BOXING.

Hokitika Guardian, 26 June 1923, Page 4

BOXING.

CEOEGE COOK BEATS FRANK GODDARD. - I > v Trevor C. Wignall in Daily Mail . LONDON. April :27 At the National Sporting Club last nielli George Cook, the heavy-weight boxing champion of Australia, defeated EranlT Goddard, the ex-heavy weight champion of Great Britain, on points in a 20-mttnds contest. The Australian’s victory was thoroughly deserted. Despite the fact I Pel iiis opponent possessed all the physical advantages—height. weight, anil reach—Cook fought a hrainy bat l lc that was infinitely to his credit. Compared with Goddard, who is magnificently fashioned, ho " I,s ,m,rP like a middle-weight, than a heavyweight, yet from he,ginning to end ol a light that was as good and as interesting a, any that have been staged in recent years, be was the fasici and most distinctly the cleverer boxer.

Goddard was not permitted to light as he likes to light. Tlis favourite method is to stand fast and exchange punch for punch—which he employed to good purpose when he met Yells but Cook, knowing this, kept worrying him in much the same way ns a terrier worries a rat. When things went badly for him as they did in at least lire rounds) Cook held tightly to his man or ~],C so fixed his body that Goddard could not hit hint.

Had Conk pos-cssed anything Dial resembled a knock-on! punch—and Ihe hmk of weight behind his blows is the ~|ii-f of his defects—lie would have won long be I ore the 10! It round was reached. Eor the lirsl seven rounds he was so completely the master ot (bald;,rd that it call he .-aid with truth that he scored every point.

As a Spcclaclc the bout was capital In every way. It showed Cook in a new light-as a llcet-foutod, extraordinarily agile man whose knowledge ol the liner points jif boxing is much greater than it we- supposed to he. He fought well for two or three rounds again-1 Carpentier, hut his form lasi iiv... 1,1 un- io advance ol anything he he:! previously shown oil this side. I hope he will now he matched with Bloomfield —the boxer who has a big-

ger chance of reaching the very lop nf the ladder than any other in tic.’ country, and who will probably do so it he will slusl some ol the peculiarities Hint have l so far distinguished him. (bald.:rd was not so disappointing t' o hi- detent would suggest. lie lias never been last. 111! - never been able to In in but there L no doubling TPearnest ness. He was beaten because lie was op)*o-c:‘l by a man who thought une-kcr. bit i|iiickcr, and who was also a decidedly better general.