BOXING

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 81, 5 April 1930, Page 23

BOXING

' BY "AKMtAM" BIG CLAIMS

DONOVAN AND SARRON

CASE OF JOHNNY LECKLE

Now that tho tumult and the shouting has died on the Donovan-Sarron contest, the big event Ci.a bo viewed in cold-blooded perspective. Tho two contests between .this pair have created greater interest than any other in tha history of boxing in New Zealand, and. perhaps because of the greatness of the occasion, the principal figures themselves have been placed on.pedestals which are out of all proportion to their prowess. Sa-rron was described by one paper as "without question the cleverest boxer who has ever visited these shores," and Donovan "as probably the cleverest and most rugged featherweight the Dominion has produced 13 laying it on' a bit thick. There is always a tendency for the present to discount the past, and "Aeneas" would like to take these writers back a couple of years, to the time when Johnny Leelcie was hailed "as the greatest boxer-fighter New Zealand has produced." As an amateur Leckie was picked out by Mr. Earl Stewart as the ideal combination of boxer and fighter, a boy with every attribute, speed, science, punch, and courage. He joined the ranks of the professionals, and commenced to bowl opponents over in a sensational manner. Early in his career he disposed of both Tommy Barber, Norman Gillespie, and Norman Eadford, who in the absence of Billy Grime were the best Australia could produce. Tho lightning speed of Leckie's attack, his beautiful left to the head, and his right cross to the head or under to the heart proclaimed the bexcr-fighter. His pretty back-move and clever blocking were a treat to watch. The only fault that could be in bis make-up was that his attack was not varied enough, but that would have come with experience. ''Aeneas" is pointing these facts out again in an endeavour to show how quickly yesterday is forgotten, and he is not alone when he ventures the opinion that Leekie at his best would have been superior- to either Donovan or Sarron on the form they showed on Saturday, Donovan has neither the speed nor the footwork that Leekie had against Eadford, for instance. Kadford was an exceptionally, clever boxer who has mixed it with the best in England and Australia, and it is doubtful whether Donovan would have been able to hit him squarely. Leckie speared the Englishman with a left that Donovan will never cultivate, crossed his right, and Radford was laid low. Leekie's style proclaimed the boxer, Donovan's the fighter; but Leckie'could fight also. He did not have the ruggedness of the Taranaki man, but his was a better puch, speedier and cleverer. Leckie's trip to Australia was disastrous. There is no doubt that ho lost form there in his second contest with Sarron, and has not yet regained _ it. Tho manner in which he beat Billy Gvimo brought forth the statement from Mr. Will Lawless that he was the best New Zealander seen in Australia since Dave Smith, and in the intervening time Charlie Purdy, who held the Australian lightweight title, Lackie M'Donald, who won the Australian middleweight championship, Beg. Trowern, Les Murray, Frank O'Neill, and several others had been across. Mr. Lawless mentioned that if Leckio could, learn to vary his work a little more he would be a worthy claimant for the highest honours. Then again, Leckie was highly praised by Dave Smith, the man who put the finishing touches on Les Darcy, and who in his day met the best in the world. _ Smith mentioned Leekie's superior skill in his first fight with Sarron. The chapter of accidents that occurred before the second Sarron-bout has never been made public, but Leekie showed form that night similar to that shown against Charlie Glasson in Wanganui. Coming back to Now Zealand, he was further dogged by misfortune. The illness of his wife and his own illness were severe setbacks, and he has not yet shown anything like his old form. Biit it is not yet too late. Should Leckie' lay off until he is physically right again, and then team up with Archie Leckie | once more for a thorough course of training, he will make Donovan move when it comes to .1 match for the featherweight championship of which Leckie is the holder. Correspondence. D. F.1 Milligan writes:—"l do not vent any complaint against your paper, but as a keen follower of ring history and personalities I venture to submit my correction of the errors which have been made re the Donovan-Sarron fight.

"lii the brief history of Pete Sarron's ring career in 'The Post' on Saturday last there appeared many errors which should be rectified. It says that Sarron claims that prior to leaving for Australia he had only one defeat out of 70 fights, just how many of the 70 were professional, and how many were amateur? He claims to have beaten Dick Corbett (brother of Harry Corbett, ex-Lonsdale Belt holder). I would like to contradict that statement, as the result of that fight was given as a draw, and if memory serves me right, the venue of that fight was Brisbane, Queensland. Dick Corbett's rating before coming out with brother Harry was that of just a rising young performer much below the calibre of his famous brother, so his performance against Sarron was indeed creditable. Young Siki, who fights,at flyweight and bantamweight, dia well to go the fifteen rounds and then just get shaded. It would have been interesting to know how Pete Sarron would have fared up against Harry Corbett. "There has been an attempt by the New Zealand Press to claim Sarron as being next door to a world-beater, but that is just paper talk. On what grounds is this claim made? Is it to make out a claim for Donovan and New Zealand, or was it 311 st boosting the fight? 'Pinky' Silverberg, who went the distance with Sarron in Australia, went down $0 defeat at the hands of Kid Chocolate in half a round just recently, and although comparisons are not always a good sense of judgment, nevertheless we ponder over them sometimes. As one who knew the late Alex Lafferty (killed at Yprcs) personally, Lafferty just failed to beat Digger Stanley for the Lonsdale Belt prior to the war (Stanley in reality was the holder of the world title at the time, but through the mistake of the Britifli Press the Americans claim the title;' the British Press failed to claim the acknowledgment for Stanley when, he beat his own countryman Joe Bowker. Both titles were involved). Alex Lafferty had printed on bis correspondence paper his record of wins, draws, and losses, and I suggest, as a businesslike American, Sarron ought to be able to produce in black and white his record so that followers of the game would be able to judge what sort of men he had fought and their ranking. It must be understood that America has produced great glove-men, and also a lot of duds. Not that. I BUggest that Sarron is one of the latter. I think a great deal more of him than to entertain such an idea. Tho writer in 'The Post' makes an error when he puts down to Sarron's credit knock-outs against Grime and Jones. These should read technical

knock-outs—tho same as in Leckie's case; also, there is no mention of Leckie's defeat by Sarron in Australia. "These errors, as a matter of boxing history, aro misleading. IV quote an instance which appeared in 'The P)Ost' some weeks back, a par which related to Lou Bloom (Sarron's stablemate) scoring a victory over Harry Corbett, this is not correct, as it is the other way round. Then again, the first Jack Dempsey was known to the boxing world as 'Nonpareil,' not Fitzsimrnons, as stated in fThe Post.' I may say that, in justice to 'The Post,' as a paper it is much ahead of other local papers in boxing matter, and that errors are apt to crop up now and again; and in describing fights which have taken place wo find these reports very correct and reliable. "By way of conclusion I would like to ask the W.B.A. their reason for the usual departure of not having judges at their big venture. Why this progressive step has not been taken sooner puzzles one." Open-air Contests. There is a statement going tho rounds that the Donovan-Sarron contest was the -first open-air contest held in New Zealand. Old-timers will remember the famous contest between Paddy Slavin and Harry Laing in 1888, and there were several open-air matches in the early days of boxing in this country, but it is strange that these writers have forgotten at least fwo fairly recent events. At Christchureh, about nine years ago, Clarrie Blackburn and Paul Demsky met at Christchureh at the English Park Stadium, and the Taranaki Association brought Eddie Parker and George Modrieh together at Pukekura Park in New Plymouth a few years back. Otago Programme. The Otago Boxing . Association has arranged a match between Wally Hancock (Australia) and Reg Trowern for 10th April, to be followed a week later with a contest between Hancock and Ted Morgan. H,aneock was to have left Sydney yesterday. Hancock was recently beaten by Tommy Fairhall in a pontest for tho welterweight championship of Australia. Ho won the title from Charlie Purdy, whom ho knocked out. Ho was beaten by Trowern about two years ago. Jubilation in Waitara. Great was tho jubilation in Waitara when the result was known, and for a time the town was noisy with cheers and excited talking, while Donovan's confreres on the railway engine worked the whistle overtime and sent forth one shrill message after another to tell to everybody the great news, states a Taranaki paper. No one, hearing the joyous blasts, could mistake the message they broadcast, even if they were not particularly interested in the sport. For had not Donovan, tontrary to the expressed opinions of many, fought his greatest fight anl proved himself one of the best little boxers the Dominion has seen? ■ Everyone was pleased, for Donovan is a general favourite in Waitara, and the thrills of Saturday afternoon, when all who could possibly do so clustered round loud-speakers generously made available by those who had them and followed with breathless interest the progress of the battle round by round while the hero fought his way to victory will not be soon forgotten. Despite the fact that the time of his arrival was uncertain owing to his travelling by private car, a goodly-sized knot of well-wishers was waiting for Donovan when he arrived shortly before 8 p.m. on Sunday, and congratulations were showered upon him. Though he had not had a meal for some time, nothing would do but that Donovan should tell them something about the fight, which he modestly did. Donovan did not disguise his respect for his opponent's prowess.and punching power, and confessed that when a beautiful

s short right caught him on tlio jaw in f one of the middle rounds he had some >~ anxious moments. Sarron, he said ; y fought very fiercely in spasms, and then 11 quietened down for a while. The Wai- ' tara man has a black eye and' a cut 1 over the other one, but felt fit and well ) Though he had a bruise in forbidden ;, territory he did not think any low blows r landed by Sarron werfe .at all doliber.j ate, but due to his style of fighting. It y had been a clean fight. Monday saw