BOXING

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 58, Issue 185, 19 May 1938, Page 2

BOXING

ASHBURTON ACTIVITIES,

(By “ Ringside.”)

Local hoys competing at the Rakaia amateur tournament this evening are R. Plunkett, J. Ward, P. Connolly. J. McDonnell, C. Mncandish, F. Hill and R. Smith.

Barney* Downes now meets Los Adams at Ashburton next week, the Adams-Sterling fight being declared off. Downes has a, great ring record, having defeated Pluto and Jock McMahon. He. is trained by W. Crawford, who acted in a like capacity to Strickland. Crawford will be in Downes’ corner next week.

Local boys will visit T'imaru to-mor-row night, Pleasant Point on the 28th, and have lights in Ashburton on the 26th. Since Les Adams came to Ashburton lie has had eight professional fights. He has lost one only, that to Stan Jenkins in Dunedin.

Ron Grieves, at present a student at the Dunedin Training College, is spending the vacation in Ashburton. While here he is actively training for the University boxing championships. The Ashburton Boxing Association is to be congratulated upon its stand in regard to the Les Adams—Don Sterling match. Sterling tried to teach the local executive its business and was promptly told that the fight was off. There can only be one captain of a ship and boxing associations must not hesitate to take disciplinary measures when they are required. Another local boy to resume training is Keith Kenny who looks particularly fit.

The “stadium” proves a boon to local boxers. There is much, however, that could be done to improve the equipments if funds were available, and it has been suggested that *an amateur tournament be held with the object of procuring more gear. It would be well patronised.

Herb Bishop Beaten. Ron McLaughlan, a promising young welter-weight, brilliantly outpointed Herb Bishop, former lightweight champion of Australia, at Carlton Stadium recently. The interest was so great that the stadium was packed to capacity, and more than 1000 people were unable to gain admittance. McLaughlan won the first three rounds with a terrific right-handed attack to the head. He sent Bishop to the floor for a second in the first round with a right and left to the chin, and sprawled him against the ropes with four smashing rights to the head. Rounds four, five and six were fairly even, although McLaughlan, with cleaner punching, had the edge on Bishop. Bishop stiffened up his defence and opened out in the next three rounds, which he won by a slight margin. In the last round both boxers stood toe to toe in a thrilling exchange of punches, which McLaughlan won. McLaughlan showed improved form on his previous fight with Bishop, which was a draw. Ho was less erratic. His attack was better directed and his punching was more frequent.

WRESTLING.

ITEMS OF INTEREST. (By “Mat.”) Arrangements are in train for the staging of a. tournament in Christchurch between local amateurs and those of the city. It is to be hoped that these will come to something as it is poor encouragement to the Ashburton men to be deprived of contests on account of the present lack of hall space in this town.

The Cunliffe school yisits Temuka this week-end as the guests of wrestling fans there. The trip will be in the nature of a. return visit, as Temuka. came to Ashburton a week or two ago.