New Britain herald., 1927-01-29

sitting up today and taking notice of the rapid rise in the amateur ranks of Johnny Clinch of this city Last night, Johnny undertook the \ hardest task he has had since he started fighting in the amateurs that of meeing Ray Hall Hartford knockout king.
 Hall is fighter from beginning , to end. Clinch is fighter and g boxer of no mean ability. Johnny boxed Hall last night and won 8 clear-cut victory over the boy who has string of 40 knockouts to hia credit.
 Hall deserves a world of credit for appearing in the show last night The night before in Hartford ring, he was knocked out in the first round. Rather than disappoint the crowd at the state armory last night. he came to New Britain and fought Clinch.
 AL IlTSL, lUIIUWtTS OL S4lCH du- vised the New Britain boy not to go on with Hall. However. Johnny felt sure he could win and 50 did his handlers. Their judgment was justified by Johnny's showing.
 He was as fast as lightning and whenever Halls deadly left swung jn tc l, rir h tucked it prettily and gave a great deal more than he took.
 Johnny's rise has been rapid and with careful coaching and proper handling, he will keep on rising. Johnny is the kind of 8 boy whose head is not turned by success. He isn't the kind that figures that he is too good at any time and realizes like Jack Delaney, the light heavy weight champion, that no fighter is safe until the bout is over or his opponent is on the floor.
 Clinch must remember that there is always someone waiting around the corner, just little bit better than he is. He must keep in con- dtion at all times and the road he must travel will be hard one. He gained a world of experience last night against Hall the slugger but he needs a great deal more before he will reach the top.
 Johnnys work in local rings and in other amateur tournments about the state Is bringing him state wide notice. He is being sought for ap- pearances in many amateur tourna- ments about the state and can be depended on to give good account of himself either in victory or de- feat.
 Frank Portell, the Hartford boy, who divides the refereeing with Joe Wurst at the amateur tournaments. is "out of luck" as far as a match with Al Conley state lightweight champion is concerned. Conley re- fuses to fight him despite the fact that every demand he made was met by the promoters.
 Portell was in great shape and was by far the favorite ii the meeting was cOnsummated, but Con- ley has tucked the match.
 The National Guards tackle the All-Midletown team at the state ar mory tonight in the second meet ing between the teams. Middletown beat the Guards in Middletown by the score of 24 to 23 in a recent game but the locals confidently eX- pect to win back their laurels to- night.
 Next Saturday night the Brooklyn A. c. of Waterbury is scheduled to play in this city. The Saturday fol- lowing that game. the Atlas of New Haven will oppose the locals on the local floor. The Atlas also have scored a victory over the National Guards by two point margin and the Guards are the favorites in the game in this city. The argument has been raised that the Guards cannot legitimately claim the state championship be- f, cause of the games they have won on their home floor. This goes to say that as long as the Guards con- tinue to lose games out of town and win only at home. their champion ship aspirations cannot be taken as seriously as another team.
 There may be something to this argument but by the same token, the other teams can no more claim the championship than New Britain can If they come to this city and |, beat the Guards here. The Guaeds !, travel to New Haven. say, and lose | to the Atlas. The Atlas come here 1 and lose to New Britain. Neither team wins on the oppostion's floor Are not the claims to the state championship even in both cases?
 It won't be long now before the | Guards start winning out of town. A team like the Guards cannot keep going up against teams that beat them by only one or two points. The Meriden Endees beat New Britain 19 to IT. The N1iddletown won from the locals by one point. The Atlas won by two points.
 Plainfield, the Brooklyn A. c. and Bristol are the three teams who have beaten New Britain by sizeable margins. The locals must get break some time.
 They cannot always have the luck that beset them in the second half of the game in Bristol last Wednesday night when shot after shot, suckers" for the most part, was missed.