1950-11-22 — Page 6

6:

THE "HONGKONG TELEGRAPH, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 1950.

The Woodcock-Gardner Fight

THERE IS A GROWING OPINION IN ENGLAND THAT BOXING IS NO LONGER A SPORT By Michael Viggo

After the Lord Mayor's Show, they say, comes the dustcart. And after the eclipse of a champion come the wolves, the witeacres, and the people who knew it all the time.

"There is a growing opinion în England that boxing is no longer a sport. And after the fight between Bruce Woodcock and Jack Gardner, for the British and Empire Heavyweight titles, I couldn't agree more.

But it is not the big businessman behind the scenes who has degraded boxing. It is that funny specimen of humanity who calls himself a boxing fan-the world's most gullible and easily swayed dupe--who is responsible for the decline, and now the fall, of British boxing.

Until that night, I must con- But while Woodcock became fess, I considered myself a box- more worried, Gardner's con- ing fan. But when Woodcock's | Adence grew, and it didn't need eyes were closed, mine were a psychologist to tell which was opened. His swan song was cause and which was cffect. mine too.

A SORRY DRAMA What really happened. at Earl's Court? To understand that, we must consider the two men who enacted this sorry drama. On the one hand, Woodcock-the man who had the nation at his feet just two or three years ago, and 'a pack of wolves at his throat ever since.

All the time Woodcock's gloved hand was apprehensively feeling his left eye, where the scar left from his last encounter with Savold stood out starkly on an ugly swelling.

But if he is a wise man, he must surely have looked beyond the bevy of photographers who swarmed into the ring to sea what was going on in the other corner.

If his eyes were dimmed by the "glory of the occasion, his ears could surely not have been deaf to the cheets of the crowd, who not ten minutes earlier had The result is a matter of his-teen calling for Woodcock to tory. Woodcock, after one last slaughter him. But that's the desperate attempt to flatten way it goes. Gardner in the 11th round. As Woodcock relires into groped his way to his coiner, well-earned obscurity, I would slumped into the stool and rested like to correct a wrong im- his weary head in his hands,

pression that at least one daily newspaper has spread. That is that a large section of the crowd greeted Gardner's victory with a vociferous rendering of "For He's a Jolly Good Fellow.".

His spirit was never broken inside the ring, but his critics- The choice he had to make and, they were as numerous as was between fighting on in the they were ill-informed-tor-hope of landing a' kc.o. Blow on mented him at every turn when his opponent, or risicing his he was outside it. They con- eyesight. His decision was the tributed as much as Baksi and only one

a wise man could Savold to his Subsequent and make. ignominious defeat.

Gardner deserved it, no doubt, but the singers were a group of

stalwart Yorkshiremen who

The

Bruce Woodcock, the cut over his left eye hammered into a pulpy mess.

The Woodcock

Story Ends

It was the end-of the fight, We had seen this man Wood- but not, unfortunately, of the

By ARCHIE QUICK cock stand up to the giant Bakst inglorious and thoroughly do had journeyed from the North although the must have been in traded "sport," which, accord-to witness the spectacle.

The Woodcock Story is ended. With his defeat by not for the · new agony from a broken jaw. Woing to the "experts," somehow song was

champion, but for a very worthy ex-Grenadier Guardsman Jack Gardner in eleven rounds saw him fouled-and don't say received a fillip from the flasco he wasn't--by

ex-champion, and it was sung at Earl's Court, London, Doncaster's Bruce has ir- Savold in their When it was over, Gardner first meeting (though I

by men who am forced his broken mouth into ‘a

can still think recoverably laid up his boxing gloves with the com- straight even when their hero isfortable bank balance of £50,000 to his credit. among the first to admit that | semblance of

smile and Savold intended the_blow to nobody 'begrudged him his vanquished. land: beveral inches higher). And moment of glory, then we saw him 'itmbasting into Savold again last June, only to be stopped when a gash three inches long appeared over his left eye.

“A RAW RECRUIT Gardner, on the other hand, was a raw recruit to boxing a couple of years ago. He is littla more than that today, although

-{London Express Service)

MCC Not Very Impressive Against Northern Districts

Lismore, New South Wales, Nov. 21.

The King is dead; Long Live the King! Firstly, I will give two of my memories of the new Champion. One Albert was at the Army Championships at the Royal |Hall two years ago, when Gardner winked at me over the shoulder of his final rival, Cpl of Horse Johnny Walker and then proceeded to knock out his man.

The other was that of a dejected figure walking down Uxbridge High Street the night after he had been beaten by a rotund Swiss in the semi-finals of the 1948 The MCC had the better of matters in their drawn | Olympic Games at Wembley. "I shall never get any- he is as tough as they come and two-day match against New Wales Northern dis- where," said Gardner then. has improved quite considerably tricts but their form today 'not very impressive. in the last few months,

They took four hours to dismiss for 156 a side which could not be classed as strong in batting.

Except for his victory over. Johnny Williams (who on the same- programme, incidentally gave one of the best displays of classical boxing I have ever

I

crowned king

the

Here Well, he has,

he is in a royal succession of which anyone might be proud. I cannot re- Following on 118 runs behind the MCC score of 274. Northern Districts were 55 for two when bad light ended better equipped for his job since member a British heavyweight play. Though the pitch was too slow for Bailey, Warr Bombardier Billy Wells. This witnessed), he had done nothing to inspire great enthusiasm.

sergeant of: and Bedser and did not give much assistance to the spin- former There were many people who ners, the bowlers could not be excused for an uninspiring Grenadier Guards, 24 years old, with his future in front of him, thought he would not stand up performance.

stands 6ft 1ins, weighs only to Woodcock for six rounda But the worst feature of the at once enforced the follow on,

two lbs. short of 15 stone at his (and I was among them), 'but | MCC's display was their according to

match two-day

best fighting weight and has a we had

forgotten one thing flelding. At least seven chances rules. that gash over Woodcock's eye.

phenomenal 78-inch reach. In went astray, and this was the There was nothing very dead- The doctor's assurance that it main cause of their failure to ly from the bowlers apart from addition, his physique is perfect and it has helped him to be would stand up to the gruelling force an outright win

the mid-afternoon spell of test of a Heavyweight

come champion after

only 20 It was a dreary day's cricket. | Brown, who took pionship fight was good enough | Northern Districts took two with successive balls and only professional fights.

Gardner beat Woodcock by Us Our "sporting hours before lunch to score 55 Just missed the stumps

sheer grit in the same way he conscience never questioned it runs and in approximately four

Williams

in the did Johnnie hours to tea, they put on only 189.

for

because all we really about' was the fight.

Cham-

cared

the next delivery.

two wickets

with

Two Northern District wickets fell quickly when they began their second innings but lack of

But-heaven forgive us!—wo The innings closed soon after a third success put all hope of

tea for 156, leaving Northern a victory out of the question. of us. The medicos can mend Districts 118 behind and Brown Reuter.

forgot that Woodcock is 'made' of flesh and bone like the rest

a - broken eye, but they can't

mend the mental injury that

gods with it,

THE FIGHT ITSELF.

Commonwealth Against Bombay

Two French Victories At Empress Hall

London, Nov 21. Charles Humes, of France, Bombay, Nov. 21... aftor the tourists, had lost Em-who is regarded as one of the And so we come to the fight The Commonwealth cric-mett and Gimble't to Phadkar best five welterweight boxers in itself. - Woodcock opened con- ket team scored 296 runs for fidently enough, but his heavier the loss of eight wickets opponent was not lacking in confidence either. At the firm against the formidable at- sign of real opposition from tack of the Bombay Cricket Gardner, Woodcockhouame Association on the first day visibly worried. When Gardner of their three-day match absorbed some of his most lethal here today. punches with scarcely a blink, Woodcock collapsed Like pricked ballon.

same programme,

Wood- Leicester "bloodbath." cock was but a shadow of his old self, looked apprehensive

and drawn, but his left hand majority worked well enough to score a early rounds,

of the points in the and his quick right hand was always crossing over onto Gardner's chin.

Yet it had no more effect.. than it did on Lee Savold. Jack took all that paid

was coming and back the interest by...... pinpointing

that terrible left ...

eye of Woodcock's, another of Bruce's Savold legacies.

That eye fascinated me. It-

swelled and swelled and shuddered at the thought of it bursting.

So, too, must have Woodcock, for at the end of the eleventh

round, he shook his head wearily pawed at his eye, staggered almost blindly to his feet and then indicated to manager Tom Hurst that as far as he WDS concerned it was all over, a

TA

What is my assessment of the

manager John Simpson now.m new champion? My advice to unexpected possessor of twan champions, Don Cockell being, the other is to keep Gardner away from the American ide.

has

204

in one over with the score at 37 the world, gained a third round runs, and was then in a partner. Victory over Jeff Tite, of Eng ship of 66 runs with Jack nan land, one of Britain's most pro

Ikin scored an enterprising 65mising boxers, at the Empress runs but never looked comfor- Hall, London, tonight. able against the -leg-spin and + Tibe retired in the third heavies. googly bowling of Gupte, who

Gardner than Worrell'sound of their 10-rounds bout deserved more

everything wicket.

On the

except expericate, and is little When it seemed that the Gerian Annalaok, of France, more than a raw novice wi Frank Worrell was his usual Commonwealth tourists were in easily beat Bobby Boland, of all the physical attributes. Ar masterful self and collected his a commanding position with 215 Scotland, who recently beat the ringing down the curtain on The fight swung from age: to [81; runs in 1158 ninutes from runs, for four wickets on the British Bantamweight Cham-Woodcock let us salute his uns, it

|| Quenchable courago since, that the other. First Woodcock and forcing shots and attractive board, Ramchand and Phadkar plón, Dangy O'Sullivan.

34 then Gardner appeared on the stroke play all round the wie took the new ball and dismissed The referee s.opped the fight | fateful ""ôight when Joe Bak point of going down only to ↑ket.

Ikin. Grieves and Taker in 20 in the third round of their 10- broke his jaw and semi-blinded With Lello Ames, he added minutes for the addition of only round bantamweight contest.— him in the

round at.. wasther the storm of gerther

Reuter. for the third wicket, |15 runs-Router. and reverse the situation.

Harringay.

182 runs

zi