LES DARCY book by Raymond Swanwick- Excerpts

[McGoorty]

Chapter 8 - On Leave From the anvil - Part 1.

Chapter 8 ;- ON LEAVE FROM THE ANVIL

Despite the fact that Fritz Holand had beaten Les Darcy twice, the experts and the sporting public realized the t the Maitland lad was rapidly improving, and would soon be able to stand up to the brilliant American Middleweights and other boxers from overseas who were joining in the new "gold rush" to Australia, seeking arrangements at the Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane Stadiums to fight in the presence of the biggest crowds and for the biggest prize-money that was being offered anywhere in the world. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- One of the foremost Australian writers on boxing, Will Lawless, was tireless in proclaiming that Les Darcy had a natural genius that gave promise of unlimited triumphs. That was a large claim to make in that golden age of boxing. When the many contenders for national championships, and for the world championships, in each of the weight classes, in many countries, but chiefly in U.S.A., Britain, Canada, Australia and France, were popular idols, internationally famous. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- It was Will Lawless who had arranged for Dave Smith to give Les Darcy some tuition on the finer points of glove-fighting before his second bout with Fritz Holland. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- After the second fight, Lawless urged Snowy Baker to arrange another fight for Darcy at the stadium, and suggested that Darcy should be brought to Sydney for more training with Dave Smith. -------------------------------------------------------------------- At this time, one of the best Middleweights, Henri K.O. MARCHAND, had come to Australia seeking engagements. He had a long list of victories by knockout to his credit, and was known by the nickname of K.O. Marchand. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Henri had been matched twice against the European and French Welterweight Champion, the redoubtable Georges Carpentier. On both those occasions it was Carpentier who had knocked out K.O. Marchand in the sixth round at their first meeting and in the seventh in the return bout a month later. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- An American Middleweight, Gus CHRISTIE, had joined in the "Gold Rush" to Australia. He was near the top class of American professionals. In the preceeding year, 1913, he had been matched twice against Eddie McGoorty, who on each occasion had failed to knock him out or to make him quit in ten rounds. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Snowy Baker rated Narchand and Christie as smarter opponents for one another and for Les Darcy. ---------- An opponent was made for Darcy to meet Marchand at the Sydney Stadium in the evening of Eight Hour Day, Monday, 5th OCTOBER, 1914 --- a public holiday, but Monday night Fights were not usually well attended. If Darcy could make a good showing then, and could draw a crowd, would be given a chance to fight Gus Christie a month later. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Will Lawless, and others who were keeping a watchful eye on Darcy's rise to fame, realized that the Maitland boy was now well on his way to the top ranking. They thought it absurd that a youth of his class should have to work in a blacksmiths shop all day and train only at night for a fight at Sydney Stadium, where, in the presence of ten thousand spectators or more, he could be matched against opponents of international repute, years older than himself. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Work as a blacksmiths striker had toughened Les Darcy, with a large developement of his arm, shoulder and neck muscles. In that heavy developement of his torso, combined with speedy, light legs, he resembled the great old-time champion, Bob Fitzsimmons, who was also a blacksmith ; but the experts considered that Darcy was in danger of becoming too muscle bound and too slow if he continued to swing the heavy hammer. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Billy Ford refused to give his apprentice time off, but he eventually consented on condition that Darcy's supporters paid the wages of a journeyman blacksmith to take his place. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- The news was announced in the Sunday Times, Sydney, a newspaper owned by Hugh D. McIntosh, on 20th SEPTEMBER 1914. ----------- "Arrangements have been completed with Darcy's employer in Maitland, by which Mr. Baker has been able to substitute a tradesman in Darcy's place, so that the latter may return to Sydney immediately to have a fortnight's training before his combat with K.O. Marchand on October 5th.

[McGoorty]

Chapter 8 - On Leave From the anvil - Part 2.

Chapter 8 - Pt. 2.

Three days later, on 23rd September 1914, the Sydney sporting newspaper, "The Referee", which was also owned at that time by Hugh D. McIntosh, printed an item of news that was of the utmost significance in the light of later events, but soon forgotten :-- "Darcy is keen to go to the front, but being under age his application has been declined by the military authorities". ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- At that time, only seven weeks after Britain's declaration of war on Germany, the war fever had not yet gripped Australia. Many people considered that the Australian Expeditionary Force, later named the Australian Imperial Force, would never reach the scene of the battle. Experts predicted that the war would be over by Christmas. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ If the statement printed in the Referee was correct, it is likely that Darcy had volunteered, at the Military office in Maitland, for overseas service, and had been rejected there, or perhaps in Newcastle, on the grounds that he was under 21, and could not be accepted without the permission of his parents. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Les now concentrated his attention on his upcoming contest with K.O. Marchand. He moved to Sydney, accompanied by Mick Hawkins, and lodged at a boarding house named "Sunnyside", in Cleveland Street, Surry Hills, handy to Moore Park, where he could do his training runs. His gymnasium work was done under the direction of Dave Smith, assisted by an American boxer, Jim FITTON---- both of whom taught Les some of the finer points of the game, and gave him training to increase his speed.

DARCY Vs MARCHAND Up Next !!!!

[McGoorty]

Chapter 8 - On Leave From the anvil - Part 3.

Chapter 8 - Pt. 2..........................

LES DARCY Vs HENRI K.O. MARCHAND (France)

On the night of the fight, 5th OCTOBER 1914, Darcy weighed in at 11 Stone 2 and a half Pounds, and Marchand at 11 stone 4 pounds. The Frenchman recieved an ovation from the crowd, the more so a s the war news indicated that the gallant Frech armies, at the Battle of Marne, had halted the German advance on Paris. But the Maitland Boy, with the Australian flag in his corner, recieved an even louder and longer cheer. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- All sensed that this fight was crucial in Darcy's career. If he lost for a third time at the stadium, he would not get another chance for a long time, if ever.------------------------ Marchand had the reputation of packing a high explosive punch. Warned of this, Les remarked, in his innocent way that was never boastful, but simply matter-of-fact, "Gee, then there'll be two of us !!". ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- In the opening round, the Australian proved himself the better boxer, both in attack and defence. Cleverly ducking Marchand's destructive left and right swings, he countered with three straight lefts in rapid succession, each of which battered the Frenchman's nose. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- In round two, Darcy repeatedly scored with left leads to the face. In rounds three and four, the Australian scored freely at in-fighting and at long range, and was well ahead on points. --------------------------------------------- Marchand came out of his corner in Round Five all set to deliver his famous right swing to the jaw, which had put many opponents to sleep. He feinted cleverly with his left, and then crossed Darcy with a perfectly timed right that smacked the Maitlander on the point of the chin like a kick from a mule. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- That was it !!!, that was K.O. Marchand's secret weapon, but to the amazement of the Frenchman, young Darcy simply stepped back, shook his head, smiled, and moved in to counter-attack. ------------------------------------------- Marchand had to learn what every fighter who ever faced Les Darcy had to learn....... Not to rile him by trying to knock him out. In desperation, Henri swung again with his right cross, but this time Les ducked, then moving in smartly, forced the Frenchman to the ropes. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ There Darcy landed two heavy body blows with his left that made Marchand gasp, and then, with dazzling speed, hit again with his left, this time a jab to the chin that knocked the Frenchman down. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Referee Harald Baker began the count, but Marchand rose at thye count of 5, and, with rare vitality, tried to shape up again to the smiling Australian, who came out of the neutral corner to which he retired when the referee began to count. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Marchand had got to his feet while almost unconcious. He fell again without any further blow struck by Darcy, and lay on his back. Then, to the amazement of the crowd, he suddenly turned a somersault on the floor, heels over head, to finish lying on his stomach. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Harald baker began to count again, but again at the count of five the courageous or stunned Frenchman rose again, then fell and lay prone, squirming on the canvas with convulsive movements. -------------------------------------- Without need of a further count, Harald Baker crowned Darcy the winner. The crowd cheered the victor, and cheered again for the loser when, a few moments later revived by his seconds, he rose groggily to his feet and went to congratulate the terrible young Australian who had done what no one else except Georges Carpentier had needed seven rounds to do. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Afterwards, Marchand said, "To fight Les Darcy is like fighting a gorilla. He is terribly strong, made of iron. He could beat any Middleweight in the world, and he could even beat Carpentier !". ----------------------------------------------------------------------- After the fight, the Referee newspaper reported that, "Darcy returned home to Maitland on the Monday". Meaning that he had been so little hurt that he was able to proceed to Newcastle by the steamer leaving the Sus*** Street Wharf at 11.30 p.m. on the evening of the fight. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- The efficient manner in which Les had disposed of K.O. Marchand had established him as a top-ranker among Australian Middleweights, and had assured him of stadium engagements at a high rate of earning which would enable him to give up the idea of earning his living as a blacksmith and to concentrate his ambition on professional fighting as a career. ----------------------------------------------------

Hows that for knockout power folks ??... one punch with three knockdowns and a K.O. ???

[McGoorty]

Chapter 8 - On Leave From the anvil - Part 4.

Chapter 8 - Pt. 4.

In arriving at that decision, Les was giving no thought to the possibility that the Great War in Europe could bring the sport of boxing in Australia to a standstill. A country lad with little education could scarcely be expected to foresee how seriously that Great war could develop. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Having been promised a match against Gus CHRISTIE, Les returned from Maitland to Sydney, to sign a contract and to train under the direction of Dave Smith. His original trainer and manager, Mick Hawkins, accompanied him. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dave Smith lived in Mosman, on the north side of Sydney Harbour. He arranged accomodation for Les at the home of Mrs Pearce, mother of Bobby Pearce, who was later to become the world's champion sculler. At this time Bobby Pearce, and his brother Syd, were only boys, much younger than Les Darcy. All went swimming together in the bathing enclosure at the Spit, on Middle Harbour, in Mosman. There Les could relax happily in the company of dozens of Mosman schoolboys for whom a dip at the "Spit Baths" was a daily routine. His superb physique and cheerful modest temperament won admiration which soon developed into hero worship. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Dave Smith controlled Darcy's training methods, and were carried through under the supervision of Mick Hawkins. At this time Dave Smith was twenty eight years of age, and Mick Hawkins twenty seven. Les had his nineteenth birthday on 31st October 1914, while training for his fight with Gus Christie. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Systematic training began three weeks before the fight. In the mornings there was roadwork, Les ent for a three mile run from the Pearce's home, down Spit Rd. to the shore of the harbour, then up Spit Hill and around the neighbouring district to finish with a swim and a rubdown at the Spit Baths. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- In the afternoons he did sparring, ball punching, bag punching, shadow boxing, and skipping exercises in a gymnasium at the Spit Baths, and sometimes in a privately hired room above a pharmacy (drug store), in Spit Road. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- He would spar three-two minute rounds with Spider Roach, a Lightweight to give him speed, immediately followed by three two-minute rounds with the Heavyweight, Les O'Donnell. Later this would be a session of bag-punching, shadow boxing, and skipping for approximately an hour. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Les was inclined to put on weight quickly. To be sure that he weighed in under the Middleweight limit of 11 stone 6 pounds, he usually 'dried out' by avoiding fluids for two days before the fight. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- On the day of the fight he would rest till 4 p.m., then have a good meal of steak. At 6 p.m. he would limber up with light exercises, then go to the stadium at 8 p. m. in good time for the fight scheduled to begin at 8.30 p.m.. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- He loved music, ever since he was a boy he had played a mouth organ. Now he bought a violin and learned to play it, as a recreation during the routine of training. Music soothed his nerves. While waiting for the call to enter the ring at the stadium, he played his mouth organ quietly in the dressing-room, and always entered the ring calm and confident.

End Of Chapter EIGHT !!

[McGoorty]

Chapter 9 - Darcy and the Welsh Wizard - Part 1.

Chapter Nine - Part One ................................

DARCY & The Welsh Wizard.

One week after his nineteenth birthday, Les Darcy's fight against Gus CHRISTIE, at the Sydney Stadium on 7th NOVEMBER 1914, proved that the Maitland Boy had rapidly climbed the top rungs of the ladder. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Darcy's fight against Christie was the Maitlanders fourth engagement at Baker's Stadium in four months. The Stadium crowds had seen him in two fights against Fritz Holland and one against Marchand, but his performances in those three fights had been enough to demonstrate that his reputation as the invincible champion of the northern coalfields had been well earned. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- At the age of nineteen, Les had practically stopped growing, and his physical frame was at it's peak of perfection. He weighed a few pounds under the Middleweight limit of 11 stone 6 pounds, but this was a controlled weight, and he could have made more weight, up to 12 stone, without difficulty. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- His height had attained it's maximum, 5 feet 7 inches, so that his build was burly and "Big in the barrell". His chest measurement was 39 inches and waist 32 inches. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- It was the tremendous strength of his neck, shoulder and arm muscles that enabled him to absorb, without flinching, blows that would have knocked-out most other boxers. His neck was 16 inches, and this meant that his collar size was 18. His biceps measured 14 and a half inches, forearm 11 and a half inches, and wrist 7 and a half inches. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Apart from his thick set and short neck, the most remarkable feature of his bodily build was his reach, which was 74 inches from fingertip to fingertip, being thus seven inches more than his height. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Normally a man's reach is the same as his height, but Les Darcy, though 5 feet 7 inches high, had the reach of a man 6 foot 2 inches tall. This was partly due to his big hands and long but strong fingers. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Les Darcy's reach was the same as Jack Johnson, who was World Heavyweight Champion fron 1908 to 1915, but Johnson stood 6 feet 1 and a quarter inches high. It has been claimed, and never disproved, that Les Darcy had a longer reach, thicker neck, and bigger biceps than any Middleweight boxer in the world in the world at that time, or before or since. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ His biceps had a measurement the same as those on record of the old-time World Heavyweight Champions, James J. Corbett and Tommy Burns and of later champions Gene Tunney, Jack Sharkey, Max Baer, Rocky Marciano and Floyd Patterson. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Darcy's thigh measured 23 inches, calf 14 and a half inches, and ankle 8 and a half inches. His thigh was the same measurement as those of Jack Johnson, Jack Dempsey, Max Schemeling and Joe Louis. And slightly bigger than the thigh measurement of Tommy Burns, Gene Tunney, Max Baer, Ezzard Charles, Joe Walcott or Rocky Marciano. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Les Darcy was a middleweight with the muscular developement and reach of a heavyweight. He was light on his feet, but sturdy. His ankle measurements were the same as those stated in the records of some of the old time Heavyweight champions, including James J. Corbett, Bob Fitzsimmons and Tommy Burns, but smaller than most heavyweight Champios, who taped from 9 to 10 inches round the ankles. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- With such measurements at nineteen years of age, Les Darcy would within a few years have developed into a Heavyweight able to challenge the world title holder, Jack Dempsey if the fates had spared him for such a testing of his prowess, but it was Darcy's tragedy that he matured to the zenith of his skill and fame at a time when the armed combat of the European empires in their death throes put pugilism, as a sport temporarily into the discard. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- That shut down had not been applied in Australia in 1915, when Les Darcy first became the idol of the sporting crowds who regularly patronised the big fights at the metropolitan stadiums every Saturday and holiday night. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- His character and pleasant personality, and not only his superb physique and fighting skill, made Les Darcy the most popular Australian of his time. The sporting crowds instinctively recognised in his features, lit by his happy boyish smile, the quality of a youth devoid of malice or scheming. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ His demeanour was modest and polite. He was a non-drinker and non-smoker, and a regular attender of church. The fight fans could sense that he enjoyed fighting, as an art or science, and for this reason he could give and take the hardest knocks without feeling or resentment. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- He never lost his temper, in the ring or outside it. If he was a freak it was not only physically, but in his mental attitude to boxing, which was always that of a true sportsman, giving nothing away in his determination to win, but honouring with unflinching eyes, the foe-man as he struck him down. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Whatever the reasons may have been for Les Darcy's popularity, the fact remained that on his fourth appearance at Baker's Stadium, this Australian lad proved a greater drawcard to the crowds than any of the imported stars that McIntosh and Baker had favoured for years past.

Back soon,.. enjoying this so far ???... anybody got a comment ???

[McGoorty]

Chapter 9 - Darcy and the Welsh Wizard - Part 2.

Darcy and the Welsh wizard - Part 2.

LES DARCY Vs GUS CHRISTIE (U.S.A.)

Gus Christie, an American Middleweight who had proved that he could stand up to Eddie McGoorty in two ten round "No-Decision" fights in the U.S.A. in 1913, had come to Australia in 1914 with the reputation of being a hard hitter. He had knocked out Henri Marchand in three rounds, but he been beaten on points in twenty rounds by Australian Middleweight, Mick King. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ As Darcy had also beaten Marchand, he and Christie were well matched, but this was the first time that Les Darcy had been matched against a top-ranking American capable of standing up to McGoorty, if Darcy could beat Gus Christie, he could then logically challenge Jeff Smith or Mick King for the Australian Middleweight Championship. --------------------------------------------------------------------------Darcy weighed in at 11 stone 2 and a half pounds, and Christie at 11 stone 5 pounds. The American was taller than the thick set Darcy. Both fighters were given an enthusiastic reception as they entered the ring, the betting being at evens. Keen followers of the sport knew that Darcy was facing a tougher opponent than Fritz Holland or Henri Marchand. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- In the first two rounds the pace was brisk, and points were equally divided, Darcy scoring with straight lefts and Christie with right crosses and short left jabs. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- The experts saw that Darcy had improved under Dave Smith's tuition, and that he was no longer a biff-and-bash slugger, but a highly skilled boxer, though inclined to stand pat and swap punches instead of using his feet to side-step and back move for defensive tactics. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- No one knew better than Gus Christie, after those first two rounds, that the smiling Darcy was a formidable foe. ---------------------------------------------------- Christie had learned how to fight the hard way in the states, with roughhouse tactics not barred in some of the smaller towns on the circuit which small time fighters sometimes had to hide in the rattlers and sleep in hobo camps. He had risen from that tough beginning to more classy performances, but there wasn't a trick of dirty fighting that he didn't know. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Coming out of a clinch in the second round, Gus smacked Les hard in the mouth, intending to rile the Australian and wipe the confident grin off his dial, but that smack in the kisser brought a swift retribution of two heavy punches on the nose which sent the American reeling against the ropes. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The crowd roared, sensing a knockout to come, but the bell for the end of the round sent the boxers to their corners. Christie rattled by the ease and speed which Darcy had counter-attacked, and annoyed by the crowds cheers for Darcy's effort. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- In the third round, Christie bored in with his head down for a clinch, and suddenly straightened up and cut Darcy's eyebrow with a head butt. The referee, not willing to stop the fight for a foul that might have been accidental, chose not to notice it ; but Darcy, well aware that the American would try to land punches on the wound, defended so brilliantly that Christie was unable to reach that objective even once. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The crowd, and apparently the referee also, sensed that Darcy by superior boxing skill would be able to cope with any rough-house tactics that Christie might try. In the next clinch, Christie tried to use his elbow to jolt Darcy's chin, but the smiling Maitlander simply pushed the threatening elbow away, then broke from the clinch with two hard jabs to the ribs that would have floored the American, the crowd booed Christie for holding, and this partisanship provoked the American to give a delightful exhibition of clean fighting in the eighth and ninth rounds, which he won on points by effective timing with right crosses and uppercuts. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- The next six rounds saw Darcy hitting Christie with every kind of punch in the book, but only hard enough to annoy, not to knock out the American. ------------ The spectators saw that Christie was tiring under the repeated blows that were rained on him. While Darcy's amazing stamina showed scarcely any signs of weariness. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Darcy had a long lead on points when the sixteenth round began. Christie rushed into a clinch, and again tried a head butt, which the Australian brushed aside, administering two smart taps with his left on Christie's bruised nose. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- In desperation Christie clinched again, attempted an elbow-jab and was punished by two more "taps on the conk". -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Amid a prolonged and ugly uproar from the crowd, Christie grappled Darcy with a wrestling hold and attempted to throw him. Darcy stood him off with a left and right to the body, hard enough to hurt, but not to floor the riled American. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The referee made no attempt to stop the fight for a foul. He rightly decided that Darcy was able to defend himself from rough-house tactics, and so to demonstrate the superiority of boxing over milling and mauling. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- In the nineteenth round, Darcy fended off Christies attempt to clinch, and with a ripping uppercut, laid the American out on the canvas. The gong sounded as Christie struggled to his feet. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Darcy, unhurt except for the cut over his eye in the third round from the butt, joked with his seconds. His towel man complained humourously that he was getting tired of towelling, and asked Les why he hadn't finished the fight sooner,.... "sit down and I'll towel you", Les laughed. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- In the twentieth round, Christie came out of his corner in a daze, dimly aware that the Australian was making him look like a beginner, giving him a boxing lesson, and prolonging the lesson deliberately as the most effective answer to Christie's tactics. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- In that round, Darcy hit Christie when and where he pleased, but only with jabs and taps, not heavy enough for a K.O. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- As the final bell sounded, the referee had no hesitation in crowning Darcy the winner on points. Prolonged applause followed. There was not one person among the fifteen thousand in the Stadium who could not see plainly that a new star had risen high above the horizon and was shining brightly.

[McGoorty]

A New York Times article from around the time of the Christie fight late 1914. Snowy baker talks about the Christie V Mick King bout (referred at in last post), and Darcy V Christie and about other up-and-comers from the Aussie scene.... Also a different writers view of the DARCY Vs Gus Christie fight so you can get a different camera angle of the fight,, I haven't even read it myself yet.... From the NZ Truth November 1914/..... the links..

[McGoorty]

A New York Times article from around the time of the Christie fight late 1914. Snowy baker talks about the Christie V Mick King bout (referred at in last post), and Darcy V Christie and about other up-and-comers from the Aussie scene.... Also a different writers view of the DARCY Vs Gus Christie fight so you can get a different camera angle of the fight,, I haven't even read it myself yet.... From the NZ Truth November 1914/..... the links..

Quote from the NZ Truth link I just posted. - "There's no backdown about Les Darcy, he's grit to the core, and as full of Devil as a whole Ghurka regiment".

[McGoorty]

Chapter 9 - Darcy and the Welsh Wizard - Part 3.

Darcy and the Welsh Wizard - Part 3.

On that date, 7th NOVEMBER 1914, The Australian and New Zealand Expeditionary Forces, comprising 20,000 volunteer troops were at sea in the Indian Ocean, in a large convoy of ships, bound for Egypt. The war in Europe had been in progress for four months. Three weeks later, on Boxing Day, 1914, Les Darcy again stepped into the ring, this time at the Stadium in Brisbane, Queensland, for a contest against an imported boxer, FRED DYER, known as the "Singing Welshman", who had come to Australia with a remarkable reputation. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ During the first five years of his career, 1908-12, Dyer, as a Lightweight and Welterweight, had fought Ninety-Four bouts in Britain, and had never once been defeated*. This was a world record in professional boxing. nine of his contests had been draws. All the others he had won, most of them on points. The reason for his immunity from knockouts was his amazing skill in defensive boxing. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Dyer had fought a draw with Fritz Holland at Brisbane. The Brisbane Stadium manager, George Lawrence, sensed that a match between Dyer and the prodigious Maitland boy would attract the crowd. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This was Darcy's first appearance at the Brisbane Stadium, and only his fifth "big stadium" fight, yet so great was his reputation already that Lawrence matched him without hesitation against this "Welsh Wizard", and put the prices of admission up to 1 pound at ringside and ten, five and three shillings for unreserved seats instead of the usual three, two and one. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The word spread around that this fight was going to be special. the "House Full" sign went up half an hour before the fight began. ---------------------------- The weight limit had been fixed at 11 stone 4 pounds. Darcy weighed 11 stone 1 pound at the ringside, but Dyer's weight was not announced, except that he was "inside the limit". ------------------------------------------------------------ In fact, Dyer was a Welterweight, a few pounds under the Welter limit of 10 stone 7 pounds, and at least 10 pounds lighter than Darcy. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- darcy was advised, or perhaps on his own initiative, to box quietly and spare his lighter opponent, or at least try not to go for a knockout too early, before the spectators had value for money.

The DYER fight soon, quite soon..... any comments ?????... no,... not sure ??

[McGoorty]

* the asterisk in the above post is referring to the fact that I am a little bit sceptical of that Dyer stat............ but I am also a bit skeptical of Boxrec's stats on Fred Dyer too... May have originated from Nat Fleisher, that stat...... I'm looking into it.