Mexborough and Swinton Times, May 20th, 1932
“A Good Chance”
Crossley Ready for Peteresen
Confident and Fit
Crossley Wearing the Belt Which He Is Defending
According to the promoter, Mr. Fred Howard, of the Stadium Club, High Holborn, the championship match between Harry Crossley, the cruiser-weight champion of Great Britain, and Jack Petersen, of Cardiff, Next Monday, is to be one of the finest contests seen in this country. Mr. Howard, along with pressmen, saw Crossley work-out on Wednesday at the Leopard Hotel Gymnasium, Doncaster. After skipping and medicine-ball practice, Crossley had five rounds with Harry Pye, Stainforth; Les Sanders, Rotherham; ex Guardsman Gater, Dewsbury, and Pete Higgins, Scunthorpe. All the rounds were fast and showed Crossley has speeded up a lot. His breathing was good and he showed little signs of fatigue.
Incidentally, Crossley showed a greater variety of punches and that although he has got within the cruiser limit – he weighed in after the try-out and was well under 12st. 7lbs. – his punching powers are not weakened. That is giving the negative to many local critics who thought Crossley could not make the weight or that if he did so he would be sadly weakened. Another feature of Crossley’s work was the full use of the ring and the successful use of “foxing.” His contest with McCorkindale has been of profit to him. He also took heavy punches deliberately and they had little or no effect.
Crossley is in great trim for his first defence of the title. His sparring partners have not spared themselves in helping him, while Mr. W. Bridgewater, his manager, has had two able assistants in Crossley’s brother Fred and an expert masseur, Bill Laver, of Hull. Crossley is in the pink of condition, and though not underestimating his opponent, is fairly confident of retaining the title.
Are you confident,” he was asked. “All the time,” was his answer. Crossley’s usual modesty then crept in and the only answer he made to other questions was, “I have a very good chance of winning.”
Mr. Bridgewater was also optimistic. “I think on form Crossley should win. He is the more experienced, has a clever defence, and more good points as a boxer. Of course Petersen carries a terrific punch in his right hand, and a man like that cannot be under-estimated and must be watched keenly. Crossley must not be over confident and must out-point Petersen.
Crossley will have another try-out to-day (Friday) and then light training on Saturday going to London on Sunday. He has had a good preparation this time and for the first time in his boxing career has left the Doncaster district during preparation for a contests. He spent last week at Cleethorpes. He is 28 years old and stands 5ft 11 ¼ ins. against the 6ft 2 ins of his younger opponent. But Crossley has an imposing record behind him;’ one that many of his followers even forget. He has beaten here Welsh champions, Moody, Daniels and Dick Power – knocked out two Scottish champions, Steve McCall and Bobby Shiels; beaten Tommy Toner, the Irish champion; Gardebois, the French champion; Muller, when he was German cruiserweight champion; given Larry Gains one of the hardest fights of his life in Cologne, and beaten and lost to Reggie Meen, the British heavyweight champion. He incidentally gave two stones away in these encounters. Those are men of the champion class who have been his victims, while there have been many others of first-class standard. This is the first actual challenge he has received since he won the championship in November 1929, when he beat Moody on points at the Stadium Club.
Petersen has made a rapid and spectacular rise in the boxing world and has captured public imagination. He is the ex-amateur cruiserweight champion, holds the heavyweight championship of Wales, and is undefeated as a professional boxer. He sensationally knocked out Charlie Smith, Deptford, the recognised candidate for the heavyweight championship and is now in the unique position of being fancied candidate for both cruiserweight and heavyweight titles of Great Britain.
But sensations and the spectacular have now disturbed this quiet calm of the Crossley camp. Crossley has a great chance to come well into the limelight; he is going to accept it with both hands. After watching that try-out on Wednesday it can be definitely stated that only a very lucky punch can rob him of his title.