THE BOXING RING

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 208, 22 November 1927, Page 16

THE BOXING RING

Notes From Far and Near

By

"LEFT COUNTER"

Sammy Mandell, ‘lightweight champion of the world, has been ordered to defend his title against any outstanding challenger or have a boycott raised against him in every State affiliated with the United States Boxing Commission . Eugene Volaire, the popular little French boxer who was in New Zealand about two years ago, has retired from the ring. He was always an attraction, and was one of the most popular men who ever donned a glove in New Zealand. Always a little gentleman, ’Gene was also a fine boxer, a game loser hnd a generous winner. He is in Sydney and in a .comfortable position. He has not wasted the returns from his many fights. Writing from Antwerp to a friend in Sydney, Tommy Burns refers to “Cyclone” J. Humbech, a Belgian heavy-weight whom he manages: “Humbech is a good fighter,” he said. “He is 6ft in height, 23 years old, and. in condition, weighs 13* stone. Two years ago he fought a draw with Paolino, Spanish fighter. whb is getting big money in America, where he de-

feated Harry Wills. The newspapers that reported the Humbech-Paolino contest favoured my fellow. Humbech is game, and fights all the time. He never lets his opponent rest. I may take him to South America. Tell the directors of Stadiums Ltd., that I will let them have Humbech for three contests for 30 per cent, of the gross receipts, the matches to be -completed within two months after arrival, and four return tickets.”

Complaint was made by Gene Tunney, after he had defeated Jack Dempsey in Chicago in the battle of Soldiers’ Field, that he had been struck repeatedly by Dempsey with the rabbit punch, a blow against the back of the neck, delivered with the right-hand held open. This is an illegal blow and renders the fighter who delivers it liable to disqualification for fouling. However, according to James A. Farley, chairman of the New York Athletic Commission, who was present at the ringside in Chicago, Dempsey was not guilty of striking Tunney with such a blow.- Upon his return to New York a few days after the fight, Chairman Farley was quoted in the New York “Morning World” as follows: “Dempsey didn’t use any rabbit punches. They’re all confused about that. He was cuffing Tunney about the head and ears and some of them landed on Gene’s neck. They can’t be called rabbit punches. As a matter of fact, except for one or two accidental low blows, Dempsey fought a remarkably clean fight. Tunney was doing a lot of holding at times and Dempsey,in his efforts to fight himself free, poked as best he could at Tunney’s head. I didn’t consider that any of the blows to the back of the head were anything like what we deem , rabbit blows under our rules.” Commissioner William Muldoon, though he did not witness the bout, but got it by radio, declared in his belief Dempsey had fought a clean fight.

On Friday night Hector Lecki. Dunedin, and Jimmy Carr of irni ‘ r ton. will meet. The Bluff Boximr a' sociation will stage the bout in wton. "®- - • • Owing to Sharkey injuring his h, . the fight between him and Tom which should have originally been F r ' cided last Thursday, will take plan,®'' January 13. ” ♦ * * It is expected that Tommy Rarh. resident feather-weight chamMon Australia, will be seen in action inV‘ Dominion before very long. Billy ii Alister, bantam-weight champion , Australia, may also visit these in the New Year. • mm Reg Trowern had his first def«„ since his return to Australia on \vlT nesday night. Trowern found Tom™ Fairhall too elusive. The Australian the early rounds piled up fie point and even the Aucklander s agrressn. ness could not reduce the lead. c ' After the big fight at Chicago th. "lost and found " articles picked un m Soldiers' Field included two set* - false teeth, three bottles of smelling salts, numerous flasks with nothing h,,. suspicious odours lurking within L men's hats, binocular cases, th4l slickers, an overcoat, loaded kevrinrlf etc., all dropii£d by excited fans sun posedly in the seventh round of thai memorable contest. * ♦ * The long-projected bout between Johnny Leckie and Tommy Griffith,/,; the feather-weight title will take pt* at Dunedin on December 3. The boir was postponed several times throu*Leckie injuring his shoulder, but tiboxer has now quite recover»?d and has notified the Otago Boxing Association that he is willing to meet Griffiths o* December 3. As the date is agreeabC to Griffiths, the bout has been arranged This should provide a fine fight* a. these boys are undoubtedly the two best feather-weights in New' Zealand. “Nobody cares for an ex-champion You’ve got to save your maney while you’re making it. When I was makin" big money I would have laughed it anybody had ever told me I would *nd up in court trying to explain why I couldn’t pay my bills.” This was what Jack Johnson said when he entered an insolvent debtor’s petition In America to save himself from a debtor’s cell Johnson made the petitior because he said he was unable to pay a 2,500 dollar balanec on an 31,0000 dollars bill for jewellery purchased in 1922 for his ■'ornier white wife. Lucille Cameron Johnson, in the futile attempt :o dlsstad* her from divorcing him. “The welter-weight champion of New Zealand,” Nelson McKnignt, was knocked out by Dode Bercot at Seattle. McKnight was knocked out in the last round of a six rounds bout It is not known whether the Hamilton boy has borrowed Hay’s title or whether it is the idea of an American promoter. Probably the latter. Overseas promoters appear to have a fondness for giving New Zealanders titles. It will be remembered that Ted Scott was billed in England as the champion of this country, but when that boxer returned to New Zealand and was approached on the subject he denied that he had anything to do with it. On the contrary, he said that he had seen the advertisements and had taken the trouble to deny them, but to no purpose. The promoters would have it that he was a New Zealand champion. Among the many novel features connected with the fight between Tunney and Dempsey were advertisements by a British tourist agency announcing a de luxe aerial tour between New York and Chicago. Seventeen airplanes wer* used in what was said to be the first public aerial tour. For the sum of £125 passengers were conducted in modern cabin-cruiser type machines from Curtis Field, New York, to Chicago, and were provided with ringside seats, and accommodation for the night at a first-class hotel, returning to New York on the following morning. Dempsey’s cook, guarded the pantry door at his camp with a gun, and anyone who tried to tamper with Dempsey's food would have had short shrift. Similar precautions were paid to obtain in Tunney’s camp. Two thousand five hundred police were assigned to duty in and around Soldiers Field on the day of the contest. Extraordinary precautions were taken to prevent Dempsey’s whereabouts leaking out. Rooms were booked in his name in two separate Chicago hotels, under pledges of secrecy, but in reality he was taken to a private house in a quiet corner of the city. The ngr.i spectators were directed by attendants, superintended by ~y OJ overseers, and over 1,000 ticket inspectors. There was a special on duty near the ringside covering the “millionaire” zone—the m °st e* pensive seats. Outside the stadmrn was a parking space for over automobiles. The benefit of a changea stance was demonstrated to *- >€ *' np 7 * by his manager, Leo P. Flyn, du “£f the course of a game of go*f. 7 made Jack drive the ball while stanoing on his toes, and then got h.mi stand flat-footed. Dempsey drove mart yards further with the flat-foot s and was persuaded to Veliev a pounds would be added to his P u , he stood the same while Rickard paid the State of Jilin per cent, of the receipts as tax. * reported that Dempsey cabled o land asking permission to engag Heeney as a sparring ;