THE BOXING RING

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 302, 13 March 1928, Page 13

THE BOXING RING

Notes From Far and Near

L -= By

“LEFT COUNTER"

The Napier Association has secured Teddy Green, the Sydney bantam for a match against Johnny Leckie on March 28. Green will be giving away some weight.

Tex Rickards’s rival promoter in America is Humbert Fugazy, an Italian. He must have some influential backing, as he recently placed a contract, lor the construction in New York of 8. stadium that will cos£ 5,000,000 dollars. The seating accommodation will be about 31,000.

“The straight left with a sting to it is the best single weapon in boxing,'* remarked Jim Corbett to a New York Pressman. “Tunney proved that, in both Dempsey lights. If anyone had hit me with a right hand, I would have retired and taken up boxing lessons again; but a good left is harder to get away from, especially a straight left with some steam behind it.”

Practically in every State in America boxing is now under commission rule, but it is beyond their power to stop Press agents from fixing fighters with some high-falutin* nicknames. Thus we learn that “Dynamite” Murphy has been matched to meet “Wildcat** Carter, that Eddie Roberts is the Tacoma “Kayo King.** and that Frankie Denny is the “Oakland Wild Man,’ and j'O on. Presumably, Americans like this sort of rubbish.

The American National Boxing Association recently notified Mickev Walker (middle-weight), Joe Dundee (welter-weight), and Sammy Mandell (light-weight) that unless they defended their respective titles against ••qualified contenders acceptable to the association.” their tiles would be forfeited. Unfortunately for the association, two very powerful State commissions—New York and California—are :not members, consequently the trio mentioned can ignore the ultimatum.

A heavy-weight who is making a name in the States is Roberto Robert!, an Italian. Tie has cleaned up man after man, usually by the knock-out, and. while most of his opponents hold no high position, still some are fairly well known. For instance, the lGst .Monte Munn and the big Chilian Queniin Rojas, both of whom he recently knocked out. Robei'ti weighs over

Xsst. Another heavy-weight who holds sin unbeaten record, and whose progress is being carefully watched, is Arm&nd Emanuel, of San Francisco. He graduated from the amateur ranks. Most of his tights have been in San Francisco and Los Angeles.

The Melbourne correspondent of the (Sydney “Referee** has a. few good words for young Reg. Trowern after" his defeat of Bob Miller:—lf Reg. Trowern will cease his clinging and claiming tactics and fight more in the open the likeable young Maorilander should surely advance far up the pugilistic ladder, for he showed, in his latest engagement, against the popular and durable Robert Emmett Miller — the light-weight champion of Ireland —that he has the pugilistic goods—good boxing skill, the power of punching, and the will to win. . . Trowern was easily the more accomplished stylist, and moved about nicely on his feet. Now and then he gave superlative displays of side-stepping and clever evasions. . . . When Trowern boxed for a couple of rounds he showed th€*. best boxing we have seen since Spargo.” * • •

Curious, isn’t it, how circumstances alter men and cases? (says London

“Sporting Life”). If Tom Heeney, the New Zealand heavy-weight champion, had stayed in England, the best he could hope for in the way of moneymaking engagements was a I'urthef contest with Phil Scott, the British champion. Now, in the States, Heeney is swimming with the tide of fortune that, may land him on the milliondollar shore along with Jack Dempsey and Gene Tunriey. As a contrast, Scott, though he beat Heeney in each of their two contests in England, and probably would always have beaten him had the two remained here, did very little good in the States, and, should he return, as he says positively he will, may have missed the tide altogether. This much consolation can be drawn from the contrast—that, although the recognised British champion was a comparative failure in America, another Britisher in Heeney is making good.

Boxing has always held a powerful attraction for the man of colour, probably because, being nearer to the primitive than the white man, it gives him the opportunity to give rein to the primal, combative instinct which ordinarily is held in check by the code of laws imposed upon him by civilisation. Whatever the reason, the man of colour is certainly an outstanding figure in boxing wherever the sport is carried on, but more so, naturally, in the United States, where the men of his race are numbered by the million. That they have not given more world's heavy-weight champions to the sport can be set down positively to the imposition of the “colour line” in the states. Incidentally, it might be mentioned that there is a colour line in England, as shown by the case of the middle-weight, Len Johnson. Not many years ago there were signs of the ban being lifted, but the vagaries of Jack Johnson led to the lid being screwed on tighter than ever. To-day there is in the United States a negro, George Godfrey, who, but for the coloui line, might be the world’s champion. According to reports, there is nothing whatever against him but his colour. The negro boxer certainly has good reason to regret that Jack Johnson ever became the heavy-weight champion.