THE PRIZE

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 779, 27 September 1929, Page 12

THE PRIZE

This is one of the best stories that Fritz Holland tells in “Upper Cuts,” ; his recently published book on boxing. It was the old, old problem. “The .Eternal Triangle”—two men and a woman, two “pugs” and a girl. They were rival fighters. Both were fairly successful, and both were improving. Kennedy, romantic and impulsive, had already offered himself to the damsel, who had promised him an answer after the light. Carson, solidly and stolidly in love with the same lady, intended to propose after he had disposed, in the one action, of both his rival and his own poverty. Their competition for the charmer’s hand became a topic of general discussion, and added absorbing interest to their coining combat. Hendricks, the promoter, was making the most that was possible of the situation. He “press-agented” the rivalry to the utmost. And it was, indeed, a newsy morsel of sport-gossip. The romantic affair reminded one of knighthood and the days of chivalry. “The Howler” reduced the affair almost to absurdity by its burlesque prophecy of the outcome of “the knightly tilt between ‘Galahad’ Kennedy and ‘Lochinvar’ Carson.” But although, to others, it might have seemed farcical, it was no laughing matter to the grimly-serious young glove-wield-crs. and each prepared for the fight of his life—the fight for a wife. Those people who admired the finesse and polish of Queensberry ringcraft might have been disappointed with the crudeness of the cave-man conllict, but their sighs of regret were drowned in the reverberating clamour and tumult of a packed house of yelling and gesticulating wild-eyed fans, who were enjoying, at last, a real fight, j and who were making no secret of ! their approval. The rafter-rattling roar of the crowd was deafening. Such berserk battling had never before been seen in that ring. The fight-mad spectators forgot partialities, personalities and prejudices. Who cared who won? Either, neither, or both? Such red-blooded carnage was lifting cynical old fightfans out of the slough of despond, and out of their seats. Staid business men threw away hats, canes and dignity. Somehow, the two love-inspired warriors managed to last out the 20 gruelling rounds. Somehow the thousands of frenzied spectators managed to regain vestiges of sanity when the massacre had been declared a draw, each pug battered to a pulp. The promoter was jubilant. Xot only had the fight whetted the appetite of the fans, so that “the game” was once more on a sound footing, but he had profited handsomely, had realised a small fortune, and now lie could realise his matrimonial ambition, for he. too. was a lover. Perhaps it was his sympathy that had inspired him to allow the rivals to settle tlieir dispute in his arena—that, and the hope that he would make enough profit to enable him to marry the girl to whom he had been engaged for some months—the girl over whom Carson and Kennedy had fought. WELLINGTON WRESTLING The Wellington Wrestling Association, which was only recently formed, held its first meeting of members toward the end of last week, when the rules of the New Zealand Wrestling Association were adopted and the election of officers took place. The Hon. T. AI. Wilford was appointed patron, and Air. C. J. B. Norwood president, while Air. L. J. Evans was elected secretary and a strong committee was set up, consisting of -Messrs. J. H. Thompson, J. I>. Willis, •I. Creeke. E. Lynneberg, S. B. Rickards, G. S. Bright and J. W. Steele. The first tournament was held last Monday evening in the Town Hall, v hen tlie chief attraction was a match between Ecklund and Alley, the latter " inning by two falls to one, before a packed house.