EVENING SCORE WITH GORDONS

Auckland Star, Volume LXXV, Issue 232, 30 September 1944, Page 3 (Supplement)

EVENING SCORE WITH GORDONS

RAYNER'S K.O. WIN

Aucklander Forced The Fight

At Start

■THE Gordons and the Raynersare •*■ developing something like a feud, except that the warfare between the two families is carried out in civilised fashion with gloved hands and under organised control. This week Vivian (at least we have been led to believe down here that it was he) fought the battle for the honour of the Gordons against Clarrie Rayner, whose battles with Clarrie Gordon have often been watched by Auckland fight fans. Now I come to think of it, I'm sure it must have been Vivian who was at the Wellington Town Hall on Monday night, because Clarrie has just about settled the argument so far as he and the Rayner Clarrie are concerned. .

This week it was the Gordons who had to take the rub, Vivian being disposed of by a clean knock-out in the sixth round. Vivian, however, is no more satisfied that that is the finish than his brother Clarrie would have been if he had been the one. Vivian is right out after a return meeting, and is fully confident that next time it will be a different story. I'm inclined to think that he may have something there. A knock-out result is often wrapped up in a single punch which may or may not find the mark the next time, and that is definitely the story behind this week's show. Though the finish came in the sixth round, it. was in the fourth that the damage was done. Up till then Gordon had been doing extremely well, and to the general onlooker he was a winning prospect. A closer study of Rayner, however, gave the impression that he was more or less biding his time and sizing his opponent up. Gordon started off like a train, just the way his brother let fly when he opened up against Jim Griffin. He threw rights and lefts in great style and some of them connected, but Rayner was never more cagey and saw to it that not too much damage was done, slipping punches in his most cunning style. It was Gordon's round. In the second Rayner started to open out a little, using his left as a range-finder and screen before ripping in with his right. The Blenheim veteran took the round.

The third produced Gordon's big moment and a rueful grin on Rayner's face to show how he had been stung. Vivian was still going in with both hands, and though Clarrie did all he knew to cover up under the offensive, he was obviously rocked a little and must have been well pleased when he heard the gong for the end of the round. In the fourth Rayner came out behind that left again, and his use of it was extremely clever. He would jab Gor-

don with it just sufficiently to throw him out of his stride and then make play with his right He caught Gordon with the latter weapon as lie was coming in and, though there was no knock-down, the punch was a most telling one, with effects that mounted until the final knock-out. In the ft'fth Rayner put more power into his left, and shook Gordon every time he connected with the other glove. One particularly hefty right cross stopped Gordon in his tracks and almost spun him right round. Gordon did not look too good in the sixth round, and the crowd soon sensed that a knock-out was looming extremely close. Rayner was ripping his laft in and following it up with the old right cross. It was a double-barrelled shot such as that which wrote finish to the contest.

Gordon went down hard, and said afterwards that he would probably have been able to weather the storm had he not hit his head on the staging near the edge of the canvas, where there was little, if any, padding. However, from the ringside it looked as if his fall had oeen broken to some extent through his head striking the bottom rope. When the count reached about six or seven Gordon was beginning to stir, and at nine and "out" he was on his hands and knees. The fight showed up Rayner at his best, and when he is in that kind of form he takes a power of beating. Not only was his boxing good, but also his ringcraft was excellent. He took his time to satisfy himself what Gordon could or could not do, concentrated on protecting himself while the other boy was getting his early burst off his chest, and then came back with. a well-planned attack which soon settled the issue. However, Clarrie being as variable as he is, Vivian would be well advised to chase the return bout. His prospects of reversing the result are quite good, and the Wellington crowd, having enjoyed one of the most dramatic nights of the season, will be glad to see the pair of them back- again.