Almanac Boxing – ‘Diamond in the Dust Heap’, Episode 4: The Prodigy – Getting Started

 

 

 

Today’s Episode 4 describes the route by which Herb, through his first 15 pro bouts, became a well-rounded fighter and a title contender. An article penned by Brisbane’s leading columnist ‘The Gamester’ observes THE PUNCH THAT APPEALS and reports on Herb’s eleventh victory by KO. Herb’s vanquished opponent “found himself so busy during the encounter that he thought he had been thrown into a cage of enraged lions”. And, after “Barkle’s big punch descended upon him in the twelfth stanza”, he “visualised, for a week afterwards, that the Stadium supports had given way and the whole blooming structure was on top of him.”

 

 

Herb Barkle had a spectacular amateur career before turning professional in March 1924. He had at least 25 amateur bouts, for 23 victories and only 2 losses.

 

An article published in 1923 in his hometown newspaper, the South Burnett Times, told the story of his amateur days.

 

 

A LOCAL CHAMPION – YOUNG HERB BARKLE

 

The prowess of young Herb Barkle in the fistic arena is recognised by very few locally, yet the possibilities of this lad forging his way to the very top in the profession in years to come are very great. He is now but 16/17 years of age and is a clean living, hard-working, quiet and unassuming boy. Up to the present he has appeared in 25 fights, and has come out victorious on 23 occasions. In one of his losses he and his opponent had gone the stipulated six rounds, when another round was ordered. At the end of this the judges disagreed and the fight was awarded the other lad by the referee of the contest. Through a blunder the towel was skied in the other event. Barkle afterwards issued a challenge to his two victors, and decisively hammered them on the next occasion on which he met them. Amongst the big events he has won have been the Technical College championship of Brisbane last year; the Cadets tournament in Brisbane last year; the Rugby League Football tourney in Brisbane last year; and the paper weight championship of Queensland, in Brisbane, about a fortnight ago. He has also had victories in Gympie on a couple of occasion, and in Kingaroy, Nanango and Wondai at different times. At present he is stripping at about 7.10, and has been chosen by the Amateur Boxing and Wrestling Association to represent Southern Queensland at Rockhampton, Townsville and Charters Towers at Easter time, for carnivals in those cities. For the championship, won a couple of weeks ago, he was presented with a belt, valued at 15 pounds/15/– and this is the first occasion on which a belt has been awarded any amateur in Queensland. The belt and various medals and trophies are now on show in Mr D Grandison’s window. Herb was born in the Kingaroy district, and can thank his father, Mr Jim Barkle (also a boxer in his day) for bringing him to his present status in the fistic world. We predict a great future for the lad and wish him the very best of success in his journey up the ladder of fame.

Herb’s early career as a professional was noteworthy for the measured build-up of his fighting schedule, unusual for the times, but sensible for a lad of just 17, going on 18.

 

Aub Knudsen of the South Burnett Times said in a retrospective obituary published on 3 February 1971, seven years after Herb’s death, that “He trained under a great mentor in Paddy Schafer who did not make the mistake of over working his boy, and sent him into the ring in the pink of condition for every fight. He had only a few fights as a pro in his first year and won the lot, including the Queensland championship as a bantam-weight.”

 

This is not strictly correct. According to the website boxrec.com, Herb fought four times in his first year as a pro, for two wins and two losses. Three of these bouts were against the seasoned and highly active boxer Roy Baker, for one win and two losses; the other was a knock-out of Tom Williamson:

 

What stands out is the way in which, right from the start, and aged just 17 and 18, Herb was competitive against top-line fighters. Williamson’s record at the end of his career (according to boxrec.com) was 17-16-5. Roy Baker’s pro career lasted from 1923-1938 and he finished up with a record of 45-34-7, achieving 10 knockouts and himself being knocked out 12 times.

 

The boxrec.com tally for 1925 doesn’t appear to be comprehensive. Columnist ‘The Gamester’ of the Brisbane Courier, noted that Herb had fought Roy Baker a fourth time, which probably occurred in 1925, and that Herb knocked out Baker in two separate fights. Their overall rivalry would have finished 2-2, and their final bout is missing from the record.

 

A brief clip in Herb’s scrapbook indicates that around this time he also fought Tommy Swift from Broken Hill who, at the end of his career, (which ran from 1920-1931) had a record (per boxrec.com) of 48-39-8. Swift was definitely in Brisbane on 30 May 1925 when he lost on points to then Queensland featherweight champion Herb Ackworth. It’s unclear if Herb Barkle or Swift won their encounter but, as there’s no subsequent mention of a draw or a loss to Swift on Herb’s record, it can be presumed he came away with a win.

 

It seems clear that Herb’s boxing load increased considerably in his second year as a pro. ‘The Gamester’ noted in a piece published in November 1925, that “In his day Barkle has put the k.o. opposite the names of the following boys in Jim O’Brien’s dope book: Frank Fien (twice), Harry Wherry, Harry Willis, Micky Ure, Roy Baker (twice), Tommy Williamson, Ernie Lawrence, Danny McDonald and Jimmy Warren, besides a host of amateur and preliminary boys.”

 

Herb was not fighting slouches. According to boxrec.com, Fien finished his career with a record of 17-10-2 (this included a win over Roy Baker). Wherry’s record was 2-5-1, Ure 11-6-1 and Lawrence 6-13-1. These men were all active as professional boxers in 1925.

 

A best guess has Herb winning eight professional fights in the period between mid–January and mid–September 1925. Pro fights #5 to #12 were against:

 

 

The boxrec.com site records that Herb had the following three fights over the period 30 September to 14 November 1925 (aged 19):

 

 

A write-up by ‘The Gamester’ in the Brisbane Courier just after the Jimmy Warren fight was laudatory. It led with the headlines ‘Barkle Best Bantam – Deserves Titular Recognition and Better Matches – Has the Punch and the Ambition to Forge Ahead’. ‘The Gamester’, a key opinion-shaper, implored the local promoter Mr Hector R. Doughty, the Brisbane Manager of Stadiums Ltd., to feature Herb.

 

A young boxer with a bright future is Herb Barkle, the bantam lad who so sweetly put the K.O. skids under Jimmy Warren a few weeks back. Of the smaller elan, Herb is easily our most impressive entertainer and if graduated along the right lines, may yet land on top of the national bantam, or even the feather, class. But before he goes any further, Barkle deserves State bantam titular recognition, as he is unquestionably our best 8.6 mittster, yet he reigns supreme without a crown. It is a state of affairs that should not exist in a well regulated fistic family.

 

It is doubtful if, in the annals of local boxing, there is to be located a more remarkable k.o. record than that compiled by Herb Barkle during his several years of amateur and professional campaigning within the four-cornered ring.

 

Barkle’s career, in quest of amateur glory and the elusive Commonwealth bank note of the pro game, covers some 33 contests, of which Herb won no fewer than 21 by the knockout. A remarkable achievement, indeed, for a boy yet in his minority.

 

THE PUNCH THAT APPEALS. Herb Barkle made hundreds of new friends when he slammed his way to victory in twelve rounds against Jimmy Warren. The latter found himself so busy during the encounter that he thought he had been thrown into a cage of infuriated lions. And when Barkle’s big punch descended upon him in the twelfth stanza, James visualised, for a week afterwards, that the Stadium supports had given way and the whole blooming structure was on top of him. After that punch Barkle can count on the Brisbane fans being with him. They love the magic of the big wallop and this kid Barkle is a magician of no mean order.

 

Mr Doughty, you have somebody to crow about in Barkle, get busy and put him properly on the map.

 

[Since writing the above I discussed Barkle’s future with Mr Doughty and he has decided to stage a Nipper Peakes – Herb Barkle championship on the earliest Wednesday night date that is acceptable to both boys.]

 

 

It’s likely ‘The Gamester’s’ totalling up of 33 fights (and 21 KOs) as at November 1925 included both professional and amateur bouts, and his arithmetic might have been slightly out.

 

It seems that by November 1925, Herb had a professional record of 12 wins (11 by KO), 2 losses and a draw. This was on top of his amateur record of 25 bouts, with 23 wins and 2 losses. He’d never himself been knocked out. Herb had also endured the sobering experience, early on, of losing on points to Roy Baker when contending for the State featherweight title. By now, he was a well-rounded fighter, ready to take the next step.

 

It came to pass that on Wednesday 27 January 1926, Herb Barkle, at the age of 19, following a summer of intense training in the Queensland heat, fought the incumbent Charlie (“Nipper”) Peakes at the Brisbane Stadium on the corner of Charlotte Street and Albert Street (shown below) for the bantamweight championship of Queensland.

 

 

 

 

Read all of the episodes of Diamond in the Dust Heap HERE

 

All images provided by Dave Goodwin.

 

To return to our Footy Almanac home page click HERE.

 

Our writers are independent contributors. The opinions expressed in their articles are their own. They are not the views, nor do they reflect the views, of Malarkey Publications.

 

Do you enjoy the Almanac concept?

And want to ensure it continues in its current form, and better? To help things keep ticking over please consider making your own contribution.

Become an Almanac (annual) member – click HERE.