McVEA GAINS THE VERDICT.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 153, 27 December 1911, Page 8

McVEA GAINS THE VERDICT.

A HARD FIGHT. ] ENORMOUS CROWD PRESENT. I Py Cable—Press Association—Copyright. Received 2fi, 11.30 p.m. Sydney, December 26. An enormous crowd -witnessed the fight between Sam Langford and Mc-1 Vea. | The latter easily had the best of the | first ten rounds, scoring apparently as he liked with his left hook to the face. Langford replied with straight lefts to the jaw and right swings on the body. The latter, however, were generally blocked. : In the eleventh round, McVea seemed ; to tire. From then on to the seventeenth - round Langford took the lead, fighting savagely. l McVea's better boxing stood to him, : however, and in the last two rounds he , again brought his heavy left into play. • Both were going strongly at the finish, 1 though Langford's right eye was com-' : pletely closed. j The verdict went to McVea, and the j - decision was unpopular with a large sec- > tion of the crowd. , Eight months ago the two black Sams fought a fierce battle in Gay Paree, be--1 fore 0000 people, most of whom were ) French, and McVea's clever left played r a prominent part all the way. The right side of Langford's face bore distinct and j painful traces of the effect of the visitation of that great weapon, which should , always he the greater one of the pair, . else the boxer has little chance of rising high. The curtain was run down on the , shorter Sam's right optic in the 19th - round. If ever there was a fight, wrote 1 a London authority, wherein the sinister - lead stood out it was then. McVea • fought safe all through. Langford's t variety was described as delightful. None iknew what he was going to do, - nor could his intentions be guessed at . with the slightest degree of certainty. ~ Always at his man, Boston's "Tar Baby" 1 seldom let up in endeavoring to place a heavy punch. Langford waded in at every opportunity, taking all that came, - and frequently shaking the other chap ) up with half-arm jolts to the body, and i, now and again MeVea shipped snappy r left jabs to the chin at close range, while engaged: in efforts to' fend Langford's ~ wallops to the lower section.

There were times when McVea showed signs of distress, and there were also occasions when similar signals were hung out on the Langford side.

Langford followed the enemy all round the fighting space, and that party gave a fine exhibition of ifootwoTk, but was always careful to leave himself as little open as possible. "Match nul," declared the roaster of ceremonies, or the herald, or whatever he may have been called. Then followed a scene to be remembered, and one thoroughly characteristic of a French crowd. The spectators had been terribly excited for a long time before. From a state of simmer during the first round or two, that huge gathering boiled, and boiled, and ultimately boiled completely over. It is always so in the French capital when a fight takes place. No matter how the contest ends the spectators get completely away from themselves. This time the trouble was that while a large number agreed with Rieferre Eugene Corri'3 decision, there were many who thought one or other fighter should have been declared the winner.

All Paris and his wife were there. Higher minds mingled with those of lowly calibre Duchesses and courtesans rubbed bare shoulders. Ministers were as loud as fishmongers in condemnation and approval. The whole position and spectacle was described as a seething mass of contradictions, a mob perhaps unique in its conglomeration of extremes.

Subsequently there was talk of another match, and in London, under Mr. Mcintosh's management. Later Dublin appeared likely to get it, but news to the effect that 'Sam Langford's father had been stricken with a serious illness, and appeared on the point of death, put all thought of a return battle out of the question. Langfoord is a dutiful son, as well as a good husband and an affectionate father.

They tell a very amusing story about Sam Langford. Sam journeyed into the wilds of Winnipeg, Manitoba, a few years ago, to have a tilt at Tony Caponi. Winnipeg -was Tony's stamping ground. On the night of the battle a delegation blew into Langford's dressing-room. "If you knock Caponi out," said the spokesman, "the lights will go, too, and five men will be detailed to take turns blazing away at you with their gatlings." Sam rolled the whites of his eyes up and answered, "Yassir." The clash comj menc«d. Caponi kept wading in while Sam stood off and jabbed. In the seventh .round Tony drove a crushing left flush on Langford's jaw. Sam grew sore. Ho also figured that all the gun talk was "bunk." Like a wild ti"~or the 'black started after Caponi, and bustled and banged him all over the place. Measuring his man, Sam slammed a right, and Tony humped the boards heavily. The light flickered, and suddenly darkness that could be felt upon the scene. From the ring a terrible shriek arose, "For goodness sake turn on dem lights!" And when they llannl again Sam could be seen standing and supporting the other fellow. Tlwt fight went to the limit.