BOXING.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 52, Issue 247, 1 August 1932, Page 3

BOXING.

MID-CANTERBURY TITLES. THE AMATEUR TOURNAMENT. i There was only a fair attendance at the Mid-Canterbury Amateur Boxing Championships staged by the Ashburton Boxing Association in His Majesty’s Theatre on. Saturday evening. Unfortunately defections on the part of some entrants curtailed -the programme, only seven fights being held. It was rather disappointing for the Association that there were so many absentees among the competitors, for it was due to this cause that there were delays in the commencement of the programme and between bouts. None of the boxers entered from Tinin.rn put in an appearance, and there were also several Christchurch entrants who did not arrive. This necessitated an almost complete rearrangement of the programme. The standard of the fighting seen was for the most part high, and great improvement has been shown by some of the local boys. A trophy donated by Mr L. Anderson'for the gamest loser was awarded to S. Guthrie (Ashburton), and a cup presented by Mr A. Rose, .of Christchurch, for the most scientific boxei went to G. Terris (Ashburton). The officials wereßeferee, Mr H. J. Dillon; judges, Messrs H. R. 0. MeElrea, J. H. Grigg, A. N. Grigg, and J. B. Murdoch; announcer, Mr H. D. Johnston; time-keepers, Messrs F. Robilliard and F. P. Cookson. Fly-weight. Final.—S. Guthrie (Ashburton) 7.6 v C Smith (Christchurch) B.o.—Smith opened the fighting, landing two lefts to the jaw. Guthrie came hack gamely and retaliated with both hands in the clinches. A snappy left to the jaw steadied him, however. Smith jumped into the second session and hammered the local boy all over the ring, smacking his face with both hands. Guthrie drew blood from Smith’s face coming out of a clinch and raised a cheer from the crowd. The third round saw Guthrie getting heavily punished m a corner; nevertheless he fought back gamely and got a great hearing iom the crowd when he got home with his left. The round ended with a torrid session in a corner,, both lighting laic. Smith won, having shown too much experience for Guthrie. The figh w fast and interesting from the first gong and Guthrie put up a very plucky showing. Feather-weight. Final.—G. Terris (Ashburton) 9.0 v. W Prendergast (Longbeach) 0.0. Prendergast smacked home a pretty left to the jaw early in the round, bub Terris came hack with both hands, bustling Prendergast all round the ring. Terris’s left was to the for© m the second round and he battered the Longbeach hoy severely, about the face and body in the clinches. The last session was lively and Prendeigast goj home with some good lefts. Terris, however, showed excellent judgment in avoiding punishment. The round ended with Terris carrying the fight to Prendergast with both hands. Ten is won. Light-weight. N. Kerr (Ashburton) 9.9 v. N. Whearty (Ashburton) 9.9.—80th boys sparred cautiously and then Whearty connected with a left to the face, Keir coming back with a lightning left «to the head. Some heavy stuff was exchanged in a clinch, both boys smacking into it for all they were worth. Kerr swung two snappy lefts to the head and Whearty retaliated with a right as the gong sounded. Whearty landed with a right to the head early in the second spell, Kerr countering with his left. Kerr went into it and slammed home his left to the face and body, the other boy fighting back gamely with his right. It was Kerrs round. The last session opened with a warm exchange in a clinch and then Kerr connected with his left. A beautiful left to the jaw, followed by a right to the chest rocked Whearty, who was tiring. Two more lefts to the jaw steadied him further, hut ho came back gamely with his right and both boys received an ovation when the gong went. Kerr won. H. Forward (Christchurch) 9.9 y. JMiller (Ashburton) 9.9.—The fight opened speedily, both doing a lot of jumping about. Forward punched heavily with his left to Miller’s head. He rocked him with a right to the nose and the Ashburton hoy looked groggy. However, he came back with a right swine to the head that cooled Forward off considerably. Miller made the pace in the opening stages of the second, but Forward defended cleverly, and then came in and hammered Miller back against the ropes, where he smashed home a succession of blows to the face. Forward was forcing when Miller raised a cheer by coming to light with a lovely straight left to Forward’s jaw. Miller livened up in the third round and opened it by smacking Forward on the jaw\ _ Forward came in with punishing rights am lefts to the body, but the local man was game and connected several times to the bead. Toward tiro end both exchanged rights and lefts to the face. Miller won,, though it was difficult to see how the judges arrived at their decision, Forward having done all the forcing until the last round, when

Miller brightened up somewhat and used an effective straight left. Final.—Kerr v. Miller.—The bout opened cautiously and then Miller began to force, feinting with his right and smacking home a left to the face. Kerr used his right effectively in the clinches, and connected several times with his left to the head and body in the open work. The round ended in a lively exchange. Kerr opened the second by landing a pretty right to the jaw*. Miller came back suddenly and 'smacked Kerr against the ropes. Kerr, however, was handy with his left. Miller was making the pace, landing a pretty left that had Kerr worried for a time and the closing stages of the round saw him bustled and on the defensive. He opened the final session in spirited fashion by connecting with a left to the jaw. A heavy exchange followed, both boys taking solid blows to the face. Kerr’s left came to the fore again and lie followed it with a prettv right cross, both landing on Miller’s face. The round ended in a lively exchange in the centre of the ring, the boys hammering one another solidly, Miller getting a little the worst of the exchange. Kerr won. Welter-weight. Final—R. Forward (Christchurch) 10.6 v. V. Cobden (Longbeach) 10.7. The round opened with a clinch, both taking some heavy stuff to the body. When they broke, Forward connected with a couple of nice lefts to the side of the head. Cobden was hitting wildly. but got home with a solid left to the head as a clinch broke. Forward was using his right to advantage in a clinch when the gong went. The fighting became more open in the second session and Cobden connected with two good lefts to the head. Forward forced Cobden into a corner and administered some heavy blows, but Cobden covered up well and returned one or two. Cobden forced the pace more in the last round, but stopped some solid stuff on the body coming out of the clinches. Forward livened up and used both hands effectively to the head and body and Cobden went to the canvas,, going down for nine. He got up and immediately went down again for nine with a right to the jaw and, on making another attempt to rise, was put down a third time, the referee stopping the fight, Forward winning on a technical knock-out. There was nothing very brilliant about the bout. Middle-weight. Final.—R. Forward (Christchurch) 10.7 v. S. Lister (Ashburton) 11.1. Lister made the pace in the early stages, connecting with both hands to the Christchurch boy’s jaw. Forward used liis left effectively in the clinches. Lister’s defence was inclined' to be weak and Forward, taking advantage of it, landed a left and right to the side of the head as the round closed. The second round opened quickly, Forward forcing 'Lister into a corner and hammering him heavily on the jaw and ribs. Three solid rights to the side of the jaw steadied Lister, and he went down against the ropes, apparently intending to take the count for nine and gain a rest He was on the point of rising as nine sounded, but was a little slow in coming to his feet, and his knee was still on the canvas when the referee pronounced “out.” The decision met with a very hostile reception from a section of the crowd, who booed the referee until one of the judges (Mr A. N. Grigg) called them to order saying, “Ashburton audiences have the name of being good sports. The referee is as experienced as any in Canterbury and that man was out, so why boo the referee?”