BOXING

Gisborne Times, Volume LXV, Issue 10312, 22 January 1927, Page 3

BOXING

SUPERSTITIOUS FANCIES. BOXER’S FUNNY FADS. Professional boxers arc weird and wonderful fellows in their habits and superstitious fancies (says a London paper). Joe Walcott, better known as the' ‘‘Black Demon,” would never enter the ring unless ho had somewhere in his outfit a rabbit’s foot, which he regarded as his mascot. The late Bob Fitzsimmons was an eccentric individual. While training for an important battle lie used to call at the nearest forge and make a horseshoe daily. Every tlurteentli shoe was religiously thrown away. _ Another fad of " the ex-champion was his liking lor strange pets lions, bears, and huge boar-hounds. Pedlar Palmer always wore the same pair of knickers. They were patched and mended time altci t me, but the boxer would never wear any others. Finally, Palmer left England for the United States to meet Terry McGovern. Some days after landing he discovered that his knickers had been left, behind. Frantically he informed his manager that he must go hack* for them, and that individual had a hard job to prevent the boxer from catching the next boat home. A cablegram was sent to Palmer s wife asking her to forward the missing knickers at once. They wore sent, hut got lost in transit, and Pedlar Palmer entered the ring against the : edoubtable McGovern clau in a, pair of new tights. Ho was knocked out in the first round. He informed his friends after the contest that his defeat was due to the loss of his favorite knickers. Johnny Summers had a curious habit, when boxing. He would repeatedly rub his right glove acios.-, his face as though brushing his liau* back from his forehead. Most people supposed that that was what he was doing, and many were the remarks passed advising him to “get his hair cut.” Johnny was a staunch Roman Catholic, and what he was doing was crossing himself. At the beginning of a round he would drop on one knee and cross himself quickly before facing his opponent.Knockout Brown, the famous American lightweight, wiis very superstitious. Wherever' he was fighting there was always in his company a. little hunch-backed fellow. _ He accompanied Brown to all liis fights. He would stand just outside the ropes until the hell vang,_ when the hunchback would turn liis back to the' ring and Brown would rub the cripple’s hump. At the beginning of every round this performance would -bo repeated, and Brown would face his rival with a confidence born of liis faith in the efficiency of his mascot’s luck-bringing propensity.

THE FIRST RULES. In 1734, on the death of Figg, his place was taken by George Taylor, who was beaten by Jack Broughton, one of- the supreme heroes of pugilism. Brough,ton was long known in England as the Father of the' Prize Ring, and the title was fully deserved. It was he who framed the first

code of boxing rules. These rules, which held sway over fistic activities for nearly a hundred years, were as follows: 1. That a square of a yard be chalked 1 in the middle of the stage; and at every set-to after a fall, or being parted from the rails, each second is to bring his man to the side . the square 'and place him opposite to the other, and till they are fairly set-to at the lines it shall not be lawful for the one to strike the other. 2. That, in order to prevent any disputes as to the time a man lies after a fall, if the second does not bring his mail to the side of the square? within the space of half a minute, he shall be deemed a beaten man. 3. That, in every main battle, no person shall be upon the stage except the principals and their seconds; the same rule to be observed in bye-bat-tles, except that in the latter Mr. Broughton is allowed to be on tire stage to keep decorum and to assist gentlemen in getting to their places; provided always he does not interfere in the battle; and whoever presumes to infringe these rules to be turned immediately out of the house. Everybody is to quit the s': ago as soon as the champions are stripped, before they set-to. 4. That no champion be deemed beaten unless lie fails in coming up to the line in the limited time, or that his own second declares him beaten. No second is to he allowed to ask his man’s adversary any questions or advise him to give out. o. That, in bye-battles, the win* ning man to have two-thirds of the money given, which shall be publicly divided upon the stage, notwithstanding any private agreement to the contrary. 6. That to prevent disputes, in every main battle, the principals shall, on the coming on the stage, choose front among the gentlemen present two umpires, who shall absolutely decide all disputes that may arise about the battle; and if the two umpires cannot agree, the said umpires to choose a third, who is to dei termine it. [ 7.That no person is to hit his aclj versary when he is down, or- seize him by the ham, the breeches, or any part below the waist a man on his knees to he reckoned down. These primitive regulations were promulgated in the year 1743. Not until 1838 were they superseded. Then, following the death of an individual called Brighton Bill after a light with Owen Swift, a more elaborate set of rules was drawn up. They came to be known all over the English-speaking world as the London Prize Bing Buies, and they lasted until bareknuckle fighting came to an end. All of John L. Sullivan’s •at battles, with the exception of the one with Corbett, were fought under the London rules, and as Corbett won with gloves under the Marquis of Oueensbury code, John L. died the undefeated champion of the old regime.

NOTES AND NEWS. Grime is without doubt one of the best in the game. He heat Butcher for tlie welterweight title, and is now the holder of three titles, feather, light and welter. As Grime tipped the scale at 9st lib and Butcher lOst 01b, Grime had quite a lug hurdle'to negotiate. He did it, however, and made no race of it, knocking Butcher in the fourth round with a solar plexis hit. The decision lor Cook against -‘Tiger” Payne at Sydney was loudly applauded by the crowded house. £2364 was taken all told and Cook and Payne whacked up £llß2 fifty-fifty—, £591 each. For the third time within a year Johnny Curley, champion featherweight of England, has been defeated by Johnny Cuthbert, hut Curley still holds the" title, none of the matches Having been advertised as championship affairs. Now Cuthbert demands a match for the title and. the Boxing Board there will doubtless compel Curley to give him a match with the title at stake or forfeit the same. According to private advice received in Dunedin Les Murray is becoming more accustomed to conditions in America and if he can become thoroughly acclimatised he stands a good chance of being matched for . the world’s lightweight title. He is under the same manager as Gene Tunney, the world’s heavyweight champion. A syndicate of British sportsmen is trying to arrange a return bout between Gene Tunney and Jack Dempsey, the battle to be staged at Wembley Stadium on Derby Day next Jrfno. It is believed a large percentage of the enormous throng attending the races would attend such a bout in the evening, and that the affair would be a financial success. Tunney has intimated, according to the ‘Daily Express’ (London) that he would consider such a bout, hut that nothing under half a million dollars would tempt him. The new heavyweight champion is held in high regard by the British sporting element.