BOXING.

Auckland Star, Volume LII, Issue 24, 28 January 1921, Page 6

BOXING.

KEENLY DEFEATS GLEESON. A POOR FIGHT. GRAHAM ALMOST GETS OLSEN. There were any amount of vacant seats at the Town Hall last night, and it must be said that those who pre-jndged the return bout between Jack Ileeney, Gisborne, and Les. Gleeson. the Australian, and decided to stay away did not miss a great deal. Heeney won easily, though Gleeson fought much better than he did at the first match. lle-?ney waa too quick for him. and did far the most leading, and the heavy swings Gleeson did occasionally try never once got there exactly.

A much better fight in every way was provided when J. G-raham and G. Olsen met for a purse of £30. The light was billed to last ten rounds, bnt the referee. Mr. F. Burns, stopped It at the end of the sixth, when folk were waiting to see Graham finish off his groggy opponent. Graham has improved wonderfully since his last exhibition before Auckland sportsmen, and his In-lighting last night was clever and good. Right from the gong Olsen looked for close quarters, and worked his right overtime with that old upper-cut coming j right up from the knee, but Graham blocked lit well, and made his opponent the target I for repeated short-arm left 9. In the second round Graham got home with a jolting right and found his mark with a couple or | straight lefts. By the end of the fourth session Olsen was palpably feeling hazy, and throughout the next two rounds Graham was obviously waiting his chance to put a sleeper across. But he could not quite get there, although in the sixth, after Olsen had flashed oat a right book. Graham got him with two whipping uppers and time alone saved him. He was very groggy as tbe bell went, and the rereree i stopped the proceedings, giving Graham ! the verdict. GLETESON'S POOR SHOWING. I In the big fight, -which turned out to be jso poor, Ileeney weighed in at 11.5 and i Gleeson 11.11. Gordon Menzies was ln l the Australian's corner and Jim Burns was I chief towel-bolder for the Gisborne boy. Ileney refused to do any Jong range wort, | and Gleeson spent most of his time stick- , ing in to close quarters and holding his | lighter and quicker opponent. Many times I the referee Indicated that Gleeson's arms I were getting in tbe way. and despite those ! occasional wild swings, any one of which j seemed to have enough power to put Heeney Ito sleep if they had been well timed and ! carefully handed out. 'Heeney scored all I the points at the beginning, and kept his j lead going till ten rounds had gone. During I the last five tbe Australian showed up to better purpose, but the only really interesting moment came in the twelfth, when Ileeney got a left hook home and his opponent gave better than be got. setting a I lively pace for an exchange that was broken by the bell. Again in the fourteenth Gleeson camp out of his shell for a while, but his blows were ill-directed. and he missed ■sereral bright opportunities -by over-reach-I lug. Heeney deserved to win, or rather ■ Gleeson deserved to lose. Among the amateurs H. Meale beat F. Flynn after a lively bout. Meale scored most in his openings, hut Flynn put him down twice iv the third round. H. Bricn fS.ll) beat Otway (8.121, mainly by reason of his left leads, which consistently found their mark, though Otway camp to light with some good uppers. He wants more coaching. KEENAN'S NEXT FIGHT. Jack Keenan. the Anckland light-weight, who has just captured the title of New Zealand champion, is to fight Harry Holmes, the Australian, within the first fortnight of March, at either Napier or Dannevirke. Holmes is ou his way across from Australia, and the fight will be the most severe test Keenan has yet had. The purse is said' to be £300. niKi tbe fight will probably take place on either March 4 or March 11. Keenan wlil probably fight the Australian at about O.s, and should he win he will have the satisfaction of beating a really gooa lighter. POSSIBLE WORLD'S CHAMPION. (Received 8 a.m.) NEW YORK, January 27. •*- Boy McCormirk. the light heavy-weight champion of England, outpointed Johnny Howard, the speedy American, ia a fifteenround bout. McCormick. who displayed dazzling boxing skill and courage, was enthusiastically received. FTe promises to become a popular competitor for the world's championship.— iA. and N.Z. Cable.)