THE BOXING RING

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 118, 9 August 1927, Page 14

THE BOXING RING

Notes From Far and Near

By

"LEFT COUNTER”

It is likely that Lachie McDonald and Harry Casey will meet again shortly, as the Dunedin Association has offered them a ten-round bout.

Eddie Parker is in Sydney getting ready for matches.

Tom Heeney’s latest victim is Bud Gorman, who was disqualified in the third round of a scheduled ten-round bout.

A former middle-weight champion of Australia, Frankie Burns, who recently returned to the Commonwealth after a long stay in England, is in training for matches in Sydney.

The news that Purdy in his bout with Fairhall nearly knocked out his opponent wil be welcome to fight followers in New Zealand, even though the Maorilander came out with the loser’s end of the purse. The report states that Purdy delivered two hard lefts to the chin in the fourth round, and the bell saved Fairhall. When training for bouts in the Dominion, the Auckland boy often showed that he could punch, but when in the actual contest he preferred not to sacrifice his speed in order to land what might be a telling blow.

According to Fernand Cuny, the noted French trainer, who discovered Tunney, marriage imperils a boxer’s career in the ring. Me says that “boxers reach their best at 25, and after that they decline and are finished when they pass 30.” There have been some notable examples against this theory, but one or two will suffice— Tommy Gibbons, married and 34 years of age, went 15 rounds with Jack Dempsey. And there was Fitzsimmons, who was well over the thirty mark when he won the world’s championship.

Jack Delaney relinquished his title as cruiser-weight champion of the world on July 26, and the following day it was awarded to Mike McTigue. In future Delaney will be a heavyweight. Delaney won the title from Paul Berlenbach last year. McTigue has held the title before. He won it ifrom Battling Siki and held it for a considerable period, largely because he refused to let anybody have a shot at it. Writing of McTigue. an American says: “He took on Mickey Walker, then a welter-weight, and Walker gave him a pasting, completely justifying the unkind tale about Mike being ‘the world’s worst fighter at any and all weights.’ Ultimately Mike was forced into a battle with Paul Berlenbach and deprived of his crown.”

. A message from Boston states that Jack Sharkey’s doctor has announced that Sharkey has been suffering from

intestinal hemorrhages, but is recove! ing. The doctor is certain that Shark* was fouled by Dempsey.

New York will not abandon the chance of the Dempsey-Tunney bout being fought in that city without a struggle, says an American correspondent. of the Sydney “Sun.” The Boxing Commission has discused whether Tex Rickard should be allowed to charge £lO for the minimum seat, as an inducement to hold the fight in New York instead of in Chicago. The chances are that Rickard will coyly listen to both charmers, delaying the choice of locality until the best inducements are offered. It is calculated that Jack Dempsey in all has received £ 316,000 as his share of the “gate” from championship battles. It works out at £2,847 a minute.

After giving an amazing decision in favour of a boxer who had lost nearly every round of an eight-round preliminary contest at the Melbourne Stadium on July 16, the referee, Mr. Val Quirk, discovered, amid the hooting and uproar of indignant critics, that he had inadvertently “crowned” the wrong boxer as winner, says a Melbourne paper. The error was subsequently rectified in unique circumstances during an interval of the wrestling bout which followed. It was explained from the ring that, to make amends, each boxer would be paid as if he had won. Mr. Quirk could not withdraw a decision once given, but thp explanation and settlement satisfied all.

Freddy Welsh, former light-weight champion of the world, who died on July 28 in New York, was born on March 5, 1886, at Pontypridd, Wales. His real name was Frederick Hall Thomas. Commencing his ring career in 1905, he worked his way up and was recognised as one of the cleverest lightweights ever seen in the ring. By process of elimination he became the logical contender for the world title, then held by Willie Richie, of America. They met for the championship at the National Sporting Club, London, on July 7, 1914, Welsh winning on points in a 20-round contest. He did not receive a penny for his success, as Richie received the whole purse, having stipulated that he should be paid the sum of £6,000 win, lose, or draw.' Having won the championship, Welsh stated that he would use his position to earn money, boxing only when suitable terms were offered, and also dodging any challenger as long as he possibly could. He did this for three years, but finally met his Waterloo at the hands of Benny Leonard, who on May 28, 1917, in a ten-round nodecision bout at Madison Square Gardens, New York, gave Welsh such a beating that the referee stopped the fight in the ninth round. The championship passed to Leonard, who held it undefeated until his retirement. After his defeat, Welsh retired from the ring, and, having made a considerable amount of money, established a health farm at Long Hill, New Jersey, U.S.A. Welsh lived in America from the time he won the championship until he lost it. WELLINGTON NOTES O’CONNOR TO MEET GRIFFITHS (.From Our Resident Correspondent.') WELLINGTON, Monday. A match has been arranged between the featherweights, Tommy Griffiths, of Dunedin, and Darby O’Connor, an Australian, who is recommended by Will Lawless, “Solo Plexus” of the Sydney “Referee.” The match is to be held at Wellington on August 24, for a purse of £IOO. It was originally intended to match Artie Hay, holder, and Nelson McKnight, for the welterweight championship for a purse of a like amount, and £lO expenses, but although the holder was willing, McKnight held out for £l5O and £ls expenses. This was refused, and McKnight subsequently agreed to a similar match under .the Frankton Junction Association for the smaller amount. However, the New Zealand Boxing Council stepped in, and refused McKnight a permit to fight in Frankton because of his attitude toward Wellington. Lachie McDonald and Harry Casey will meet for the sixth time at Oamaru on Wednesday evening. Casey’s middle-weight title is not involved, as the bout is of 10 rounds only. Among important' remits to be discussed at the annual meeting of the New Zealand Boxing Association, to be held at Invercargill contemporaneously with the Dominion amateur championships, will be one from Hastings suggesting the limitation of purses to £l5O, including expenses. This remit is not a new one, but the attitude of the major associations, which has been antagonistic in the past, may not be so on this occasion. Wellington, it is believed, may partially agree with the spirit of the remit, with an amendment for providing extra inducement to stars from overseas.

In this connection, Billy Grime, now in America in quest of the featherweight title of the world, has offered to box under the auspices of the Wellington Association on his return. This is obviously one of the reasons for Wellington’s amendment. Another remit from Hastings suggests that all professional bouts be limited to 10 rounds. The Hawke’s Bay Association has been successful with double bills of 10 rounds, but against this proposal is the fact that there are not sufficient professionals

in New Zealand to provide double bills of 10-round bouts for all associations without the matching of the same boys several times over. At present there are no light-weights in New Zealand, no more than five welters, about four middles, no heavies, and half a dozen feathers. Thus it would be easy to work out these in a season. Furthermore, now that Ausralia has a 15-round limitation, there is always the possibility of a New Zealander winning an Australian championship. This could not be done under the 10-round limitation.

Mr. Earle Stewart again has been selected by the New Zealand Council to recommend suitable representatives tor the Olympic Games. Last year he recommended as an outstanding boxer Johnnie Keckie, of Dunedin, but this lad has now joined the professional ranks. Taylor, of Auckland, who also was recommended, also turned professional, and A. Cleverly, whom Mr. Stewart endorsed as a middle-weight, has now gone into the light-heavy division. Burton, fly-weight from the West Coast, and Fulcher, of Dunedin, light-weight, both of whom were singled out previously, are again competing for their respective titles, but Fulcher will have to be very good if he wishes to get the decision over E. Morgan, of Wellington. Morgan is regarded as perhaps the hardest hitting boxer, amateur or professional, that Wellington has seen in the ring since Tommy Fairhall was at his best five years ago. NORTHERN ASSOCIATION PRESENTATION OF TROPHIES “The annual meeting does not afford an opportunity for social fellowship as the meeting is confined to business and business only,” said the president of the Northern Boxing Association, Mr. E. A. Craig, last night, at a function in the Chamber of Commerce. The medals won at the Auckland provincial championships were presented to the following winners: Fly-weight, F. Pearcey; bantam, J. O’Sullivan; feather, R. Agnew; light, T. Slattery; welter, E. Armishaw; cruiser, A. Hogg; heavy, P. McCarthey. P. Coombe (middle) was not present to receive his trophy. The runners-up were also presented with medals. The Craig Cup, for the most scientific boxer at the championships, was presented to F. Pearcey. He also received a miniature of the cup which he retains as his own property. The cup itself will be again competed for at the championships next year. The Kohn Shield for the most successful trainer at the tournament was presented to Matt Hatton, who trained three winners. An excellent musical programme was submitted, songs being given by Messrs. W. R. Dixon, T. Hogan, W. Allen, J. Lonergan and W. Valentine. Mr. C. H. Turner-Pelluet and Mr. Walter Vernon, ventriloquist, ajso contributed to the programme. The accompanist was Mr. A. Murdoch.