Cook is a man without any particular record in this country, though he was Heavy-weight Champion of Australia. By beating Carpentier he would have become Champion of Europe, and would, of course, have bounded into considerable fame. Wise after the event, large numbers of a critical public have observed that the result was for ever certain. But that is unfair to Cook, who showed himself to be a boxer7 by no means despicable, and who most emphatically had the better of one round out of the four. He was a stone heavier than his man, though this considerable difference was not plainly observable when they stripped. Cook was just a shade “beefy,” but he was strong and well. He looked across the ring with astonishment8 at the form of his 190 antagonist9: for Carpentier is—a Greek bronze, dark-skinned, beautifully proportioned, covered with easy, flowing muscle, a sight to stir the hearts of older athletes with vain regret.
The huge hall was full. Large numbers of women were present, both English and French, and these called to mind the amusing discussions in and out of newspapers, before the war, as to the propriety11 of admitting female spectators to “Gladiatorial displays.” Indeed in one Correspondence Column under the title, “Should Ladies Watch Boxing Contests?” an irascible old sportsman declared that the question did not arise, as no lady would do such a thing. Without entering at length into a question which is not widely interesting, I would ask what hope there was for a gentility which depends upon obedience12 to a perfectly13 trivial convention, involving no question of right or wrong, manners, or even what we usually mean by “decorum”? In those days of 1914, before war broke out, and when the “boxing boom” was at its height, a woman whom it is unnecessary to call a “lady,” old enough also to have recognised for what they were and to despise many transient correctitudes of fashion, observed: “If my daughter likes to go and see two nasty men with hairy chests knocking each other about, why shouldn’t she?” And, really, that is all there is to be said on the subject.
To return to what the ladies watched, rather than exploring the “quite niceness” of their watching it—a very desperate encounter was not expected: but, provided that he doesn’t knock his man out in the first fifty or sixty seconds, Carpentier is always worth seeing.
The first round was level. Cook boxed well, particularly at close quarters, and the Frenchman appeared hesitating and tentative in all his movements. Early in the next round Cook sent out a quick and tremendous swing which, with greater quickness, Carpentier avoided, dancing right away from it. Then, a little later, the same thing happened on Carpentier’s side. Throughout this round Cook succeeded for the most part in keeping close to his man and in dealing14 him out short but powerful punches 191 on the back of the neck and head, in imitation of Dempsey, but without his power. From Cook these blows seemed to trouble his antagonist not at all. That was certainly Cook’s round. Whether the considerable margin15 of points in his favour was entirely16 due to Carpentier’s ringcraft is not certain. He was anxious to sum up the situation and thoroughly17 to take the measure of Cook before committing himself. It is quite possible that he deliberately18 gave something away in that round, being confident that his gift could do him no serious harm: but if he did so, I am inclined to suppose that he got more than he reckoned upon.
The third round was Carpentier’s in about the same degree as the second had been Cook’s. His hesitation19 had completely gone, and he did nothing without meaning to, and no intention of his was frustrated20 by his opponent. He knew all about Cook now. He was a powerful hitter at short range, a good in-fighter, and he was strong. But he was much the slower of the two.
When he has really settled to his work Carpentier crouches21 lightly and elegantly, with no rigid22 and inflexible23 guard, but both hands ready, both arms loose and lithe24, to supply whatever need the next moment may demand. At the beginning of the fourth round Cook went for him with plenty of pluck and determination, and did his utmost to keep close. But Carpentier hit and got away, side-stepped, danced lightly on his toes, refusing to fight at close quarters. Every now and again a clinch25 seemed imminent26, and the Frenchman darted27 away out of reach, leaving, as it were, a lightning blow behind him. Suddenly, as the Australian tried to force him into his own corner, he sent in a right to Cook’s jaw28, through his guard, at very long range and with extraordinary dexterity29. It was the kind of blow that could only be landed effectively by a boxer of the utmost possible skill. For one thing it was exquisitely30 timed, coming in not straight, but without the elbow being markedly bent31, striking the right place, the glove turning over as it struck, and avoiding Cook’s guardian32 left with the most delicate precision. For another, few boxers33 could land any blow save a wide swing from the 192 position Carpentier was in with sufficient weight behind it to do much damage. It was, on his part, a triumph of speed, of real boxing, not according to confining rules, but according to science applied34 to occasion with the utmost ingenuity35 and agility36. It is worth going a long way to see a blow like that struck. No one should need the fantastic explanation of Carpentier’s or Descamps’s hypnotic powers if he will but watch the boxer with a quick and vigilant37 eye.
There have been, perhaps, better men of a less weight from the strictly38 scientific point of view, but as a skilled heavy-weight Carpentier is peerless. Unfortunately, as we know, science is not all that is needed in the ring, and Carpentier was utterly39 routed by Dempsey—a good boxer, but not nearly so good a boxer—because he was a positive phenomenon of size and strength.
That beautiful right was probably enough to beat Cook, who immediately fell forward. But Carpentier hit him again, bending to do so, just before he reached the floor. By the rules it was a fair blow, because the man was not technically40 “down”—neither glove nor knee quite touched the floor. It was, however, a very near thing. There was a good deal of excitement and uproar41 at the moment, and at least one highly competent judge fully10 believed the blow to have been a foul42, and that the Frenchman should have been disqualified. But he was sitting immediately behind Carpentier and could not get a perfectly clear view.
Instantaneous photographs, displayed afterwards, show that Carpentier, by the narrowest possible margin, was on the right side. But it was an unfortunate ending to a most instructive encounter. For the question remains—did he strike deliberately, or was he overcome by the excitement of the moment, as so many other boxers, even of his experience, have been overcome before? Neither alternative leaves us with complete ease in retrospect43: for to lose your head is bad boxing, while to take the uttermost advantage of the exact letter of the rule is, in such a case, questionable44 sportsmanship.
Photo: “Sport and General.”
Georges Carpentier and Jack45 Dempsey.
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1
lasting
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| adj.永久的，永恒的；vbl.持续，维持 | |
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2
motives
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| n.动机，目的( motive的名词复数 ) | |
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3
preposterously
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| adv.反常地；荒谬地；荒谬可笑地；不合理地 | |
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4
nonchalance
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| n.冷淡，漠不关心 | |
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5
mien
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| n.风采；态度 | |
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6
genial
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| adj.亲切的，和蔼的，愉快的，脾气好的 | |
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7
boxer
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| n.制箱者，拳击手 | |
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8
astonishment
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| n.惊奇，惊异 | |
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9
antagonist
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| n.敌人，对抗者，对手 | |
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10
fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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11
propriety
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| n.正当行为；正当；适当 | |
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12
obedience
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| n.服从，顺从 | |
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13
perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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14
dealing
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| n.经商方法，待人态度 | |
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15
margin
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| n.页边空白；差额；余地，余裕；边，边缘 | |
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16
entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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17
thoroughly
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| adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地 | |
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18
deliberately
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| adv.审慎地；蓄意地；故意地 | |
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19
hesitation
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| n.犹豫，踌躇 | |
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20
frustrated
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| adj.挫败的，失意的，泄气的v.使不成功( frustrate的过去式和过去分词 )；挫败；使受挫折；令人沮丧 | |
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21
crouches
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| n.蹲着的姿势( crouch的名词复数 )v.屈膝，蹲伏( crouch的第三人称单数 ) | |
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22
rigid
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| adj.严格的，死板的；刚硬的，僵硬的 | |
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23
inflexible
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| adj.不可改变的，不受影响的，不屈服的 | |
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24
lithe
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| adj.(指人、身体)柔软的，易弯的 | |
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25
clinch
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| v.敲弯，钉牢；确定；扭住对方 [参]clench | |
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26
imminent
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| adj.即将发生的，临近的，逼近的 | |
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27
darted
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| v.投掷，投射( dart的过去式和过去分词 )；向前冲，飞奔 | |
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28
jaw
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| n.颚，颌，说教，流言蜚语；v.喋喋不休，教训 | |
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29
dexterity
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| n.(手的)灵巧，灵活 | |
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30
exquisitely
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| adv.精致地；强烈地；剧烈地；异常地 | |
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31
bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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32
guardian
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| n.监护人；守卫者，保护者 | |
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33
boxers
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| n.拳击短裤；（尤指职业）拳击手( boxer的名词复数 )；拳师狗 | |
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34
applied
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| adj.应用的；v.应用，适用 | |
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35
ingenuity
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| n.别出心裁；善于发明创造 | |
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36
agility
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| n.敏捷，活泼 | |
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37
vigilant
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| adj.警觉的，警戒的，警惕的 | |
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38
strictly
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| adv.严厉地，严格地；严密地 | |
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39
utterly
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| adv.完全地，绝对地 | |
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40
technically
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| adv.专门地，技术上地 | |
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41
uproar
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| n.骚动，喧嚣，鼎沸 | |
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42
foul
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| adj.污秽的；邪恶的；v.弄脏；妨害；犯规；n.犯规 | |
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43
retrospect
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| n.回顾，追溯；v.回顾，回想，追溯 | |
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44
questionable
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| adj.可疑的，有问题的 | |
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45
jack
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| n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克 | |
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