ABRUPT ENDING

Auckland Star, Volume LXXVI, Issue 215, 11 September 1945, Page 7

ABRUPT ENDING

PROFESSIONAL BOXING McMULLAN BEATS KELLY With blood streaming from his left eyebrow. Percy Kelly (Auckland) dr°PPf d his gloves, while his opponent, Alf MeMullaii (Hutt Valley) stepped back. The referee Mr. E. Armishaw, commenced to count out Kelly, then led him to his corner. A medical examination pronounced him unfit to continue, though Kellv himself was not of that opinion, and'McMullan was awarded the decision. That in brief, wag the story of the professional lightweight boxing contest in the Town Hall last night. At 9 12J McMullan looked bigger and stronger than Kelly, at 9.10&, and he set out from the start to make the pace with fast left jabs. Kelly scored with a long left hook to the jaw, drove McMullan to the ropes, missed with a left and right, and McMullan jabbed him off with a light left. The second round was spent in much the same gym-sparring manner. There was little damage cone in the freciuent close-quarter exchanges. With a hard right the Hutt Valley fighter drove Kelly to the ropes, taking a smart right cross to the head as he did so. They were just warming to their work, after two rounds of cautious feeling out, when, in McMullan's corner, the pancame together and Kelly reeled back with Wood" pouring from his left eyebrow. With fine sportsmanship McMullan stepped back and did not take advantage of his opponent's distress. Kelly dropped his gloves and stood, while the blood streamed down his face. The "referee commenced to count Kelly out, then, realising the extent of the injury, led him back to his corner, where a medical examination pronounced him unfit to proceed. Subsequently the Aucklander had to have several stitches in the deep Various opinions, from either boxer's corner, account for the wound. Though it appeared that McMullan hod caused it with a short right-hand punch, Kelly s seconds claim that it was an accidental butt when the men came together that did the damage. On the other hand, McMuUan's seconds declare that he caught Kelly with his right hand in close, though it was certainly too aeep a wound to be opened by a glove. It was a disappointing ending to what promised to.be an Interesting contest. The amateur preliminaries were of a good standard and compensated in some measure for the shortness of the main attraction. Results were:—A. Dickens, 5.10, drew with M. Johns fPapakura), 5.13; N. Cockroft, 7.12, beat V. Crawley. 7.8, after a hard hitting bout, the loser being awarded a special trophy; C. Hayes, 8.5*. beat S. Harris, 9.0: A. McPherson, 9.7, beat E. Hakason, 9.9; J. Boreham, 9.9, beat R. Black, 9.12; P. Cochrane. 11.5, beat F. Langatule, 11.4; M. McCarthy, 12.3J..beat N. Turner (Mercer), 12.6; C. Crane, 10.1. beat B. Smith, 10.3.