BOXING

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 80, 29 August 1914, Page 7

BOXING

I TIIE LKiIITWEIGHT (JHAMHON 'JF TIIK WOKLD. The sj)lrnUi4 little spoii.-iutu ami line boxer, Freddie Vfcleli, mi» got Ins heart's desire at long lust, ant in now tlie l'ghtweignt champion of the world. Unless therj are sonw very nsourcelul ligttt-weights in the plank .Mars, we might say lightweight champion of the converse, it is some years since the world's box.'irg championsup was held "within tne suven. seas that gird Ureat Britain," (Apropos, 1 have never been able to count up those seven seas, but Sir' Walter Scott's authority carries great weight even in this £ehuoi Hoard age.) There was a big H'owu to see tne light between Welsli and Kitclne ill London, inelrding, according to the new fashion, a considerable number of ladies, same of whom left-early to fct«p pressing appointments, and most of whom teemed to v.'islx they 'had stayed) at 'home, or played bridge at the club instead. Vet it was neither a very gory nor a .particularly fierce battle. Welsh won easily and convincing.y tu pointj long before the end of the twentieth round, and was still piling up the score at the end. U'li-e American was quite out-boxed, and soon made i,p his mind that a clean knock-out was the only olianoe for the Stars and "Sti 'pes. So we had - e desperate excitement of ■ watching Freddie W'etsh neatly scoring | ]>oints as a buttered eel and as swift | as a judgment summons, while Ritchie dourly kept trying to lami cue of those devastating lel't hooks or rigid swings ! of ,hds. It was never quite ceruiin that one of them might not get home, and . then anything was possible. And t'Jie! American never lost nis punch right 11 the end. Had Welsh been a fraction of a second too late or too Blov, or been caught napping, the championship migh't have been lost a score of times. .As it was Welsh won sixteen out of the twenty rounds. In the thirteenth round Kibclvie made a. big effort, an:: almost rattled his opponent for a (moment. "He, nearly surprised me that round, said! Welsh afterwards, "and even though 1 half avoided that right of his, you see! ' And the smiling nttl.; world.) champion pointed gaily to the damaged "left optic," as the old prize-ring ( reporters always called it. What a I tough proposition 'Welsh would be if he j had liitchie's punch. 1 s,:ppo«e he I landed ten blows to every one he got,! birt his hits were not devilhM. let I Kitclne -was quite well marked all over f at the eud of the contest. It seems J lather an . . o'.i.ily that ail. tne new ! champion . out of (be light ia <tfe>! title aikt , ..ados, while the vanquis'lfej .American -..alks oil' with £5OllO. 'l'he explanation is that there wan nothing left over after nitchie's share had been pant - lie stipulated for £>ooo—and tile nui.tc.li' was actually run at a loss, lint Welsh is probably quite satisfied, 'li t world's title is worth about £IU,<HX) a year, it is , (Climated, and lie will get a share of ; Hi', cinematograph receipts. .Music-hall engagements are ;being showered upon , liini, and he is going to write two books - one on his .pugihetw Odyssey of one 1 Liidred and eleven lights, and 'he other ' on the art of boxing. He is a line compromise in style (between tJie Kngland and American method**. He has a Etraight left, and can do "the crochet" stroke tit cl«e quarters. There was a big contingent of very sporty colliers up from Wales to see tile popular little Welshman make his bid for the honors of world's champion When he climbed into the ring these lusty chaps chanted with 'beautiful rhythm "Land of our Fathers." It was most inspiring, and may really have hud it 3 cfl'ect in 'bracing the Welshman for the hot encounter, while slightly intimidating the American, f well remember the Ail Blacks' experience in their .Hugger game against Wales at t'ardilt. 'J'he , All Blacks began by chanting their i .Maori war challenge. Then, quite spoil- [ tancottsly, the crowd of .>O,OOO Welshmen saiig their National Anthem with thunderous and 'thrilling elleet. The Welsh players went berserk alter that-, played like inspired luries Irom whistli; to whistle, and'.made history. Napoleon knew the uses of musical inspiration before a light. 1 think 'there is really something in. it. The next event of boxing note Is the light between Carpentier and! uunboat Smith, for which .both men are training ai-sidnotisly in their own particular way. Opinions diifer as to the prospects. Jt will be the French eham I t>iott'.s most severe trial so far, and will settle dcliifittiy one way or the other brother he is really built in world's championship mould. Probably the oddsi will be on Carpentier, who"has youth on his side, is incomparably the more clever boxer, and possesses all the lierce elan of the I'ienc.il cavalry Hinder Ney. 'But the Cunboat is a'real lighfer. and can 'hit "like several unites." IWe must ad-opt the Asijiiitliian miiMm, and wait and

Jack Johnson paid a Hying visit to London this week ami drove himself round in a powerful iraeing oar. 'L'lie London pii'ilic knew him at once. Even the policemen and Imm conductors luul a friendlv salute tor him, to Wlliell the champion, gleefully Tes]»on<ted .v.jtiT a hand wave and a gilt-edged smil«. Hi! is still keen on diamonds. Someone lias described him as "looking like a .starry night! ' They toll * good storv again't lunrcvcr in I'ans. lie had a handsome walking stick, ol which he v.as very :piou<t. Willi a massive gold handle inscribed. "This stick belongs la Jack Johnson, who can L' l ll a. man with one blow.'' He. loft it behind at a rcstanrant one night, but remembered and went back. ln'it>? place lie fuund a note to this cll'ecl: "Jack Johnson, your slick lias been taken half an hour ago b\- a man who can do 'U'ii miles in an hour!'' So now Johnson will have to ~„it inotering so uracil and practise -printing a bii!