ] had some sympathy for. He did make attempts to stand up and box, hut Cook was forever boring in and grasping and clutching, and holding. He was faster mi his feet than Beckett, and the frequency with which he missed blows that werr nliviouslv intended to finish Beckett demonstrated that had Cook lik’d he could have done very much better. 11 is best round was the fourth, but tie was outfought in the second as well as in tie last.

It, was not it fight I Inil anyone w ill want to remember. .Mailo up • for the m'«.st put of hugs and wasted effort, its only purpose was to prove that if anv endeavour is made to match, either took or Hooke*t with Dempsey, the person responsible will unquestionably he deserving of censure.