THE BOXING RING

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 540, 18 December 1928, Page 11

THE BOXING RING

Notes From Far and Near

By

“LEFT COUNTER”

Not long ago “Cowboy’’ Roy Mooie enjoyed a number of successes in the ring in Australia, and he is now considering another trip to the Commonwealth. After his' honeymoon Gene Tunney is to write the story of his life in book form and one bright scribe has suggested a title—-How I Broke Into Society with a Punch.” McAllister and Griffiths meet at Palmerston North on Boxing Night and two days later the Australian expects to leave for Sydney. Matt Hatton told the writer that he would like to meet McAllister, but there does not seem much hope of the Aucklander’s wishes being fulfilled. Georges in Limelight Since leaving the fighting ranks i Georges Carpentier has been appearing on the stage in boxing and dancing turns with conspicuous success. He has now signed a contract to appear in New York and other leading centres in a boxing, singing and dancing sketch. The popular Georges should meet with a great reception in America. The “Black Menace” Godfrey, the “black menace” of the heavy-weight title of the world, is still living in hopes of securing a fight for the championship, but public opinion in America would hardly sanction such a match. The American public does not mind coloured boxers battling for the lighter titles, but when it comes to the heavy-weight championship its views are strongly^defined. The End of the Year Three fights are booked to take place before the end of the year, one at Auckland, one at Westport and another at Palmerston North. On Boxing night Reg Trowern will fight Artie Hay for the welter-weight title at Westport and McAllister and Griffiths will meet at Palmerston. On December 27 another hectic bout is promised Auckland when Lachie McDonald and Tommy Mclnnes are expected to stage a fight of thrills. Mclnnes will be training at Matt Hatton’s and McDonald will probably train at the Fire Station. He has not yet arrived in Auckland. Trowern is training at the Fire Station gymnasium. A Wrestling Influx New Zealand will probably see an influx of wrestlers in December, as it is the intention of a Sydney manager to bring a team including Billy Meeske, heavy-weight champion of Australia, and Theo Gudding, middle-weight champion of Australia. Gudding has successfully defended his title three times this season, by defeating Dutton, middle-weight champion of New South Wales, McDonald, middle-weight champion of West Australia, and Preshner, an English middle-weight and ex-light-weight champion of the world. Owing to an injury to his back received in a heavy fall, he lost in his last contest to Withers Bain, heavyweight champion of Britain. Gudding, who wrestled here some years ago, is stated to be a great wrestler and will be open to meet any middle-weight grappler in New Zealand.

Champions do not always make the most money and it is well known th;«t contenders for the different titles in America collect more cash than do the title-holders, which is due in the main to them doing more fighting. i Tommy Donovan signalled his entry into the professional ranks by knock-out victory over Cotterill. This, however, does not prove that he can go the distance with Johnny Leckie and make the champion step to his limit. Donovan has yet to prove himself in a professional capacity. Boxers from the four corners of the world are in America seeking world titles, and heavy-weights are well to the fore. The latest to arrive there is Johnny Widd. a Swedish heavyweight. who claims to be as good as if not better than Harry Persson. Ambitious Boxers Serious efforts are being made to match Mickey Walker and Tommy Loughran for the light-heavy-weight crown. Walker is not satisfied with holding only the middle-weight title: he wants the light-heavy as well. Loughran is not satisfied with only the light - heavy championship; he wants the heavy-weight title, too. • • • Leonard in Business Benny Leonard, who retired as undefeated light-weight champion of the world, has not been lucky in his business ventures. A little time ago it was stated that he was in poor circumstances and was to enter the ring once more in an effort to make up some of his business losses. However, | be has now taken over a sporting business and is owner of the Pittsburgh Hockey Club. Uzcudun Loses On Foul Paulino Uzcudun has commenced the latest tournament badly, losing to "Big Boy” Peterson on a foul in the second round of a ten-round bout. Uzcudun was disqualified for hitting Peterson while he lay unconscious, his head hung over the middle rope. Peterson, after holding the Basque even in the first round, collided with Paulino’s left hook to the head in the second, and went down for a count of nine. As he staggered to his feet, almost helpless, the Spaniard swarmed all over him with crushing short-arm jolts to the head and body. * * ♦ Taylor’s Defeat Frank Taylor suffered his first knockout when he met Billy McAllister, bantam-weight champion of Australia, at Wellington, the end coming in the 10th pounfl. Taylor’s weight was announced as Bst lib and McAllister’s as Bst 41b. and reports of the fight state that on appearances there seemed a bigger difference between the weights. I have it on good authority that McAllister was much nearer nine stone than the weight announced. Therefore Taylor was giving away a great deal in weight, a fact which was forecasted in these columns. It is a difficult thing to give away weight and especially so against an opponent who is a champion. The Aucklander was a shade ahead on points when he took the count, but McAllister was not boxing up to the form which was expected of him.