BOXING

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 298, 13 June 1912, Page 3

BOXING

VIEWS OF A "WIUTE HOPE." COLORED BOXERS PRE-EMINENT. Auckland, June 7, Three world-famous fighting men, Jim Barry, Dan Flynn, and Jimmy Clabby, passed through Auckland to-day, en route to the United States. Barry, interviewed, had something interesting to say about boxing business as he found it in Australia. After six months spent in Sydney and Melbourne, during which 'he fouglit a number of big battles, Barry goes back to his own country satisfied that the black men hold a position at the top of the tree from which no white men can oust them, Johnston, McVea, and Langford are, Barry says, the three greatest fighters in the world, and there is not a white man in sight who would defeat any one of the colored trio. Barry went to Australia as a "white hope," and went under to both Langford and McVea. He stood up to each man for twenty rounds, but is honest enough to admit that even at the top of his form he does not think that either he, or any other white man living, can hope to get a decision over any of the thVee black brethren. A GIANT MONOPOLY. Barry goes back to America with two other convictions. Sydney has been spoken of as the Mecca of the boxing world. The American heavyweight admits that the Australians are right out on their own as sportsmen, but he thinks the business is being run in the form of a giant monopoly, and that one man is making a huge fortune. Barry says that Flynn and Cla"bby, who return on the .same boat with him, are equally glad to get away, and their Australian tour has been a sad experience financially Barrj' fought two big matches of twenty rounds each for £39 and £35 respectively. He was forced into signing articles against Langford and McVea before he was physically fit to fight, and it was only as the result of a big effort that he succeeded in getting £2OO as his share out of the fight with Langford. For his match with Lang, the Australian champion, which he won, Barry got a little over £3O. Other American boxers, he declares, are treated just as badly, and •I ick Lester, he says, will probably be working his passage back by the next boat to Vancouver. Da.ve Smith, the New Zealand boxer, was, he thinks, very wise to get away from Sydney and make for San Francisco, where he will get much better engagements financially. Mehegan, in Barry's opinion, would also be wise to make for the States, for at present the clever young Australian was doing 'himself injury by attempting to give too much weight away in order to get engagements: THE COLOR LINE; Reverting to the world's championship chatter, Barry said it was impossible to do anything else but take a pessimistic view of the position. The colored boxers were pre-eminent, and there was no "white hope" in sight wtyh the exception of Carl Morris, of.New York. The only thing to do, iii, his ,opinion, was to' draw the color and let black fightblack and white fight white. Barry has fought Langford eleven times and McVea twice, and is convinced that . if McVea Were only a little more game he would easily defeat Johnson. ■ McVea is, in his opinion, the hardest 'hitter and the fastest left-hand punch in the world. Barry goes back to fulfil engagements with Jim Flynn and Dan Flynn, and then retires for good from the fighting game.