BOXING.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLV, Issue 119, 22 April 1925, Page 9

BOXING.

(By “Flush Left.”) Last week “Flush Left” sought the columns of a Christchurch newspaper to obtain details of the Parker-Gornik controversy that transpired at King Edward Barracks on the night of the 13th inst. There was no reason to suspect that the description was inspired by the spook of the late \V. W. Naughton—one-time Sydney Referee editor. For. a man who had injured his hand in the third round t Gornik must be credited with putting up a game, strenuous scrap. It can be imagined that the> contest was one of those smooth affairs which take place at times, when there is no lack of action on the part of either contestant, and no particularly exciting incidents. The winner comes from the man whose work has proved the more effective, although he may not have laboured harder than the other fellow to inuko it so. On tho whole it provides good ( fare, but your fight fan prefers an element of piquancy, in the shape of an occasional nerve-rousing happening, during a bout, lor the K.O. 1)0 has no time, and is distressed when he recognises that it is likely to make its ap,appearance. Parker's boxing is deceptive, and is far better than his cramped style would lead the average onlooker to imagine. After the boxing lesson Huglne Dwyer will give him shortly at Napier he should show further improvement. Gornik requests a return match with Parker, and is sufficiently enamoured of his chance to be willing for the winner to receive the whole of the purse. What about that injured hand? Somehow, "Tarago m a recent Bulletin is suggested. . . . Jack retired to lii.s dressing room to be patched ui) by his second, and to explain to the reporters that he would have ‘won easily if lie hadn’t ‘done his hand’ ” Gornik .s real trouble is understood to be boils. When Purdy received the decision at Auckland over Baxter he was slightly more than light-weight; but to meet Harry Gunn at Timaru on the 16th be agreed to make 9st 61b. lie proved to be oik* pound lighter than stipulated on the night ot the fjo-ht, while Gunn’s weight was given us 9st lib. Had it been an amateur contest instead’ of a professional one, it is fairly safe to maintain that Gunn would ha\ bad very few supporters. Why a professional bout should occur as being m his favour is difiicult to determine; but the fact remains that tho Timaru Association hung up a purse of £l5O with the idea, presumably, that Gunn bad a chance to collect the thick end. On the other hand, the association may have been pleased to see its bov in action against Purdy (a. most laudable ambition), and if the public supports such an arrangement nobody has cause to complain, least of all Purdy. Gunn apnears to have been handicapped with an injured arm, which caused him to indulge in considerable holding. lie could have very well done without the handicap. Derry Clinton, the local feather-weight, is shortly to meet Dicky Vercoe, of Blenheim, in the latter’s home town Flush Deft” has always thought well of Derry, as ho never fails to give of his best and fairly revels in his work. He is not to be judged by his last contest here with Bert Brown, as on that occasion one did not require to be much of a judge of physical condition to recognse that Derry was terribly stule. Instead of the bright, youn,, athlete, eager to be up and doing he was jaded, and appeared to be peevish in Ills corner-which isn’t like Derry Clinton. The writer is sure Derry can out-box \ er coe, so why risk that right hand punch the Blerninite carries in his lighting kit. Make a points decision of it, and bring home the bacon. Impetuosity is liable to lead Der y into swapping punches with an adversary who may possess a more weighty one than his own. Which is bad policy. Clever, beady boxers rarely swap punches, i bey are remarkably unselfish in the matter, and firmly believe it is better to give than ito receive. “Flush Left” wishes Deny tie j best of luck. , . I I n fast week’s notes, while remarking on 1 the .“loop-holes” unscrupulous boxers eni deuvour to make use of when claiming a foul, t.he writer had not lost sight ot the provision made by the rules to guari : against such contingencies. “Before a professional enters the ring ho shall be examined by a medical examiner, or by the l referee, for any marks or bruises on the 1 body below the belt, and any protecting ! item worn by him shall also be examined. : In a recent cablegram from Boston advice came to hand that Australian Georgy Cook had won his first contest in America, he having defeated Bob Lawson Those behind Cook are not out to distribute charity, and may be considered capable-of placing him to bo best advantage, so some further successes may be expected for him. Look is quite a good boxer, as he evidenced at the Opera House here in his light with F ritz Flolland, but is not a particularly punishing once. Who exactly the Bob Lawson is ho vanquished is likely to he a fairly wellkept secret. , . , . Nothing so far has come to hand regaining our own Tom Keeney's doings in South Africa. Tom may not be too skilful in bringing them down on the wing; but if he should happen to catch them sitting its a sure case of that’s that.

Beforo theso notes appear Nelson McKnight will have mot Dick Paacoo at Greymouth. Nelson is a Palmerston North boy who lias done a groat deal of amateur boxing in tho Waikato. It will be romombered he submitted a most potent anodyne at tho Opera House here, some months back, in the form of a weighty right Land wallop. / No idea of his capabilities could be gauged from his exhibition then, ns practically all he did was to get after his opponent with the one sample. llis Waikato reputation, as known to the writer, is considerably ahead of that performance, A good, stiff left would be l’asooe’s gnAoSt with McKnight. It is not known, to the writer if Dick possesses such a handy weapon. It was recently announced that Laclue MacDonald is to be called upon to make a date with Eddie Parker for the middleweight championship. If the fight takes place MacDonald will ' assuredly realise that a judicious amount of actual fighting is the surest pathway to physical' and mental fight-fitness. Parker is getting that fighting, while MacDonald would appear to huve become side-tracked. There is, no doubt, a reason for it; but the sooner it vanishes the better for MacDonald. He is thoroughly game, and cool, and ever attempting to work a shift. Ilis greatest fault is permitting hirnself to be misled by the sensation of vigour and idea of'fveipht that indulgence in swinging blows imparts. Half tho damaged hands arc ' the direct result of swings, owing to inaccuracy in landing, and wrongful position of the hand to deliver the blow, and consequently to withstand tho shock of delivering it. Who has not seen_ the apparently effortless truly timed straight punch connect, and tiio uncomplaining recipient subside ? One of the most heady boxers the Australian ring ever knew is Syd Godfrey, and his headiness is not confined to boxing, but extends also to business. He fully realised his value as a draw when billed to tight at. the Stadium, and demanded 30 per cent, of the takings, and got it. Although ho bad retired as a..boxer he named £BOO as bis price when asked to.meet Harry Collins on the 11th inst. (race night) at Rushcutler’s Bay, and collected the amount stipulated; He was outed in the tenth, and ic would require no particular insight to suggest that distance as a likely one for him to get on learning that he was fighting at lOst. 6ilb. He must have been pretty fat inside, as the weight is a stone more than he used to be when at his best. It also has to be considered that Collins is slow at getting into his stride. The Australian ring has probably seen the las': of Syd Godfrey as a principal. The position Jlugbie Dwyer, is unknown to the writer. For quite u time one has rarely heard of him, yet he has proved equal to getting decisions over Syd Godfrey, and that fierco fighter Archie Brudley. lie has also held the lightweight championship, and yet of late he appears to have been quite out of the running. “There’s always room on top for boxers, as with others, and the public want those on top, and the men who run the game in Sydney know their business. Verb sap. If llughie Dwyer is as good as he used to bo, then bis fight with Eddie Parker at N'upier shortly will prove simply an exercise guliop for him. Dwyer is now a welter.

It is pleasing to ho able to record that Les Murray, champion light-weight, is now well again, und lias expressed willingness to defend his title during July, at Wellington At present Purdy has undoubtedly the prior claim to a match, nnd whut a gruceful rigadoon their meeting should provide. When Henry Donovan, Charlie Purdy’s manager, advised the Wellington Association by tolegra n, : n reference io another match with Baxter, “Fight not suitable,” it may safely be assumed that an explanatory letter followed. Donovan is not wanting in courtesy, or in business methods. It may also be safely assigned that the Wellington Association Committee recognises and appreciates business exigencies ; and has ideas removed from those of Little Pedlington. This aspect appears to be less generally recognised than it should be, and it gives no warrant to conclude that boxoi-6 are the governing factor in the control of boxing.

The president of the Manawatu Boxing Association, Mr H. E. Bennett, has returned from a trip to Australia looking litter than ever, and if a loeul contest is possible within measurable distance, then fight fans may rest assured that the president and his committee will not be wanting in the effort to provide one. It is the busy men who always find time to do things.