THE BOXING RING

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 232, 20 December 1927, Page 14

THE BOXING RING

Notes From Far and Near

By

"LEFT COUNTER”

ITector Beckie, who stopped Jimmy Carr in three rounds, is looking for a match with any feather-weight in New Zealand. Willie Smith, the conqueror of Teddy Baldock. has arrived in New York and is under the management of Walk Miller, who looked after George Cook in the States. Early in the New Year the Otago Boxing Association intends staging two professional ten-round contests, and it is expected that Steve Hughes, the Otago amateur welter-weight champion, will be one of the principals. According to the rules governing the game in Australia (states the “Referee) “Tiger” Payne is heavyweight champion of Australia. He was born at Oklahoma in 1906 and is therefore only 21 years of age. The application of Dempsey for the dismissal of a suit brought by his former manager, Jack Kearns, for the recovery of £. 66,666 was refused in the United States recently. When boxing was in its infancy the participants received broken noses and cauliflower ears as their main reward. The champions of this time reap the benefit. Tunney received £200,000 for ten rounds with padded gloves. George Adams, the Wellington fea-ther-weight, who recently turned professional, collapsed while training for a, bout with Mark Carroll. It is not likely that Adams, according to present indications, will make his professional debut for the next six months, if ever.

The Marquess of Queensberry and Mr. Arthur Chambers framed the rules that bear the name of the former in 1865, their object being to stop the unnecessary brutality existing under the London Prize Ring rules, and to allow a scientific boxer a fair chance against an opponent with nothing other than brute strength. As boxing is much below the standard of previous years in Australia the Sydney Stadium authorities have been seeking a remedy and have decided to hold weekly classes for schoolboys in the hope that future champions will bo found and developed. A supervisor who understands the game thoroughly will probably be appointed to visit the gymnasiums It took Mickey Walker, the American middleweight champion of the world, 2min. losec. to knock out Mike McTigue, ex-light heavyweight champion, in their recent fight at Chicago. It took McTigue over five minutes to come back to consciousness. Here is another boxer who earned much money in the ring who has become “broke.” Kid Williams, former bantam-weight champion of the world, at Baltimore recently was unable to \ a fine of £5, after his conviction on charges of violating the gambling laws. Ho was released when friends raised the money.

Sid Terris, who ranks high among American lightweights, is a New Torker and is known as the “Galloping Ghost of the Ghetto.” He is a very clever boxer, is extremely fast on his feet and hails from the east side of the city, hence the Ghetto part of the title mentioned. Those old rivals. Jack Britton and “Kid” Lewis, each of whom held tlie world's welter-weight championship and battled for the title in America on so many occasions that a correct account of the number is not known, both retired some time ago. They have come back and have made good against young, strong and ambitious fighters. I suppose now that you've cornered a three million dollar gate you expect to get a bigger one for the next championship,” I suggested to Tex Rickard, “especially if you build that round box-’ ing arena in New York” (writes Robert Edgren). Tex laughed. “I don’t see how there ever Can be a bigger one,” said Tex. “I can’t believe there’ll ever be anything bigger than this.” In America it is well known that Tunney is one of the worst gymnasium and trainng camp performers the boxing game has ever known. He goes through his drilling in a slipshol fashion and throughout gives the spectators the impression that he will be downright glad when the whole tiling is over. He appears bored whether taking ’em on the chin or handing out punishment to his sparring partners. Ramon Castillo, lightweight champion of Cuba, who fought in I J aris recently, is said to be a second A 1 Brown the coloured boxer, who scored a series of brilliant successes in France during the past year. Castillo is 22 years old and has been boxing since 1924. Most of his wins have been obtained by knockouts. In this he resembles Brown and like the latter he is also well above the average height of men in his category.

Lachie McDonald is still receiving the right side of the purse. He secured the decision against Bruno Frattini on points over 15 rounds. The Italian is a performer of no mean order and McDonald, by his win, proves himself a middleweight of class. When middleweight champion of Italy Frattini accounted ior Roland Todd on points in a 20-round contest for the middleweight title of. Europe. He has defeated Molina, champion of France. De Puus, champion of Belgium, and in America secured a draw with Max Rosenbloom. Milligan, however, defeated Frattini.

The Wellington Association signed up both Johnny Leckie and Tommy Griffiths for matches against Billy MeAlister, the Australian bantam-weight champion, who had previously offered to make the trip to New Zealand should he receive sufficient inducement. However, McAlister was knocked out by Eddie Kohn in the fourth round of a contest in Sydney and this may mean the falling through of the contests So far nothing definite has been heard.