BOXING.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXX, Issue 3488, 30 March 1912, Page 9

BOXING.

(By “Wallop.”)

TOMMY BURNS’ DESIRE. WANTS TO BUTT INTO THE GAME AGAIN. Tommy Burns is sincere in his desire to again slip liis mitts into the gloves and do battle with some of t-ne heavyweights. Recently he urged Promoter Tom McCarey in a letter to attempt to secure Tim Flynn or Sam Langford for a twenty-round contest at Vernon. Burns says he has Mclntosh’s promise for a match with the winner of the Langford-McVea affair, hilled for April S, but lie would rather fight on this side. Burns is doing light training every day, and finds himself in grand condition. He believes if lie can get Flynn and Langford in the ring in the West and trim them that he can induce some promoter to again match him with Johnson. Tommy was offered a ten-round clash with Carl Morris in the East, but he declined, giving no reasons for'not taking on the Oklahoma hope other than that Carl is no drawing card.—San Francisco Chronicle. ® ® ® McVEA AND BARRY STRUGGLE.

The silence of the cablemonge r in conenctiou. with the wallop swopping contest of Barry and MeVea is still inexplicable, especially so when the importance of the affair is considered. However, my maledictions against the unfortunate at the Sydney end of the wire must cease, for by the latest Australian mail full details of the battle have come to hand. Both men entered the ring in exceptional condition to be greeted by an audience of from 5000 to 6000 .people. MeVea landed the goods after what was generally opined to be the most exciting battle that had taken place at the Stadium. The first couple of rounds opened briskly, and in the third session Barry connected with McVea’s ear with a right swing. It caught the black when hie feet- were off the ground and put him down for four seconds. He, however, got a bit of his own back later in the round with loaded left and right uppercuts. The Referee commenting on the proposition, says: Barry’s work, as a rule, was wild, and badly timed, but here and there he landed some heavy punches, and always forced the excitement of the contest, MeVea very properly preferring to call up all he knew in skill rather than mix it with such a combination of gameness and toughness as that opposed to him. Often when at close work the devil in McVea’s fighting was shown; lie used his right more than Sydney had pu'eviously seen him bring if. to bear, with the result that Barry’s left eye suffered a good deal, but his right optic evidenced no signs of the heat and fury of battle. Yet there were people who claimed that MeVea's sinister' weapon was responsible for the condition of Sam Langford’s right eye in the Boxing Day duel between the two colored men, when, as a fact, a clashing of heads caused the trouble. Often in the contest, as Barry “smothered” while stopped and rushing to close quarters, MeVea got in a good deal of effective work with left and right upward jolts, but they did not all make contact with anything other than the honey elbows and forearms of the other fellow. MeVea missed many wide openings as one of his skill should never have done, and mostly through those frequent out-of-distance swings with right or left which Barry vainly endeavored to land. The colored man smiled a. good deal, but the white boxer never did; lie always appeared impressed with the seriousness of the situation, and now and again compelled MeVea to completely change his expression. Not once did the black look like losing, and never in any round ivas he behind on points, yet there was always much to hold attention, and everything to justify the opinion rented generally afterwards that a most exciting battle had taken place. ® ® ® WILL THEY CONNECT? JOHNSON AND FLYNN STILL TALKING. The proposed argument between Li! Artha and the. man from the footplate appears to .have.advanced a step. ,\c. •cording to latest American advices forfeiis to the tune of 20,000 dollars have beer; posted.' We have heard c f so many deposits and withdrawals by Johnson that it is not at. all safe to bank as yet on the struggle eventuating. There is probably no more wily customer in the game at present

than that same Johnson, and Flynn to safely get the champion into the ring will havfc to use his landing net with consummate skill. Flynn’s fnahager, one Jack Curley,' appears to be pushing forward the deal, and is ror puted to be almost as fly as the great John Arthur. The location of the battle ground has not yet been made public property. * . -;t * ' NOTES. ' - A report states that Jim Jeffries wants to'have another crack at Johnson. It is said that the erstwhile boilermaker is doing light training in anticipation of the consumation of his hopes. A lot of ki-bosh is in circulation, but it is safe to tako the affair for w'hat it is worth.

Bombardier Wells has still hopes of getting into contact with Mister Johnson. He is credited with leaving England for the States with that object in view, but as Johnson’s name is mud in most parts of U.S.A., "Wells may be the recipient of another disappointment. If the ex-soldier is anxious to conenet with the best of American heavies it is safe to predict that he will not have any difficulty in pushing through negotiations.

On Saturday last Jack Lester was billed to meet “Cyclone” Johnny Thompson at the Sydney Stadium. Up to the present- no word has been received indicating how the argument went. The affair gives promise of providing an extra special bill of fare for patrons-; as both men are well known as aggressive fighters.

Important fixtures arranged for decision at the Standi uni arc : Clabby v. Mehegan, on April. 3; (MeVea v. Langford, on April 8; and a return match, Barry v. Langford, on April 20th. -:<■ * * Hughie Mehegan added another scalp to his belt by defeating Frank Picato at Melbourne. This is the fourth go between the two, and the brilliant Australian lightweight secured the verdict on points after a splendid bout.