BOXING.

.^ . — TUOHEY KNOCKED OUT.

AFTER TWO AND A HALF MINUTES. There was a large crowd of local eports at the Theatre Royal last night when a contest to decido the professional featherweight Championship of New Zealand took place. The contestants w«ro Billy Murphy, .extfeatherweiglit champion of the world, and Tom Taor hey, Australian Squadron champion. Thero were two preliminary spars. >'Ja>»e r 4'friet Jnhnsonm a four-round con,%Gsi, whicji. failed i» produce much excitement. James was the' more aggressive of . the two and Johnson the more Ecienrtific. He, failed, however, to follow up any advantage he gained, allowing James to recover himself. On the other hand when an opening presented itself to the latter he was not slow to utilise is.. Both put in some good defensive- work. The other spar was between two boys, tho brothers James, whose ages are ,9 and 11, and who are pupils of Tuohey. They had three rqund^ and a capital -exhibition they gave.: Tho younger ono was the more aggressive. ?£?& fought "qui"k and lively" for the whole three rolinC^, and the way they attacked, giving a blow. andimmediai^W -afterwards being, on .the .defen^Lre, ■astonished the crowd. In fact; older hands at tho game could learn mari^r good lessons from the display given. i!Uke*=fight-for the championship tftto proved a fiasco, for Tuohey received a knock-out Wow in the first round,after two and a half minutes' going. Mr Len Andrews acted as referee and Mp J Bennett as timekeeper. Murphy stripped at Sst.Tlb. and. Tuohey at Bst. 51b. B6th^ptetod'tobeiitt good trim, having been in training; for some timeThe conditions Were, ten three minute rounds, 6oz. gloves being used. An offer has been made for the winner to mccl Godfrey, .the English ' amaterir champion, at Auckland, for a purse ctf £50. . . ~ Both men were applauded as they; took their corners, and, on the call of time entered the ring briskly, facing each other without delay. The veter*m at once made the fight and closely followed Tnehey round the ring beforp they came together. 1 'Murphy got in the first blow with the right, and Tuor hey attempted, to return' but found his opponent well on guard. Murphy conr tihtteo! to force matters and kept Tuor hey in his corner. Tho latter put up a weak.defonce;- failing %lmo)St entirety to guard many of Murphy's blowsTuohey' got one hQm£ just, above the heart andi quickly followed up. The men .clinched ound the carpet to* <«Kshert. locked ji.n^acbl other's arms. Murphy, although, it is so long since he was seen at his best, (proved unmistake- . ably that he still Kps§es«es science r , He was easily the better of the, two^iioliey received a hard blow on. the^ face from Murphy's right whiqh somewhat staggered him, a*d- before he had recovered $he ex-ohampion .let drive" again but th? >low fell short. .. There ■was a, good deal of clinching, and both men got in some face, work. Murphy was 1 making good.' use of his right agajin caught Tuohey a heavy blow ton the left ear. This followed by a second on \h& left jaw knocked his man through the ropes. Tifohey made strenuous eftfartv&ft rffgwii'hisi feet, but the blow p^ovsd too much for him^ And he was 'counted -"wit. Tho cliatnpion afterwards had a tworounrt friendly spar with Lovegrove, the Taranaki IQst. champion.