RING AND MAT

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1054, 19 August 1930, Page 13

RING AND MAT

Notes from Far and Near

By ‘

“LEFT COUNTER"

Losing on a foul brings about an utomatic 90 days’ suspension in Masachusetts.

“Mysterious Billy” Smith, former welter champion of the world, who is now living at Portland, fills in his spare time coaching promising youngsters in the ways of the ring.

Two old-timers in Jack Johnson, former heavy-weight champion, and Philadelphia Jack O’Brien” staged an exhibition bout recently and made a hit with the crowd. Johnson had little difficulty in keeping O’Brien away.

Two new champions were crowned in the month of June, Schmeling taking the heavy-weight title by defeating Sharkey, and Rosenbloom taking the light-heavy-weight championship by defeating Slattery.

No professional matches have been arranged for the future. Most of the associations have been busy with their amateur championships, and in arranging teams and delegates for the New Zealand championship meeting and conference, and professional contests have not received much consideration. However, more professional bouts will probably be arranged during the next fortnight.

The Auckland boxing public will be pleased to hear that the term of Reg. Trowern’s suspension has been reduced from the original six months to seven weeks, and that ho is now eligible to fight at any time he is matched. It is a pity that the decision was not arrived at until after the departure of Charlie Purdy, as a bout between Purdy and Trowern, the old rivals, would have beep a draw.

Young Corbett 111., has accomplished a feat which is without parallel in boxing history. Within 19 weeks he has beaten two world’s welter-weight champions without becoming champion himself. His first victory was over Jackie Fields, who was later beaten by Jack Thompson for the title, and last month Corbett defeated Thompson in a very one-sided battle, but as the title was not involved in either meeting the third of his name is still one of the contenders.

A Disappointment Tho bout between Tommy Mclnnes and Dave Palmer was not a success

either as a contest or financially. The smallest house in years attended the bout, and was not treated to anything of an outstanding nature. The tight was better than some we have seen, but Mclnnes failed to show any of his old fighting spirit, and Palmer did not at liny time show initiative. Each round was but a repetition of the previous one, and never did there appear to be the possibility of a short ending.

Audience Arbiters? When will audiences give the decisions in boxing bouts? It seems that it will not be long, for the New York Boxing Commission is working along that way. Once a referee was the sole arbiter, but so bad were some of the decisions that the commission decided to add two judges, arguing that three would not make a mistake. But the howls from the audience at some

of the decisions have been long and loud and now the commission is con-

sidering using four judges as well as the referee. Perhaps it won’t be long before spectators will be served with a decision form, asked to vote and deposit tho decision in a ballot-box at the door, tho decision to be announced in next day’s newspapers.

Auckland’s Prospects Auckland will be represented at Palmerston North by champions in all divisions, with the exception of the bantam-weight. Thp bantam champion, McLachlan, has strained his back and -Cvill be unable to compete, his place being taken by W. Purdie, who did not compete in the Auckland championships owing to illness. The representatives are as follow: —Fly-weiglit, F. Bruno; bantam, W. Purdie; feather, R. Purdie; light. It. Martin; welter, D. Cleverley; middle, 11. Neale; lightheavy, R. P. Cowan; heavy, P. MoGarth ny.

It is a difficult task to forecast the results of the New Zealand championships as far as the Auckland team is concerned, as there is no indication of the calibre of the boys from the other centres. Bruno is only a very light fly-weight, and he will be lucky if he gets through against the heavier boys in his class. W. Purdie is a clever little boxer, and possibly will do better than McLachlan would have done. R. Purdie, who won the bantam title last year, should go near to annexing the feather weight championship this year, but he will have to tight better than he done recently. Martin is sure to fight all the way, and if it comes to pure fighting alone he has a chance. Cleverley will have a hard nut to crack in Clarrie Craig, the South Auckland champion, even if he defeats all tho others in the class. Craig should win the welter title this year. Neale is too short and nuggety to become a first class boxer and he will have no chance against a boy who can punch hard with his left hand. Little was seen of Cowan, but the light-heavies are not a very strong class, and he may do all right. MoCarthny has a good chance of pulling off the heavy title if he can defeat the present holder, Colin Gardiner. The two Purdies seem to have the best chances of winning New Zealand titles.

Illegal Hitting Menace It is believed that Harry Johns, who won tho feather-weight championship of New Zealand last year and who was disqualified by Mr. R. Meale for illegal hitting in this year’s Auckland championships, is being sent to the New Zealand championships by the Wliangarei Association. It is to be hoped that Johns will fight better in Palmerston North than he does in Auckland. If he hits correctly, he has an excellent chance of again annexing the title, although lie will have to be at his best to beat Bob Purdie, the Auckland representative who has twice defeated him since the last championships. Johns merited the disqualification imposed upon him by Mr. Meale at the Auckland championships, and he merited it again at the Town Hall last Wednesday evening when he was op posed to Brentnall. Only four times did Johns score direct clean hits, the others being with the open glove or the palm of the glove. Mr. McLean, who was the third man in the ring, warned him in the first round after somebody near the ringside had entreated Johns to close his gloves, and then ignored his infringements during the rest of the bout. Messrs. W. Luke and E. A Craig were the judges, and one or both judged that Johns’s method of hitting scored points. If they disagreed, Mr McLean, on a casting vote awarded the decision to Johns. The three men named know who was responsible. It is a pity that Mr. Meale has hot had the backing of his association and confreres in endeavouring to stamp out a serious menace, serious to the boxinp game and to the guiltv boxers’ opponents.

The association’s rules state tha l points shall be given for direct clean hits with the knuckles of either hand and the English rules state likewise. But the judges in Auckland evidently do not judge according to the rules, or some decisions would be very different.

Matches arranged are as follow, sub ject to alteration: —Alley v. Logan. Auckland, August 23; Pasha v. Lundyn, Dunedin, August 23; liogg v. Ebert, Wellington, August 25, or September Ij Logon v. Ebert. Stratford. * irly September. The New Zealand Wrestling Association has engaged the Town Hall for next Monday evening, bui no announcement has been made as to the contestants. The association is bringing over Charlie Strack Tom Luricli and George McLeod, three wrestlers from Australia, according to the secretary. * * # American Results Latest American results are:—John Pesek beat Ad Santell. two falls to one. Pesek scored with back-loop slams and Santell with a key-lock, in a thrilling bout. The crowd numbered 7,000. Jack Reynolds retained the welter-weight championship of the world from Billy Thom. Alan Eustace beat Joe Komar in a 30-minutes preliminary to the Pesek-Santell match Pesek beat Jim Browning. Browning beat George Ilill. Joe Banaski bear. George Balzer. Clete Kaufman and Pierre Ladjimi drew. Bob Kruse who is coming to New Zealand defeated Paul a back-loop slam. Strong and Silent The “Texas Terrier,” alias Walter Logan, will have his first contest iri New Zealand at His Majesty’s Theatre under the auspices of the Auckland Union on Saturday evening when he will be opposed by Tom Alley Logan is only a youngster of 24 years of age. but he has crowded a whole lot ol work into his few years. Weighing in the vicinitv of 13st ho looks every inch a wrestler, but strange to say he does not talk oi wrestling In fact it is with difficulty that he c m be induced to speak of anything He seems to be one of these strong silent men. He is silent and he looks strong. From his nom ue gueri-o it might be assumed that Logan hails from the state of two-gun men. but that is not so. He was born in Kansas City, and started wrestling as an amateur in 1922, and he was trained for the mat sport by Vernon Breedlove, \vlio held the feather-weight championship of the world for 15 years and retired undefeated seven or eight years ago. As an amateur Logan had 25 or 3Q contests, nearly all being wins, and in 1924 turned nrofessional. Ho wrestled in various States, and it was in Texas, where be was engaged as an instructor for three years that ho was nicknamed the “terrier.” Most of his 200 professional contests have been against men unknown in New Zealand, but one of his successes was against John Kilonis. who will always bo remembered in Auckland For the first two years of his professional career, Logan mixed boxing with wrestling, having 25 fights for 18 wins. He has played baseball and hockey’ 1 a« well. “If I am successful here this sea son, I want to come back next year. I think I can hold my own with anv man here at the nresent time ” said Logan. But to try and talk wrestling to Logan is next to impossible. He just prefers to sit and listen. Regarding holds, he is equally reticent He refuses to show his pet grip his only statement being that “you will see them when I get on the mat.”