Struck Too Low

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1009, 27 June 1930, Page 9

Struck Too Low

HOW SHARKEY LOST TITLE

Boxing in Disrepute

A TERRIFIC left hook, deep into the groin, totally incapacitated the German, who had to he carried from the ring (says a special report of the Sharkey-Schmeling fight, in the S3 - dney “Sun”).

There was a second of wild confusion when tlio blow landed. The referee, Crowley, had not seen it. One judge, Charles Matliieson, also said he had not seen a low blow, but the other, Harold Brandon, on whose side the punch was struck, said that it was six inches below the bolt. The attendance was 80,000. The scene of confusion that followed Schmeling’s drop to the canvas in the fourth almost duplicated the scene in the Miami ring in .February, when Sharkey won from Scott, and Scott alleged a foul. For minutes the referee, Jim Crowley, was unable to make known his decision, and the ring was filled with arguing seconds, one apparently hurt fighter, and the glowering, bellicose almost frantic Sharkey. Schmeling’s triumph in winning the heavy-weight crown for Germany, taking it out of the United States for the first time in 50 years, is marred by a serious charge of a “frame-up/’ printed here, and leaving the sport under The crowd cheered and booed madly while the referee and judges were debating about the foul in the middle of the ring, where Schmeling lay stretched out.

The decision of the referee was popular. Sharkey was the winner of three rounds, but the favourite was booed after the decision. I-lis foul is ascribed to his hysterical nature. Dr. William Walker, brother of the Mayor, examined Schmeling. and found definite evidence of a foul, which, inded, was quite clear to all on the side of the ring where Schmeling fell. The general opinion there was that Sharkey, sensing that the German was slowly recovering his strength after his battering in the third round, and deciding that he must finish the fight at once, aimed at the pit of the stomach, and struck too low. The consensus of opinion is that the fight is bound to hurt all future boxing contests. The sport is already under heavy fire owing to similar occurrences. There was a 700,000-dollar gate (£ 140,000), which is considered low, but that for the next championship bout will probably be lower. After the fight Sharkey kissed his : trunks before tossing them away, in- ; dicating that this was his last fight. “I would rather not be a fighter than lose tonight.” he said