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Show NEW BOXING LAW FOR CALIFORNIA Devotees of Game Hope for Act Legalizing Ten-round Ten-round Bouts. SAX FRANCISCO. Dec. 6. In circles pugilistic runs now the feeling that if there can be found a legislator bold enouKh to take the initiative anil strong enough to command attention, the com-' lug session of California's lawmakers may j he coaxed out of a statute that will re- , store the ring game to some of its1 ancient glory. ' Some few years back some of our most distinguished citizens were wont lo toss their mitts in horror at the mere men- tion of boxing. But since the somewhat-esteemed somewhat-esteemed I'nited States government has .given professional boxers well-paid jobs teaching the art of self-defense to soi- ' diers ami sailors, and has sponsored real ring combats, the attitude of those dis-. tinguished citizens has changed. Jn fact, they are beginning to wonder if boxing isn't a pretty good sport alter all. And i hey do not now regard even tho professional pro-fessional boxers with such a disapproving, eye. when they recall the willing spirit with which these professionals exchanged wallops at war fund benefits. Anil therefore arises the belief that advocacy of a revised boxing law more liberal than the one now upon our statute stat-ute books might at. least get a hearing at the next legislature. State Boxing Board. Rumor has ft that a bill is being prepared pre-pared which will provide for a state boxing box-ing commission, under the supervision of which all matches must he staged. The present so-called "amateur" law. ob-seived ob-seived only, to the extent of limiting bouts to four rounds, is to be repealed and the new law is to permit bouts up to ten rounds. And so that the promoters pro-moters and boxers, the peace officers who permit it, and even the spectators will not be breaking the law at every boxing show, there will be no rule as to "amateurs'' and- no pronounced restriction re-striction on the size of "medals."' "Snowy" Baker's Opinion. Give ear to the opinion of "Snowy" Baker, Australia's great leader of boxing, box-ing, who has been in California for several sev-eral months and has studied the situation there. "Snowy" is returning to Australia Aus-tralia to open up his stadium and start the boxing shows again. Says Baker: "It is impossible to think that California Califor-nia will ever stop boxing completely, and it is almost as impossible to think that California Will permit it to remain in its present chaotic stage. The four-round shows here are good, but there is not the regulation that there should be, not the close understanding among your promoters promot-ers which would make it- impossible for a boxer violating the code at one club to have a chance to violate it at another. an-other. "A state commission would help, and the amending of your laws to permit ten or even twenty-round contests, all under the supervision of this commission, would restore the sport to its old standing. It does not need any restoration to popularity, popu-larity, for popularity it will always have. There is something of the Roman in all or us we like the spectacle of a man striving with man. matching muscle against muscle. It is nn instinct which no legislation can ever destroy. 'Personally I do not believe m no-decl-ion contests, such as are conducted in some parts of your country. The boxer lvis little nt stake, provided be can remain re-main to the finish. If he is a eliampion he does not lose, his title. And if he isn't a champion, and is boxing one, be hasn't much to gain. Each rival niainitter will el up claim that his man had tin3 better bet-ter of the bout, and how is he to be disputed? dis-puted? No-decision contesls take away the incentive, and that is one of the big-west big-west elements of sport." |