CORRESPONDENCE.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume X, Issue 3124, 8 February 1889, Page 2

CORRESPONDENCE.

PRIZE-FIGHTING,

(To the Editor,)

Sm.—l read in your issue of to-day, the remarks of the Ghristchurch Telegraph on "prize-fighting," whioh woundup thus: "we hope that the Legislature will step in . . . . and put an end to the P.R.. as a New Zealand institution," Ah American papery commenting'on the same subject, concludes as follows: " America can boast in having produced in J, L, Sullivan the greatest rowdy that ever lived. Jt is feared that since he has been been beaten by an English bruiser that she will lose her prestige; it will be well, however, if, with the loss of this prestige, ■ tho American people will be led to see that they have bestowed.by far too much attention upon this Huge Brute." I know something about British boxing, as also the history of the prize-ring, from Figg, the first champion to Jem 'Mace, I haye seen two men stand up stripped, and fight for an hour and a half till they had battered each others face into .'an unrecognisable mass of quivering flesh, and; tlie brutalizing effect upon the., spectators, I remarked™ • painfully visible. The great international fight between Heenau and Sayers aroused amongst all classes fresh interest iu prize fighting, but the climax was reached when the ..man and dog fight came off, when ."Brummy" v,eut down qn Iris, hands and knees,." went down to the leyel of the brute*" as. a provincial paper remarked, "to fight the. dog." Ingjand. w& 3 shocked, disgusted,and shemadeprize-fight-ing illegal. JB is to be hoped;that' the. Nfjw: Zealand. Ijegislat'ure wjll do tho" same. I ; am confident that all thinking men regard ■■'. it as a pastime tjiat p. man. <jan. take pleasure iu" without spjf 'delation. —lam,&c;'.' .'-•'., '"■■■'■ 'v -' ■/■:■■[^■■r:A^^va.^ 7tb, 4889,