BOXING.

Auckland Star, Volume LXII, Issue 16, 20 January 1931, Page 12

BOXING.

LIGHTWEIGHT .TITLE BOUT

JOHNS AND LECKIK CONFIDENT.

Keen followers ox boxing .are taking great interest in the fight'between Hector : Leckie,!. lightweight champion of/New ! Zealand, and Harry Johns, ex-feather-. weight champion of the Dominion, which is being staged by the Northern Boxing Association at the Auckland Town Hall next Monday evening. Some 'critics consider that Johns has •been given too'hard a task for his first ! fight us a professional, while others are ' sure that, the Autiklandet. will justify ■ the confidence-that has been placed in him and will relieve Leckie of his title. Leckie is a harder puncher than Johns, and in addition is a clever boxer, although not so quick and'shifty as the ex-amateur, and when everything is weighed it appears, that neither one nor the other has any'great advantage, and a sterling fight will be seen. Leckie is completing his training in Dunedih, and isreportecVto be in excellent condition. ' Johns is training each evening at Hogg's gymnasium at the corner of Pitt and Hobson Streets, and in his workouts is showing good form. An excellent programme of amateur 'bouts has been arranged in support of the main attraction. R: Martin, lightweight champion of Auckland, will meet W. Cubitt, of Wellington., in a special six-round bout, and E. Purdie, featherweight champion of "New Zealand, will oppose C. Smith. Other bouts will be between F. BrUno, flyweight champion of New Zealand, and. C. Grimmer, and A. Blewden and I T . Lindesay.