THE BOXING RING

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 906, 25 February 1930, Page 14

THE BOXING RING

A Born Fighter Joey Kaufman, the Coney Island lightweight, who has been fighting nine years, is only 21. At the age of 15 Kaufman fought four bouts in one week, in four different States and won them all. * n * A Giant Walking-stick Primo Camera, the giant Italian boxer, was recently presented with a “giant’s” walking-stick. It is a thick cane which is so heavily loaded that it weighs almost seven pounds. It would be a burden to the average man, but “it will just keep his hands out of his pockets,” said Mr. See, his manager. Meritorious Performance Leslie’s performance against Jones, who is the battle-scarred veteran of 247 fights, is most commendable as it is only his fifth fight as a professional. The fact that .Leslie pleased the I-lawera folk is indicated by the fact that the association has re-matched him to meet Jones again in two months’ time. * * * The Story of a Name How Phil Scott, the British Heavyweight boxing champion, changed his name from Suffling is a story that came as news to many people when it was related at the Stadium Club recently. A member of the London Fire Brigade and then known as Phil Suffling, he could not appear in the heavyweight competition at the Crystal Palace in 1923 because he had to attend a fire. By arrangement he was -put on the following night and won the competition, knocking out Ike Ingleton in the semi-final and beating Guardsman Penwill on points over 10 rounds.

His name was changed to Scott, as Fireman Phil Suffling was not supposed to be anywhere near the Crystal Palace that night.

A Family of Giants Primo's household is one of giants. He has a younger brother 16 years old who is also a fighter. This brother stands 6ft 4ln and weighs 2101 b, but give him time, when he reaches voting age he should be a couple of feet higher and loom bulkier than his big brother, Primo.

No figure as huge as Camera has been seen in the ring since the days of Charles Freeman, the Michigan heavy, who stood 7ft 3in high and weighed 3331 b, and who figured more or less prominently as a fighter back in IS4O or thereabouts. Camera has a reach of 85in, is 20£in around the neck, has a chest girth of 54in. biceps ISiin, forearm lG&in. thigh 30in and waist 41in. Contrast these measurements with your own and you will better appreciate the magnitude of this fighting colossus. , In England, where heavy-weight material is at the moment rather scarce, the fight public is considerably impressed with the Italian’s possibilities and many are enthusiastically touting him as the next world’s champion, providing he can get the proper training and matches.

The International Match Fistic history reveals the power of the international match to bring in the shekels at the box office. The late “Tex” Rickard was ever alert for such a magnet. The Jack Dempsey-Georges Carpentier fight in Jersey City eight years ago, which attracted the first £ 250,000-gate in the archives of pugilism, was a potent drawing card largely because of its international flavour. * * * Referee’s Extraordinary Behaviour An extraordinary, and in some respects amusing, light was witnessed between G. Leslie (9.7) and Jack Jones (9.8 A) nt Hawera on Friday evening. The fight, which was full of incident, went the whole distance and ended in favour of Jones on points. In discussing the fight yesterday, Mr. J. Urquhart, Leslie’s trainer, said lie considered the decision most unfair. Five times during a very fast fight Leslie downed his opponent, and it was only the extraordinary behaviour on the part of the referee, who three times assisted Jones to his feet, thal saved him from a complete ’K.O.” Twice, he stated, the referee intervened and stood between the men when Jones was obviously getting the worst of the encounter, and once when Jones was floored the audience had to tell the referee to count him out. Jones was out for the count in the seventh round when he was saved by the gong. The decision for Jones had a very noisy and hostile reception. A Lively Audience Boxing received a severe smack in Marseilles for the New Year, a blow which should be an object lesson to all concerned in the game. Kid Francis had been billed to meet Georgie Mack, an American feather-weight who claimed the distinction of having met Ton Canzoneri among other. A glance at the record books confirmed the claim. However, in front of Kid Francis, the American failed to do justice to his deputation, and after a very poor showing he took the full count in the second round. The crowd roared and, in Marseilles a crowd can roar, the outcome being that the referee disqualified the American for having simulated a knockout. • This decision calmed the fans for a moment, but when the following bout (which brought together Bonaugure and Treves) ended in a similar manner, a riot started. In less time than it takes to describe, benches, chairs, barriers and ring were torn up or smashed, and attempts made to burn the debris, but these were frustrated. Some minutes later the Arenes du Prado presented a most desolate appearance. The promoter, Mr. Sol, after having called off the cycle meeting he was to have organised on Sunday, issued a declaration blaming A 1 Francis, Kid Francis’s manager, for everything. It appears that A 1 made up the whole programme, was interested 60 per cent, on the gate, and presented “George Mack.” The inverted commas are necessary because it is now reported that Kid Francis’s opponent is not Peter Mack’s brother at all, but a mulatto resembling him, who assumed his name!