SQUARED RING

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 58, Issue 85, 20 January 1938, Page 2

SQUARED RING

BENNY LYNCH STILL CHAMPION HIS DEFEAT OF PETER KANE. (By “Referee.”) Benny Lynch retained his world’s fly-weight title in Glasgow by knocking out Peter Kane (the hard-hitting blacksmith from Golborne) in the thirteenth round, ’after a fight which will go down in history as the most hectic ever fought by men of the Bst division. Kane showed amazing pluck. Shaken in the first minute of the fight, he recovered in amazing manner, and waded into the champion with hurtful punches regardless of the punishment Lynch was dealing out. But Lynch was as tough as the nonstop Kane. He never looked like accepting defeat. He showed the bettor ringoraft, selected his punches with the greater judgment. Of winner and loser it may with truth be said that they fought like champions. Amazing scenes occurred outside Shawfield Park. Long before the fignt was due to commence so great was the congestion that thousands were unable to obtain admission.

The gate receipts were £IB,OOO. Lynch’s share of the purse is £6500 and Kane’s £ISOO. Five tlo Four Laid on Lynch. Lynch was favourite at 50 to 40 c* when the fight started, whereas the odds had favoured Kane the night before. The bout opened sensationally Lynch sending Kane to the canvas with a smashing right to the chin. But though the challenger’s defence was poor, he proved himself tough and strong in the way he resisted the champion’s onslaught. How he stood up in those punishing early exchanges was a marvel. Lynch looked as if he would win quickly but Kane 4 made a remarkable recovery.

He fought back in determined fashion. Both men traded terrific punches and at the end of the first round it was difficult to say who was the stronger of the two. Kane started off like a hurricane in the second round. He waded into Lynch with murderous punches, boxing with the coolness of a veteran.

Lynch kept landing with right and left, and shook the Lancastrian with a beautifully-timed' right to the chin.

Kane quickly recovered and joined issue in a punching battle, the violence of which made one wonder which would crack first.

When they came up for the fourth there was no quarter on either side. Both men surprised everyone by their strength and stamina. Punch for Punch. They were recording punch for punch in a non-stop encounter as hectic as any in history, but they were tiring and had slowed down by the time they returned to their cornea’s. Still they came up as fresh as paint in the fifth when Lynch clipped Kane on the left ear, and the Liverpool man responded with two heavy drives to the body.

Getting to close quarters, Lynch delivered punishment to the body, but though now on top he could not keep the aggressive Kane away, and received a clip on the chin. This was the champion’s best round so far, and he won it by a wide margin. Kane was still full of dynamic energy. He succeeded in landing smashing blows in his opponent’s ribs without return early in the sixth.

The Liverpool lad astonished everyone by the way he set alout the champion but the pace was n ii so hot now. The fight had begun to tose some of its lustre—and no wonder. Yet he had all hi 9 work cut out to prevent Kane from catching him in a vital spot, and Kane had him backing on the ropes with battering-ram blows to the body before a hard-hitting round ended. The seventh was Kane’s round but in the next Lynch, after missing with a vicious uppercut, landed stinging lefts and lights to Kane’s head. . Kane kept fighting back with every ounce of strength. His nose was bleeding from the champion’s stabbing blows, and Lynch’s were now the more hurtful punches. Lynch showed superb boxing in the ninth. He was now trying for a knockout with his right. Like Demons. Kane’s power had diminished but still he fought back bravely in what must be regarded as the most amazing period of the battle. The rivals had the crowd on their feet in an uproar, by the way they stood up to each other, punching like demons all over the ring. But neither could land a finishing blow.

The champion’s left hooks were delightful to watch, but Kane was giving as good as he took, still showing superb courage against the better workman. Floored by Left Hook. Kane raised the hopes of his supporters early in the twelfth, when he shot over a fine right, but there was not enough behind it. Lynch was obviously biding his time, and picking his punches, sent Kane down with a left hook.

The challenger was up quickly, but he took a severe hammering. Lynch tore into him and had Kane reeling, but the Liverpool mail lasted through a- tremendous hiding.

Lynch gave Kane no chance to recover when they came up for the thirteenth, and he sent the challenger down for a count of seven.

Kane came up much the worse for wear and a right-hand punch put him halfway through the ropes, where he lay until counted out, a gallant loser.