BOXING.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 293, 3 May 1913, Page 7

BOXING.

DAVE SMITH v. JERRY JEROME. (By "Solar Plexus," in the Referee). At the Stadium on Saturday night was decided one of (.lie must important contests that has taken place there for a long time, the contestants being Dave Smith, the recognised champion light heavy-weight of Australia, and Jerry Jerome, the well-known Queensland aboriginal boxer. Absolute silence prevailed during the time occupied by the contestants advancing to the middle of the ring, shaking hands, and retiring to their respective corners, finished by the command of the referee to fight on. It was the other | extreme a moment later when Jerry was seen making the pace. He sent out a light right as a feeler, which missed owing to Daves' back-moving. He missed a weighty left to the head by not judging the distance; but made no mistake with that weapon, sent for the body, for it landed with a resounding smack. Jerry blocked a left and sent home two rights to the nose. For ducking a right swing the aboriginal was cheered heartily, but when he swung his famous left twice in the body, and jolted it a like number of times to the head, momentarily rocking his inan, the crowd became uproarious with excitement. This was intensified when Dave crashed a right on the jaw, a heavy- blow that sent Jerry tottering; but he rushed to close quarters immediately, and scored with both hands upstairs. But these light attentions were intended to pave the way for a mighty left swing that might have done the trick had not Smith shifted liis head just in the nick of time. The remainder of the round was spent by Smith dealing out heavy smites to the mouth with the right. Smith soon became wary of Jerry's left, which had damaged his right optic in the early part of this round. I

Beginning the initial round Jerry's unorthodox style surely bothered Smith, and suggested that he might get home a convincer before our champion lightheavy had become accustomed to his opponent's peculiar, fair, and impressive style of warfare. He grasped the situation rapidly, however, and blocked many of those left swings that in previous battles had proved so disastrous to other opponents. But the frequency with which Dave used his left certainly gave his man too many opportunities of countering with his much heavier weapon, of which, however, Jerome did not fully avail himself. Nearing the end of the second round Jerry did counter good and hard a left to Dave's eye, which immediately swelled. Smith's left to the face, and when an opportunity offered his right upper-cut or swing to the mouth or side of the head (with the exception of Jerry's feeble right to the face, sometimes delivered back-hand fashion), continued throughout every round, to about the middle of the 11th. Then Jerry, who had been ' "kidding," suddenly let himself loose vi[ciously, and swung a heavy left to the head. It was a hard blow, and certainly rattled Dave for the moment. But he had recovered sufficiently to block some, and partially blocked many blows furious Jerry let fly at liim. Meanwhile the house roared its excitement, the majority of those present evidently thinking that the whole tornado of blows had got home. That such was not the case wa9 shown directly Jerry ceased firing, by Dave taking a hand, and giving him a torrid time with right upper-cuts and swings to the head. It was Jerry's "dying kick," for he never looked really dangerous again. He was beaten to a turn in the 12th round, and as a right awing followed by left and right sent him staggering, some thought he was still "kidding." But the plucky fellow was in reality "all-in," despite the fact that he tried to land a left swing more than once before corners rang. He was looking for an opening all the time, yet now rarely left the left go with venom. In trying to swing a left to the body lin the 16th, Jerry's head accidently | bumped Dave's nose find mouth, which, judging by the expression on Smith's face, gave him some pain. And in the il7th Jerry's attempt to get home with | a left swing on the body landed rather low. The end came in the 18th round. Jerry, who had previously crouched very much and covered up his face with his two gloves, while Smith pounded him sometimes on the back of the neck, adopted a different attitude. He stood erect, and pranced about as frisky as a two-year-old. It was really Jerry's attempt to hide his true condition, for he was dead beat, but pluckily put on a bold front. Jerpme's new mode of attack bothered Dave, who, however, was wide awake, and did not give him a chance, but cleverly blocked or ducked that sleepproducing left whenever it was sent on its mission to either body or head. Catching Smith off his balance once Jerry's right to the head caused him to stumble, and the crowd to cheer. After back-moving a left swing, Dave came back, and scored damaging right uppercuts to Jerry's mouth, causing him to totter backwards, when a light left to the head was soon followed by a heavy right to the jaw, and Jerry went down on his back, and laid there, amid much excitement. It was a very exciting contest, with Smith always the superior boxer, and much the more regular puncher. Jerry was spasmodic at times, nimble and evasive on his feet, and smart in ducking from the leads of his adversary. At other times lie stood low and looked terribly hostile, with his left drawn back ready for a mighty wallop that might end all, but as a rule he did not cut loose. And then his furious moods, following a battering from the white man, in which, his face covered, as he bent low, he seemed to take the pounding with a purpose. In thc.sc wild moods he rushed and swung lefts and rights so bewilderingly that if Smith had not been so collected and clever disaster might have come. At the finish, as the crowd was moving, Jerry stood up in the ring and, waving his hand aloft, acknowledged the plaudits as though he were saying, "1 did my best, and I hope you are satisfied." ' They were.

THE TURKISH BOXER. Two professions —art and pugilism--are rarely combined. The association in this instance is in the person of Rabri Malier. Sabri aims at high distinction and lias given good promise that lie will reach the summit of his ambitions. From a sketch which appeared in the Ladies' Realm that Maher (who has appeared in the London ring on several occasions) failed to secure his parents' consent to an artistic career, but, finding the divine, afllutus strong within him, resolved to carve out a path to fame for himself. His people were well-to-do, so the plunge into poverty as a Paris art student can hardly be said to be a pleasant experience. He had to cast round for some subsidiary occupation that would keep the wolf from the. door, and as he had already joined the gymnasium conducted by Emile Matriot, the famous French referee, he was introduced into the boxing game. He is making good at this, but promises to make even bettei 1 in the profession that is nearest to his heart. .