FIGHTER WITH BRAINS

NZ Truth, Issue 1202, 13 December 1928, Page 12

FIGHTER WITH BRAINS

When McAlister Got Clear He Knew What To Do

Perhaps only m one., direction did Billy McAlister impress when he met Frank Taylor at Wellington this week.

BEING bantam champion of Australia it was natural to expect something outstanding from McAlister, but m a certain measure he failed to come up to specifications. He was slow, both on his feet and with his hands, and was as open as a gate to a good straight left, but there was one redeeming feature. He has brains and he uses them. Most boxers these days have brains but leave them m the dressingfcoom when they enter the ring. But not so McAlister. He plodded along until he saw an opening and was able to break clear and go to it. A rip to the solar took all the joy out of life for Taylor and when he staggered up at nine a careful measurement found a right hanging on his chin. And as he went down the "rag fell with him. The curtain had been rung down m the tenth. How different was the case when E'airhall had Trowern down m the same hall a couple of -weeks back. Fairhall . could only see Reg.'s 'chin. And a potential knock-out was lost to him. McAlister went to the bigger target first — the body. He took Taylor's wind away and then, with Frank sick, he hit him on the chin. Would that other fighters would fol-

low m the Australian's footsteps m this respect. McAlister gave the impression that he was bored,, stiff, and this may account, m ■ part, for the dull and dreary display he save. The crab-like tactics employed by Taylor— he was for ever holding: and claiming I—should1 — should have been enough to raise any fighter's ire, but not so Billy's. He just stood for it, not caring a darn whether the referee saw fit to yell his head off at Taylor. Billy was a bad case of superior : complex, if ever there was one. That may be all right from his point of view, but from a box-office standpoint it is all wrong. At Palmerstbn, McAlister will have to step ,a lot more lively to cope with Tommy . Griffiths. There he will be meeting, speed, and to circumvent it he will have to be firing on all cylinders. Griffiths is no novice, as Taylor is. Tom has been through the mill and those bouts with Gillespie and Barber have had the desired effect. Should McAlister ever run into Johnnie Leckie, it will be bad luck for him. On last Monday's .form, Leckie would make Billy appear like a worn-out cab- horse. .