SOME BOXING POSERS.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXVI, Issue 17583, 29 May 1919, Page 2

SOME BOXING POSERS.

By "STRAIGHT LEFT."

Supposing two '{>oxors simultaneously deliver "knock-out" blows, falling to the boards together and neither being r.ble to rise within the allotted1 ten seconds —what is the result? It is Ji drawn battle. Such an occurrence, though very rare, is not unknown. • Can a boxer be declared the winner g' a contest, although unable to stand when the decision ia given ? Certainly, and in more ways than one. He may have been "knocked out" by a foul blow, involving the instant disqualincation oi the offender. Or, again, lie may have sent his opponent "down' for'the "count," but before the latter i? actually counted out. he* himself faints from exhaustion. Nevertheless, be ia the winner, provided, of course, ho collapsed after his opponent and the iatt«r cannot rise before the "count. •

The term "down" is not always understood by the general public. To be ' down" a boxer need not necessarily be knocked full length on the boards. When Bill Lang, the Australian champion, met Sam Langford, considered by many good judges the greatest coloured* boxer (.Johnson not excepted) since Peter Jackspn, Langford, «arly in the contest, dropped on, one knee, as the result of a fairly heavy punch. Lang, carried away by excitement — a* least that was his subsequent ex-planation-—sprang forward and struck h:m, and was most properly disqualified. A boxer is " down" and, therefore must not ba touched by bis opponent, when any part of his body (except his feet), even one linger, is touching the "carpet." When a boxer is knocked clean outside the ropes his opponent must stand right back and allow him to return unmolested to the centra of the ring.

Supposing, however, a ooxer is driven against the ropes so that Uie hangs half inside, halt outside the ring—can his opponent ljit him on the part that i?s outside the ropes? Certainly he can, iust as at cricket a batsman may be caught out on the boundary by a fielder with his hand actually over the boundary. Sometimes when a boxer's seconds see that he is hopelessly heaten, though he won't admit it, they throw a aponge, or nowadays more usually a towel, into the ring in token of defeat. Is their principal bound by their action, or can ha insist on continuing? He must accept defeat; anyway, if he doesn't he will be disqualified, v.nless it were perfectly obvious that the seconds had no justification for giving in on his behalf, »nd that there was some "dirty work 1' afoot. Ordinarily, however, p. boxer is bound hy any action of his seconds and is liali'le to disqualification for any breach. of the rules by them—tor example, giving advice verbally or by signal during & round.