Criqui Beats Fox.

Hokitika Guardian, 17 July 1922, Page 1

Criqui Beats Fox.

LONDON, Ma.v 30, At Holland; Park Rink, London, last night, Eugene Crifjui, the featherweight champion of France, defeated Joe Fox, the feather-weight champion of Great Britain, in tile ]2tli round of a 20-rounds contest, the referee stopping the fight after Fox had been down three times.

lit was a, case of a one punch lighter heating an opponent who was incomparably his superior as a scientific boxer.

When tlie 12th round opened Fox was so far ahead on points that victory for him seemed assured. I am inclined to think that the ease with which he kept ramming his left into Criqui’s face made him overconfident.

There was one round —the Bth - when ho landed seven straight lefts in rapid succession. Criqui was totally incapable of finding n defence suflivently good to cope with Fox’s left hut all the time lie was searching for a chance of delivering his tremendous right. The opportunity cstmo soon after the 12th round opened. Fox was? now boxin- very openly. His gloves were down near his hips. Like a flash Criqui leaped iu and got home the one blow he had been patiently. waiting to employ. FOX’S COLLAPSE. Fox was spun completely round and collapsed on his face. He scrambled to his knees after five seconds and gazed wildly around. It was palpable that lie was beaten, but lie managed to return to the upright just in time, and then, more by good luck than good management, he continued to escape the hurricane of punches that were shot at him. Ho did not make a good recovery during the minute’s rest. He was still weak and dazed when he left his corner, hut for nearly a minute his natural ability as a boxer served him so well that lie made Criqui’s attempts to deliver a- finishing punch appear feeble in the extreme.

He was eventually caught !>v another right which struck his throat, hut this time he was only down for two seconds. He was scarcely back on his feet when Criqui drove in a left hook. Fox went down in a heap and long before the count had finished Mr C: H. Douglas had rightly intervened and awarded the contest to the Frenchman. THE FRENCHMAN’S MISSES. Fox’s tactics, in the main, were admirable. There were occasions when he boxed like a master. After the first round he was nearly always the aggressor. He relied chiefly on his loit, but it, was his elusiveness, which was not of the showy variety, that particularly pleased the onlookers. He never danced or shuffled, and yet he was invariably just out of distance of Criqui’s frequent swings. It must he a very long time since the Frenchman missed so often. Apart from the punch that finished the light, the best of the night came from Fox—a short uppercut that caused Criqui to lover up and also give ground. The Frenchman's sole aim, of course was to get ill with his right. He actually took punishment to create openings. For n man who was shot clean through the face in the war and who, as a consequence has a jaw that is pait|v artilLu inl he has powers of resistance that are positvely phenomenal. He must have been hit in ,the face a hundred times, hut the cflects were not visible. it was a capital fight, quite one of

the best, as a matter of fact, seen in London this year. It was clean, excellently handled, and it must have satisfied those who like scientific boxing quite as much as it delighted those who prefer plain battling. Criqui was lucky to win with om punch. And yet, despite the fact for eleven rounds lie was out-boxed and out-gencrallcd. he always looked like doing it. . . . He did not win any championship with his solitary blow, hilt for all that it is definitely certain that ho is clearly entitled to regard himself as the feather-weight champion of Europe. If ever he meets ■\Yvns, tho present holder of the title Criqui, in my opinion, will gain victory with much more ease than lie did last night.