BOXING.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2359, 27 November 1908, Page 2

BOXING.

NOTEb. Thorp was a crowded house at the Melbourne Cyolorarna .last week to witness the return contest between Bill Lang and Jim Griffin, the New Zealander, which proved u repetition of the former match in July last, when Lang .scored a knock-out in the .sixth round; this time the fight went one term loss, and was not.character-

God by the same work, as Griffin, although almost always; the aggressor, was not so dangerous as in the previous meeting, lie, however, pasted the big fellow to some tune at times, and to tiie uocomplis'hmcnt of deafening cheers, which plainly showed him to "’be the most popular of the pair. Lang, on the other hand, was the subject of hostile demonstration; from the first round for making a swipe at Griffin when the latter wits on one knee. There was considerable diversite in the-weights, Lang lighting at 13st and Griffin at list. L”lb. Griffin’s defeat convinced him nothing is gained by fighting out of one's class, and ho' will in future confine himself to men of Ids own weight. Though Jack Johnson has nofc gofc down to business as liartl 'and fast as Burns has, lie is, nevertheless, doing a fair amount of work —walking in the morning ami spurring in the afternoon. The new proprietors of the Sir Joseph Banks’ Hotel and grounds have altered the home of the famous old spot to “The Olympic Recreation Grounds.” They have erected a temporary ring and ball-punching stage right’ in front of the hotel's centre door—never, ill the best days of the house, fused much —and a large eanvas screen shuts out the view from the road. Here (says a writer in the -Sydney “Referee”) Johnson gives u clever ball-banging display, and toys with ail local men ambitious to have e cut at him as fast as they come along —this much to the amusement oi large attendances oi people, who pay a shilling each for the privilege ol .looking on. Though some spectators ji.ro mch day impressed with what this or that individual does in his effort aga.nst tho black, and thereby draw lines to their own satisfaction regarding how he is likely to fare opposed to°Tominy Burns, 1 have never seen him nearly extended for even a moment. Tho big fellow simply stands up and l blocks and pokes his left hand gently whenever -an opening offers, just as Peter Jackson was word to do in similar circumstances.- Up to now I mm unable to form an opinion as to how" Hie big fight may go. Johnson is unquestionaldy a good boxer—so is Tommy Burns; but, as 1 have already stated herein, they are, to a considerable extent, exponents of different schools of skill,. and we will probably have to wait till December •JG to .discover which is the betterbrand of boxing science. Jack Johnson isn’t training in a way that pleases the more shrewd of sporting' men. lie is, they consider, in town too much; but this will probably be changed, perlmps, ms it was with Peter Jackson, three, or, at tho outside four, weeks’ knuckling down may be all the time required to fit Johnson thoroughly. 1 read somewhere, that Johnson stated no more than ten- days would he necessary; hut that is nonsense. The most careful living man the world 1 ever saw could never step into a ring and fight- so tough a battle as Johnson will surely be called upon to contest at such short .notice.

The following i s from the London •‘Alir.roWof Life” of October 10: Jim Raul, described ms u (ighting-French-Cau ulian lumberjack, who faced the old world’s champion, Bob Fitzsimmons in the ring at Benson Mines, has received a lesson which is to be hoped will do him good. Benson Alines is a lumber region near the Canadian border. The little “argument” \\< is decided on September 22 in a very brief space of time. Jim Raul, who has for some period been the' terror of all the lumber cainps of the North woods, was supposed by bis friends to bo .invincible. Even the redoubtable Bob’s name did not scare either* Raul ov bis supporters, who seemed.' to have been in Situated with l lie bullv's prowess. The war was .•oon over. Raul commenced operations in tho hurricane •rough and tumble fashion which had made him famous aill over the Northern 'region, but curly on receiving m clip on the jaw from Fitz’s dexter niawlov, Jim hurriedly visited the floor. Quickly recovering ‘from the visitation ' the woodsman slashed the veteran in the face, and Bob sent him to Ins corner in a dazed condition, not to .say groggy, who»• Raul was saved by a narrow margin from a knock-out wh-icli Fitz had in preparation for him. Thus in throe fast rounds Fitzsimmons knocked all the sin fling out of the fighting Fre.ne.h-Ca nadian lumberjack. The redoubblido Bob 'and' his charming better half are booked for a tour of the English halls, in a clover sketch-, entitled, “A Alan's a Alan for all That.” Fitzsimmons i-s a man. who i s ialways in condition, and- when- opportunity arises he will, no doubt, don the mittens. People in Australia are laughing at a par which tells liow Tommy Burns was stepping into some hotel to see ii ridiculous brawl between, a couple of old geese rs,* when All's Tommy, in ii great fright, exclaimed, “Oh, don't go in there. Tommy. You might get hurt!” But Airs Tommy wn s right, and her womanly .instinct- told’ her truly that there is often more danger in a senseless bar-room wrangle than in the roped arena. “AYlien you can’t wallop yer man, handicap him with •a bottle,” said an old tough at the Tambaroora rush; and when a man is laid out with a smack of a big beer bottle he seldom sits up to ask for another. And a. perfectly harmless, disinterested man is as likely to stop

the bottle in a pot-house barney a the man it wus aimed a.i.