THE BOXING RING

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 220, 6 December 1927, Page 13

THE BOXING RING

Notes From Far and Near

By

"LEFT COUNTER"

Tunney expects to hold the championship for at leasts another five years.

When a list of donors to the Roy Overend Memorial Fund was published recently the Northern Boxing Association’s donation of £lO was inadvertently omitted. Philadelphia Jack O’Brien, the former cruiser-weight boxing champion of the world, is now aspiring to the title of “champion physical instructor of America.” O’Brien, whose two j fights with Tommy Burns are still spoken of, is now 49 years of age, and doing fine business at his health school on Broadway, New York. The report that Duke Maddox had retired was apparently unfounded as latest advices state that he has been matched to meet Johnny Leckie at Hastings on January 2. The pair have met once before when Maddox forfeited his title to Leckie, as he did not make the feather-weight limit. However, he was knocked out in the second round. Latest reports state that P. Coombe, of Te Aroha, who won the middleweight title at the last Auckland championships, is turning professional and his first fight will be with Loveridge at Te Aroha in February. Coombe has had about 20 fights and has lost only four. He did not represent Auckland at the New Zealand championships. * * * The fifth consecutive win of Evan Davies, of Huntly, at Waihi on Saturday night was favourably received at the mining town, and the local boy apparently made a good impression at Waihi, where he was accorded a good reception. Davies speaks in glowing terms of the treatment accorded him at Waihi and trusts at some future date to assist in one of their carnivals. It is quite on the cards that he will be an entrant for the next New Zealand amateur championship contest. * * * The long-looked for contest for the feather-weight title between Johnny Leckie and Tommy Griffiths took place at Dunedin on Saturday night and Leckie retained his title by defeating Griffiths on points in 15 rounds. Leckie had won all of his previous professional contests by the short route. Griffiths has always been regarded as a clever boxer and according to reports he did not let Leckie have it all his own way. He was clever enough to keep out of the way of the punch that spells knock-out. * * * After having made a fortune in the ring Fidel la Barba has had the audacity to apply for reinstatement as an amateur. . Though boxers are not generally noted for shyness La Barba’s request surely “takes the cake.” The San Francisco “Examiner” states: “Fidel la Barba, who retired undefeated as the world’s fly-weight champion and who is now a student at Stanford University, is seeking to reenter the ranks of the Simon pures. He has applied to the Pacific Association of the A.A.U. for reinstatement as an amateur. 'However, according to A.A.U rules, one who has competed in professional sports must wait five years'before gaining reinstatement. La Barba, under the impression that he must wait but one year, is anxious to box and to play football for Stanford.” * * * Londoners will not after all have the pleasure of seeing Humbeck, the young Belgian heavy-weight, who, according to his manager and tutor, Tommy Burns, bears all the signs of a coming champion, states an English writer. Burns dearly wanted to exhibit bis charge to a London crowd before taking him to the States, but the old heavy-weight champion writes that he has been asked to leave for the States as soon as possible. A cable sent by Tex Rickard from New York offers Humbeck a contest at an early date, and though no opponent is named the boxer and Burns will sail shortly. Humbeck was a more than useful fighter before “Tammy” took him under his wing. He whipped Pierre Charles and got a draw with Paolino. He is aggressive and can punch, and may make his mark in the States. * * * Boxing proved itself the most profitable of sports last year in the Metropolitan Amateur Athletic Union, states the “New York Times.” About 1,500 boys are registered with the A.A.U. and in one 1923 tournament 1,000 young boxers competed. As youngsters they battle with a will and enthusiasm for no purse whatever, and often their performances provide more action than do those of better-advertised professionals. In one recent show at Madison Square Garden there were 12 knock-outs in 20 bouts. The spectators numbered about 4,500 persons, a crowd as large as many of the regular club shows attract. In the A.A.U. the inclination of youngsters toward the art in self-defence is co-ordinated with the development of good habits. The boy who gets into its amateur tourneys must neither smoke nor drink. He is taught to live cleanly and to keep himself in condition; otherwise he is not permitted to fight. The incentive to win glory in the ring, to excel perhaps among the boys of the neighbourhood, or even to settle a grudge may often be the primary motive that starts the boys on their way toward the amateur boxing ranks. But many of them Remain through later years for exercise. Tunney, the champion, has said that his ultimate ambition is to spread the gospel of clean living among boys. Amateur boxing is doing that. Tunney began his study of the manly art in the same way as the present 1,500 registered amateurs in the metropolitan area.

The following is the report submitted to the New Zealand Boxing Association by Mr. Earl Stewart upon the form displayed at the amateur championships at Invercargill in August: “In my opinion, the available boxers best calculated for appointment as Dominion representatives to take part in the 1928 Olympic Games at Amsterdam are: E. Morgan, Wellington (light); A- J. Cleverley, Wellington (light heavy); J. O’Sullivan, Auckland (bantam). “E. Morgan (19 years of age): Morgan is a Southpaw with a very convincing style. He is a punishing hitter, speedy in his action, persistent in attack, which qualifications, combined with his faculty to sense his opponent's plan of attack in the early stages, stamp him as the ideal type of boxer to represent the Dominion in the light-weight division. I am assured that Morgan can make 9st 91b comfortably and be strong—this being the Olympic light-weight poundage. Morgan’s unorthodox stance proves most puzzling to a fresh opponent over a short journey, and in my opinion he would acquit himself creditably if finally selected. “A. J. Cleverley (19 years of age): In my opinion, Cleverley is one of the speediest and cleverest heavy men turned out in this country for some years past. In the main, this boxer relies upon his swift and accurate left hand straight punches, intermingled <

with an occasional right across to the head or body, to win his fights. Always on his toes and mobile to a degree, he is able successfully to back move and steer out of trouble. If Cleverley has a fault it is the lack of ‘devil’ in his bouts, although he has demonstrated his ability to punch hard when the opening offers. This is borne out by the fact that he dropped his man for the full count in the finals at Invercargill. Cleverley is the type of boxer who seldom takes a risk. I have no hesitation in recommending him for inclusion in the team. * * * “J. O’Sullivan (20 years of age): O’Sullivan did all that was asked of him in Invercargill by winning his bouts in a convincing manner, but I cannot recommend him with the same degree of confidence as in the case of the previous two nominees. This lad is undoubtedly clever and versatile, but he did not demonstrate his ability to punch hard, nor did I have the opportunity of judging how he would perform under punishment except perhaps to an extent in his bout with Larsen. * * * “In the case of Morgan and Clever~ ley I arranged on numerous occasions with visiting professionals to put these boys under the ‘acid test* in private try-outs since the championships with a view to aiding me to arrive at a definite conclusion. In both instances I am happy to say the results were entirely satisfactory. May I suggest that your council appoint a representative in Auckland to have O’Sullivan’s capabilities further tested out under

similar circumstances before making a definite commitment to include the lad? “May I stress the necessity for making arrangements to have the New Zealand representatives resident in Amsterdam for as long a period as is possible under the circumstances, prior to the contests. It is essential to give the boxers a chance to get used to the change of diet, and to become acclimatised generally, if the best results are to be obtained.”

Eddie Eagan, who went to Oxford as an American Rhodes scholar, and who won the heavy-weight championship at the Olympic Games as well as the British title, is in two minds whether to turn professional. When in England he was approached by several people to take up the game seriously, but he stated that, while he was always happiest when boxing, he would just fight for fun. He has boxed with Dempsey and Tommy Gibbons as well as with lesser lights. He was in New Zealand with the Marquis of Clydesdale some time ago. Eagan eloped with Miss Colgate welcomed the couple to his home, the American millionaire soap manufacturer, on October 1. They were married at a village not far from New York, and after the ceremony Mr. Colgate© welcomed the couple to his home. Eagan has been Gene Tunney’s social secretary, and not only assisted him in his training, but inspired the world’s champion with a desire to take a university degree after his recent victory over Jack Dempsey. Following that contest it was announced that among other gifts made by Tunney to his manager, seconds and others, was one of £ 5,000 to Eagan.

When Jeffries and Johnson fought for the championship of the world 17 years ago they were thought to be men of great wealth. It required what then constituted a heap of money to bring Jeff out of retirement for the beating the black man handed him. Rickard sent the sport universe reeling and the

rusty Jeffries into training when he offered a £20.000 purse for Jeffries and Johnson. The articles called for a 60-40 split, the winne- taking the former per cent. In addition to this Tex tied up a bonus of £4,000 for each man. Jeffries, for losing, counted up £12,000. excluding what he raked in on the moving picture rights—some £4,000 extra. Johnson. In all. benefited to the extent of approximately £2o.ooo—in other words, exactly a.

tenth of what Tunney received for his Chicago performance.

Speaking in San Francisco, Majv>r Andrew J. White, manager of th€> Columbia Broadcasting C-ham, stated that through its widening of the field of feminine interest, boxing matches had been a factor in fostering the unity of the American home. White, who broadcast the first boxing match ever put on the air, that between Dempsey and Carpentier. six years ago, told hov. women listeners greeted his first ah

report of tne fight. **l was sure we could overcome the technical problems,” he said, “but I was not at all sure that women, who up to that time had placed boxing ulmot i in the sanv category as the corner saloon, would support such a project. But the women went to the halls where wc had rigged up our tulip horns, and they found, probably to their great surprise, that boxing was not the brutal encounter they had always imagined, but a clean athletic contest. Right then radio won a big battle, and boxing became a

family sport.” Major White said that before broadcasting had made boxing popular with the women, a man had to go outside the home to discuss such contests. “But now,” he continued, “lie can get all thearguraent he wantright by his own fireside, and it will be just as intelligent argument as he is capable of himself. A man who starts an argument or the relative merits of boxing nowadays has bis evening’s work cut out for him, and he is generally up against an expert who knows her fisticuffs.”