AUCKLAND'S BIG BOUTS.

Auckland Star, Volume LVIII, Issue 195, 19 August 1927, Page 13

AUCKLAND'S BIG BOUTS.

WILL JOHNNY LECKIE DEFEAT DUKE MADDOX? HATTON'S STIFF TEST.

Fight fans who are fortunate to be t-resent at the meeting of Duke Maddox a.nd Johnny Leckie for the featherweight championship of New Zealand, and the contest between Matt Hattonand Black in the Town Hall on Monday night should see two of the best fights stageiP there over a number of years. This is a bold statement, and that is what the form of the boxers would lead one to expect. Duke Maddox, the champion, is known throughout the Dominion as a clever fighter, a game, willing mixer who never lets up and can always be relied on to produce his best when occasion demand*. That the present occasion will call for his utmost endeavours cannot be gainsaid. Duke realises this and has trained 5° r w hat many sound judges th e hardest fight of his ♦rVT 11 va - ue Bhould not be

and could only draw with Harry Gunn last May. Maddox was not at weight in either and not at his best. Moreover, from all accounts opinion was much divided about the decisions. According to reports from Napier where he met Gunn the decision was very unpopular. Maddox was said to have won handsomely. In Johnny Leckie the champion meets one who is probably the best featherweight boxer in New Zealand, if not the greatest fighter at the weight. Aged only 20 the ex-amateur champion of New Zealand looks to have a fine future if he continues to improve as he has been doing since he turned professional a few months ago. That he can box is wellknown. Those who saw him when he won the amateur title last year could not fail to recognise that. As a matter of fact he greatly impressed the Northern boxing judges with his speed, cleverness and real fighting abilities. That he can more than hold his own with the best of the professionals he has convincingly demonstrated recently. Harry Gunn and Mark Carroll have both been defeated by him and there are able critics who fully expect him to defeat Maddox. Hi's record as an amateur was exceedingly good. In 1823 he won the Otago feather-weight championship and followed this by winning the South Island and the New Zealand title. In 1924 he won the Otago title again, but was runner-up in the Dominion championship. Last year he carried off the Otago and the New Zealand titles at the weight. Now he carries a knock-out in either hand. Maddox will undoubtedly have to be at the top of his form to win. Jt should be a great fight. Hatton's Test. Matt Hatton is expected to beat Black though only after a hard bout. His opponent is - a real good feather, and against the late Roy Overend put up a fight so fierce and sensational that it is still talked about in boxing circles as the greatest within the last five years. Hatton is known far and wide in the Dominion as a very clever fellow who ran hurt with short punches, but Black is stated to be pretty confident of winning. The contest should be as keen as the other, and might be even more exciting. That Hatton will be all out to win is certain. His little affair with Kid Delaney did not give him a chance to show his real paces, but one can confidently predict that Matt will be found to have lost not a bit of the skiU which made him amateur champion of the Dominion in 1921, and nearly got him the Australasiar title. He may yet be seen fighting for the professional title. hough Hatton took out a professional license in 1922 he did not use it until he beat Delaney a few months a«o. A boxer who always keeps himself right, the Aucklander is in great form, and %ery fit, and is greatly fancied to win. Black should prove a real test for him. Trowern v. McKnight. Many will be disappointed at the news that Reg Trowern will not be able to meet kelson McKnight as was hoped, owing to illness. A njeSsage to that effect was received by the Te Aroha Boxing Association so it can be taken tn 1 hf l i an< ? d t - hat this tit ' bit ' will have to be kept waiting. Trowern had to call ff several fights in Australia through lckness so that the' news is not alto?n? e A r T^ r £ ing * A bout betwe en him and McKnight would be a great draw. CENTRAL LIGHTING URGED. f JPJT the lightin 2 arrangements n Ut " re conte . sts in Auckland, an SSnJfJ, Bug S estlon sent in by a "Fight Fan." He writes: 7 "In connection with the excellent contest which the N.B.A is ? should°V? e r Dd , of this month ke to point out that greater success of this bout and of contestß could be assured by system more adonted in"" such as adopted in other centres. That is above th*' J° UT 4£ c U ® hts directly on £»,Jf lns " These arc 21- j contestants enter the i, a ?i , e Ilghts in the body of the hall switched off. Any expense rpn»M iß . °tlpn would be amp* repaid by satisfied patrons. who have to watch a fight with all lights on. Any Btajre would denounce this practice and give a heap of reasons Apart from the audience, the conHghted ring!""* 1 beneflt by a P r °P erl y The suggestion is commended to the Northern Boxing Association. There is no doubt central arcs would vastly improve the lighting from the standpoint of contestants and spectators and the expense would be almost negligible after the first initial cost of installation. Central lighting is the Almost universal method in pro gressive boxing areas.

LIMITATION OF PURSES. ASSOCIATION'S DECISION. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) INVERCABGIIiI/,. Wednesday. The annual meeting of the New Zealand Boxing Association was held to-day, Mr. S. A. Strickland presiding. Delegates were present from Wellington, Marlborough, Taumarunui, Christchurch, Gisborne, Greymotith, Hawke's Bay, Manawatu. Napier North Otago, Otago and Bluff. It was decided that before a license Is issued to a professional boxer, he must furnish the council with a certificate of competency issued by the association in the district of which he is a resident. A Hawke's Bay remit was carried advocating the limitation of the purse to £150 for professional bouts, save in special circumstances. and then only with the concurrence of the New Zealand Association. The election of officers resulted President, Mr. E. A. Craig (Auckland) ; council, Messrs. P. F. MeEvedy, D. R. Hoggard, J. R. Simpson, E. Blundell,\ E. A. Dawson, J. W. Heenau and L. R. St. J. Beere. It was decided to hold the 1928 championships at Auckland.