1954-09-18 — Page 7

Page

N

✩ Knocking over public idols

is no way to become popular

by George Whiting

O boxer

Wan

ever

THE CHINA MAIL, SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 1954.

Joe Beckett

crack

He thrashed a American

plays golf...and minds

his own business

But time mellows memories.

mure roundly booed For me, Beckett stands today as

than Joe Beckett. The things we called

him when Georges Carpen-

The British boxer who picked himself off the floor to inflet

tho

biggest

СУСТ thrashing handed to á crack American

tier knocked him out in one heavyweight in Britain, round for the second time -would fill a whole bookful of obscenities.

Beckett should worry. At 60, he is a contented man, savouring quietly but to the full the ripe fruits of shrewd investments in the

Eight of Oc-ober 12, 1922, at the

Frank Muran, of Pittsburg.

recovered never really

from what Beckett did to him on the

Come Royal Albert Hall, that, Beckett himself was in to great shape afterwards. It was that kind of a fight.

"best part of his native Our mistake

Southampton.

Golf, billiartis, tio family, caravan holiday, and munding his own business. these are the retirement occupations of the swurthy, zensive heavy- weight whose left hook took hims from the booth to the champion ship of his country.

Sensitive? Certainly. The eckett | kirow was a man lo be

admired for the way he took te by the scrut of the neck—anti pitted for the shyness, interkity complex, and moderate equipment that were this when his pugilistic endowments pach- forked himn Inte headlines and big money,

Beckett began by swapping fairground punches with his brother George, and that rough and ready apprenticeship w.s about the only schooling he ever had until he joined the Army in the 14-18 war.

But Old Sobersides hus me through with a god aval more credit than titay д Beu Brummell who struiked grouni for cheers while Beckett WAN rating cat-culls.

Rocksize chip

Jue siacted of on the "wrong" Not by taking the champ,onship away from that handsome," Jong- clined, inconsistent und wi- premetable daring of the British night crowdds, lambartier Bly Wells,

Knocking ver pubbe la as no way to become popular, and chip n

10

Musan a lumboring, sanely- haired six-footer with an inter- tious grin-the very antithesin of the grim Beckettw 111 ex-sailor who studied dentistry at the University of Pittsburg, unlit, at 23, he decided in favour of a more remunerative way AL

removing the teeth of his fellow

MIL.

Nobody had taken much notice of him when he first went to London lu knock N Tuan

Cowler and Fred Storbeck-but ut was our muslake. With two years he had travelled 20 เมมฟ with Jack Juburon fr

the heavyweight champamiship of the world; and, Inter. given by Jess Willard run for his money over ten,

In both of these fights Ma had used to good effect a nona es Putase right swing which I christened Mary Ann. Wh... Mary Ann kises them, they die," be declared, and the qu was duly quoted." Mary Ann became famous, and Joe Beckett was one of the Brat to

ке

"her" very aungerous angļu, te tance when, in 1920, Mo123 knocked him out in the second round.

Two years later -Ume enough for Beckett's repulation ku De Te-established with wins over Boy McCormick und LÜNE.#༤ Cook--came the return, with the Albert Itail jam-preke to see

Mary Ann were ati poten at the ripe age of 34. beck wus 28-ul

ures inches the shorter, 224). the lighter, und

Inches the lesser in reach.

3.X

Reprieved

"Tu

16, the better effect of his shorter arms--anct Also: avoid any

Fram puntay to front dvor, as we uncouth anglers used to say,

The wounds of a fierce battle are healed and the sensitive heavy weight lives quietly in retirement, in his native Southampton.

Family man Jee Beckett proudly holds his three- month-old grandson at his home in Southampton.

enresses fanmi aunty Ana-jubbed mightily to the body to persuade moran to lower as guard, then one knee, not two feet from his mover of boxing strategy, hooked upwards win his belt. corner. Moran towered above. Ted Broadribb, to bang with his wound up Mary Ann for one fals on the ring platform and mighty pay-for-all bullet--and w in Beckett's left car! tron drew back remembering "Get un, Jos. Get up. You've just in time that hitting a fallen got him licked" opponent is agin the rules of a once noble art.

Moran slipped back with h. far tuce Batched with blood aison à qui xyaniow, and a plum- ake swelling on his right chock,

14

Where are

the Kings of the Ring today?-7

4

of the storm he was so pathetic. ally trying to ride.

Bockett koked swiltly at the referee, plainly seeking por- mision to coase his bombard- ment of an opponent bareft of all means of self-protection.

But no answering glance was hi-until another right-hard smash brought blood from Moran's mouth to Join tho stream from his eye.

That was the end. After 90 acconds of round seven Deyong steppod between them as the beaten-up, half-blind Moran groped round the ring to And tite man whoso fists hed brought him to this battered, mis-shapen stabe.

Champagne

Beckett helped him to his corner, then walked quickly back to his own headquarters to grab the bottle of champagne he had stored there against the need for stimulant.

Crossing the ring again, he thrust the bottle into Moran's hands. Peace, and good fellow- ship, had been well and truly declared,

Those six-and-a-half rounds of assault and battery cost both men the fine edge of their form. Moran had only one more fight -a 15 rounds hammering hom Marcel Nilles in Paris.

"That fight virtually finished the pair of us," Says Beckett. "Moran dealt me some torrille punches to the body and head, All this in eight tensë reconds, for months afterwards I hað á at the end of which Beckelt gathering in my left ear as a

some

fools had result of Frank's 'Mery Ann.'

Three times 1 hed to have the car lanced.

"The body punishment alto affected me severely, and I can fruthfully say that i was never property ne again."

Up the instant, Beckel the Beekolt Dkxana), mad is

noroc, dung himself at Moran, and for labelled quitter-made a supreme clinched and rushed Beckett to the rost of that round we had effort and regained his feet to The ropes, Beekeli ecke under

a rally of AUTOSC -quarter grab the frustrated Moran in lett lead, sw.velion, and not aghting that made Kikey botherly embrace. By the time a lgil là khi buy ilk sur ht"

cats lock 1 ku turite eaves, i the 'refétza had

hauled them open-mouthed upponent siither have seen nothing #etter in the apart, Beckett had recovered

minutes of his abounding belligerence.

Another Moran right-hander

But the wounds cre healed, Reund For-and they were toppled him over before the end Joe Beckett is content.

fourth round, WORLD COPYRIGHT RESERVED

Wine itpes to the flour.

"Foul!" yelled Moran's second i as they heard beying DK up ine unkeeper's count over their writhing, pain-shot principsl.

At "geven," Molan made us if to rise, the count ceased, he Moran sink ouek ug. in, and fur breathless msterz the crowd paused in its pandemonium.

White 14485rte sad shoulder that the re- ficent, in: rtteulate Beckett left- bookrit this way to getd money with short-sh. it was over car

Referee Miss Deyong gave his own Harry Curzon, Harry Hoove,

mensemise" instruc- buy armick, Frank God.ed

vists, slepped buck, and the fight แป Dick Sauth: Australa's

was on. Over came Mary Ann.

The reterer turned words Garongs Cooki America's Eddie

the start, night at

Beckett, aimed cir-

NOW 1stening with Melinos ty

and Frank Moruny

eu usly

obvious apprehenson Fowl.

40 C and se tamer world champton, Nothing dong. Beckett stepped trenzled demands for his "low Ty Burn (whom he sl

Inside uf Man's lang und pien Jou.. unoffietary and w th

Faking tơm and stived but with stairense & body punches until such time as Lotus hotel).

ine referee called him off.

1

un a

ray described D explus puulte os " huge sired monster of ingratitudes.”

Hekel & ..ortune to be catalogued in fight history as hemalt whose second defeat by Kupont ve Dirih ta the now LUCCA 1982 about the spectator www stopped to pick up his hat and med ine light. That pisut kw.ng shocked us dumb und we found tongue to howl our moraleation.

rs t Beckett's

teatis.dication.

But there was no disquailfea- fon-und no knock-out The well reprievod us all.

ng than those twe thrust and bust.

terrüc

Beckett was up

at their DVD-MAN stuff again. of that Who cared in that rupturous but this time crowd that some of the punish- imunediately, punching furiously ment was boing dished out with and creating red havoc on his wrist, forearm and head instead rival's face. of kunckles? This was fighting

Picr Six

At the end of the und, the shenanigans. value for money.

Who's worried round in which about blood?

'Get up'

nui

Holt

he had come within two seconds of winning the night, Moran was back- pedalling and top - class American heavyweights do wwww! bux backward unless they его in very real trouble,

rain ol

Certainly

Bezkelt now become ca OXUCU- way through the round, the teper, consc.cus that Moran's Amelitan Bated Beckett in his power to hurt him was gradually then 1 $5 In Beckel's eyes

tracks with a long left, and, for being sapped by from a straight left to the noɛe,

Low punch or no low punch, the that time in the ight, saw punishment that lacerated his and an audibic cry of “Oh, so

Moran put the one-minute rest in undelenard chin in front of face, closed his eyes, and ex- that's the game" from Moran w good accounk whatcong

tim, uver went Mary Ann, and peiled the air from his lungs, as the affronted Beckett hooked Beckett kicked his tied behind over went Beckett-it a black-

dubtabic teft. Honours

Moran lum belore

was upon out of Leramoted brains, his nim, impeued by buriding anger i end wiling www the middle across the full diagonal of the rope. two was the busiest minutes I ever had," recalls Bockett.

ส

even.

"Hound three

ring,

By round seven Mary Ann was

a flapping old lady, swept aside

as Beckett ripped in with every punch he ever learned from

Two woozy eyes opened slowly, fairground upwards. But through

A left sizzledi past Beckett's blinked, closed, then opened it all a gallant and practically right car, a right crashed into again. One leg ruved, then the defenceless Мотел grinned Beckett seeking close quarters his ribs, and down went Joe on other. From the coiner rushed ghastly kind of acknowledgment

That is the way

It looked.

THE GOLF CUP WITH A CURSE ON IT

RE you superstitious?

You know what I mean,

being afraid of black cats

By Tom Eyton

was

and Friday the Thirteenth. with mandarins and dell- winners of the trophy were home. Six months later see, Of course, everybody knowa cately carved maidens, and to have a bad time while they were divorced. that it's all nonsense. Well, the handles were in the the cup was in their posses- whoever heard of anything shape of grinning dragons, quite stupid as throw-

You

the

The cup has not been played for since. And that

six years ago.

wante nobody "Hongkong Cup.”

The club's pro, a shrewd The long arm of*coin-

little man, not generally cidence was stretching out ing salt all over the place The shopkeeper fold him

giving to worrying about wont as if it were made of little demons and the like, and walking into the road that the silver had been bankrupt shortly after elastic. rather than under a ind- stolen from Д der!

temple. But being a soldier, winning the cup, and a.

Chineso

sion.

One businessman

is also afraid of the cup. Another winner laughed His uncle, looked after the and a colonel at that, he greater tragedy came when when his fellow golfers trophy during the 1948 com But it is not advisable to didn't believe in curses and another winner went blind shook their heads as he petition. He died while the say all this to any of the evil spells, so he thought no a few months after the prepared to take the cup game was being played. go.fers at Folkestone, u more about it.

pretty English seaside re-

cup

had been

in

home.

Bort. You see they believe He little knew at the that one of their trophies, time how Folkestone golfers CUP OF TRAGEDY a silver cup bought in Hong→ would hate that cup in later kong, has a curse on it.

COLONEL'S CIFFT

his home. They are perhaps one winner wouldn't have sny- envious of my success, he thing to do with the cup. So a thought He sneered at steward, made of sterner stuff, what he called "superstitious took it home. He kept it in hir bedroom for safety. After all, nonsense." Three months. it was worth well over £100. later he had changed his The stoward fell ill, and died at The cup was known as mind. One day he stormed tow, dors Laten Naturally the golfers the "Hongkong Cup"... Into the club and gave the were pleased when the but it was later to be cup back. colonel presented his silver called the cup of tragedy. had to club. It was

years.

Two weeks after wingin

bean In Hongkong wanted to cut the thing to decorate A first clase golfer broke ning the trophy

present his club with any home something his arm winr g the and almost handsome challenge cup uncommon, yet distinguish comp which could be played for ed In short, a prize worth

each year. He found a little winni

nich, promised to

He cou Fnever

young

husba

IN TWO PIECES

Afine, the 1948

plabed

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