BOXING.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 12, 14 June 1913, Page 7

BOXING.

CARPENTER TO MEET WELLS. By Cable—Press Association—Copyright. London, June 12. Carpentier and Wells have signed to flight in November, probably in London, for £SOO a-skle and the best purse offered. SKILL AND RCGGEDNESS. NEW METHODS AND OLD. Are the "tear in" fighters of the present time better boxers than Griffo and his contemporaries of a score or more years ago? The question is often asked j nowadays, and quite a number of good judges hold the opinion that they are. Mr. W. F. .Corbett, who is admittedly one of the best judges of boxing in Australasia, if not in the world, writes interestingly 011 the subject in the recent issue of the Sydney Sun. He says:— At a little social gathering the other night Hugliie Mehegan's manner of boxing was being discussed, when one of the . company, who should have known something regarding the matter, rose and ' stated that he believed the. "tear in" fighters of the present time were better boxers than Griffo and his contemporaries of a score or more years since. This did not astonish me, because I had heard the same declaration made by other people. If there were any. tr.uth.in the . assertion there would be nothing at all • in learning to box, and could tlife pedple as a whole be convinced that, those who ; made it were able to adduce' sound ar- , gument in support there would soon, be a whole army of boxing instructors looking for employment. Also the legend "To let" would be writ large in the windows, or over .the doors, of a great number of elaborately and expensively equipped places of instruction. No matter what else might be included in the curriculum of any gymnasium, boxing is almost always the mainstay of the business. So far from being the truth, the affirmation that the "tear in" man is most likely to be successful has nothing behind it. Go where you will, read what newspaper you may in America, and you will learn when Griffo's name, is mentioned that the people of that-country think him the greatest boxer Ihey ever saw. The "tear in" fighters of the United States.could,make no impression on Griffo, They were made to order for him, as they were for all capable opponents of the Mace school possessed of those necessary essentials, pluck and strength. He fairly laughed such boxers as the Wolgasts of to-day to defeat. Nothing pleased-him better than to have one Of their class to contend against. Who that saw it will' forget Billy Murphy's "tear in" opposed to Griffo at the Sydney Amateur Gymnastic Club in York street nearly 23 years ago, and that other great "tear in" ordeal Griffo had to face a , month or so later when Paddy Moran , met him. There were also those two battles of a couple of years nearer to- j day with Jerry Marshall, both of which Griffo won. What a mess Peter Jackson, Jim Corbett, and Bob Fitzsimmons made of the Gunboat Smiths, Luther Mc- 1 Carthys Jim Flynns and Al. Pazers of their, time California's giant "mission boy," Joe MeAuliffe, was out to eat Jackson up and folt so cocksure about getting through with that large gastronomic order that lie insisted upon the whole of the purse going to the winner, and re-., fused to listen to the black's for the usual loser's end arrangement, so that he might have the wherewithal to cover expenses back to Australia. Jackson outpointed McAuliffe easily, and upset the calculations of pretty nearly all America, who thought they , had in Joe a world-beater. Chocolate George Godfrey waded in to annihilate, and ran his heart against Jackson's punching so frequently that he said afterwards that the blows appeared to have the weight of a ; sledge-hammer. It was the same when Jackson fought Patsy Cardiff, the "Peoria Giant," and Frank Slavin, whose tearing in wrought his own undoing. What-a. wide swathe the Mace school fighter Joe Gans cut amongst the'lightweights of his cquntrv, the great majority of whom were the hit-from-the-hip class. He hammered respect into the whole of the list 711) smiters throughout a seven years' career,'and the while built up the longest record in the book. .Toe's last battle resulted in defeat for him at the hands of Battling Nelson, a "tear in" man Gans had' some months before stood off for 42 rounds and beaten on a foul. But when Nelson put Cans out lie had the "old master" below his natural weight and already a victim to the disease, consumption', which carried him off less than three years back. I could lill a paiie or two with similar evidence. but wliere's the use! Enough has surely been said? Coming to the present day. Have not Packv MeFarlanil, Jem Driscoil, and Freddy Welsh kept, all and sundry at arm's length during years past, and are thev not still high up in the'game. MoFarland stands absolutely alone, and without a peer. , For the most part Jack Johnson is an exemplary of the Mace school. All Johnson's work, except the rouijliing at close quarters, is taught by the Mace school. Those line Australian boxers of their day, Jim Hail and Dan Creedon, were Johnson's tutors. Ad. YVolgast was one of the greatest "tear in" lighters of late • years!] yet a clean Mace school boxer in Willie Ritchie stopped the German-American's march, beating him twice. If Ritchie had not done the trick Freddy Welsh might have.