BOXING.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume I, Issue 105, 9 June 1914, Page 3

BOXING.

CHRISTCHURCH SPORTS CLUB.

' At a meeting of the committee of tire Christchurch Sports' Club last even- . ing, there were present:—Messrs E:* Nordon (chairman), W. G. Atack, T. E.Robson, F. Graham, -juii.,; and H." B. <jrould (hon. secretary). • . •" 1 The secretary submitted 'a'" balance l ' I sheet of the receipts and expendituVe in connection with the tournament held last week, in which .the principal attrac-i tion waa the, professional bout between Gus Devitt and Barney Ireland. This statement showed a debit balance of I £l2 107-. The chairman remarked that he considered the tournament* was very successful. Wheii a proportion of the sea 1 j son ringside tickets was placed against.) the statement the tournament would-1 not show any loss. The expenditure was £llO ;»/-• He thought that, considering the club had .'tried an experiment in holding the tournament on the night before King's Birthday, the result was • very satisfactory. The general management reflected great credit on the secretary. . ' With regard to a circular letter from the New' Zealand Council, in which nominations of officers for the New Zealand championship tournament, to be held. in> Wanganur on- July 22 and 23,\ were asked for, the club nominated Mr G. Sampson, of Wellington, as referee. Messrs E. Nordon and T.' E, Itobsoii were appointed the club 's .to the conference of representatives of affiliated associations, which is to be held in Wanganui during the championship gathering.

It *vas decided that the club should apply to the conference to have the 1915 championship meeting allotted to Christchurch. Mention was made of the fact that there is some ignorance amongst amateur boxers as to the weight scale for amateurs, - there being some idea among them that the weights have been changed. It was pointed out, however, that the New Zealand Council has altered only the professional weights, not the amateurs. The amateur weight classes are as follow:—Bantam-weight, Bst 21b; feather, 9st; light, lOst; welter, lOst 81b; nridd.'e,. list 41b; heavy, -any weight. Alt' Hensley, a middle-weight boxer, now living in the Wairarapa district, and who had several battles in Australia—in Adelaide he fought under the name of Jack Williams—applied for a i match. The committee, however, could ■ not decide upon a match for him at present. I

July 9 was fixed as the date for the closing of entries, for the Canterbury amateur championships, which are to be decided on July 13 and 14.

The dates for the club's Grand National Week tourney were fixed at Tuesday, August 11, and Thursday, August l-'l. The Gook-Hegarty contest for the Dominion professional lightweight championship will be held on the -first evening. For the second evening ah; effort will 'be made to match welter-weights G. Olsen, of Auckland, and A. Mitchell, of Hamilton. Mitchell vv'on the amateur welter-weight chfimpionship of Australasia last year, and has since turned professional. Failing the matching of these men, an attempt will be made to match heavy-weights H. Marquet, now of Auckland, and G. Mathewson, of Dunedin. It was decided to call upon N. Vernall and W. Ireland, to show cause why they should not be disqualified for "faking" their bout at the King's Theatre last week, they to appear before the committee next Monday evening. LIGHT-WEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP. HAGERTY v. O'GRADY. Press Association. WELLINGTON, June 8. A match between J. Hagerty (Timaru) 9st 91b and Frank O'Grady (Victoria) 9st 81b, for the professional light-weight championship of New Zealand resulted in a win for Hagerty, O'Grady's seconds throwing in the towel in the twelfth round. AN ABRUPT CONCLUSION. (Sun Special.) WELLINGTON, June 8. The towel in the twelfth round brought the fight to an abrupt conclusion and anticipated the end, which must have come in the next few minutes had O'Grady been permitted to stand as a .target for the persistent on-rushes pf Hagerty, who was shorter, thicker, and much stronger than his antagonist. Hagerty made the fighting all along,

•continuing impetuously to deliver straight lefts to Q 'Grady\s face and chest, and Only on 'rare "-oocMiOTs' 7 changing his tactics to send his littlerused rigiit to tlie - body and follow up with a left to the jaw.

It was not a good fight.. Hagerty appeared to do, better than when mattered against "Keya, but O 'Grady was lackiug in the ring-craft and strategy , of Keys and offered a better- target for the 'New L-Zealander's stinging attacks. O'Grady | used a fast and pretty left with fair effect at times, but force was lacking, and Hagerty . quickly learned., t9 stop them; only on very few occasions did O'Grady essay a right, and then always ,to. uppercut with - questionable, success. ~ After the second round O'Grady limped, and.by. the-sixth .round he -was limping badly. He complained afterwards, that he had .sprained his. ankle in the second round. His fighting was certainly interfered with, and he was unable to evade Hagerty's. rushes. The styles of the two men differed, entirely. O'Grady is" a "pretty boxer, quick and evasive. Hagerty depends more on his strength and the forte of his onslaught. His v blows were ? nearly .all . delivered at the ..same . spot on O'Grady's chin, or chest, and it was their number rather than their accurate placing that' finally told - on the Victorian.

In the last three rounds O'Grady was very tired and worried. In the eleventh he twice seemed hopelessly beaten, but Weathered "the . critical moments . each time. Hagerty had "'him ; b£dly • rattled, at; the end .of. it, and the gong came just in time." In the twelfth round Hagerty did as lie' pleased; ' O 'Grady could* do little in defence, aiid the towel Camd -just in time.