SQUADRICO TO MEET McNALLY TONIGHT

Press, Volume XCVI, Issue 28380, 12 September 1957, Page 15

SQUADRICO TO MEET McNALLY TONIGHT

rpHIS evening in the Civic *■ Theatre, Christchurch, boxing enthusiasts, many .of whom will have travelled long distances, may see one of the finest professional light-weight bouts fought during the last decade. Nino Squadrico (Australia) will be matched for the third time in little more than a year, with the present national professional light-weight champion, Joe McNally (Dunedin).

McNally has won the two previous encounters—the first early in their bout at Dunedin last year with a right cross that put the Italian-born boxer down for the count, and the second, recently in Timaru. The second win, a points decision, was received badly by the crowd. Squadrico; who is managed by the Australian boxing veteran, Ambrose Palmer, has had numerous successes in Australia, and hopes to stay in professional rank for at least another two years. Fighting in Australia as “Johnny Short,” because Palmer, after being introduced to the Italian, decided his surname was too difficult for most Australians, he has been described as one of the top-class scientific fighters. He is a master of the weaving, quick footwork approach, and his scor-

ing of points is slowly, but effectively, worked up throughout his bouts. His punching, although hard, is not generally regarded as being as strong as McNally’s, but even in the first round ot his short-lived first meeting with McNally, experts were sure that McNally would not have lasted, the distance if he had not unleashed his knock-out blow.

Squadnco has nothing to lose in this bout, and, like all other Australian boxers, is happy with the purses paid in New Zealand. McNally, however, now married and almost in the veteran class, has a growing number of critics who say he has lost the lustre that once won him the Jamieson Belt.

A feature of this evening’s bout may be McNally's controversial buffoonery. McNally believes a professional fighter is entitled to play to the gallery, and he often drops his guard, pretends to oe winded, and then, as his opponent comes in to close the fight, flips a cheeky left on to his opponent’s nose. Opinion on tricks such as these is divided. Many persons detest this play-acting, but for McNally, it is part of a cunninglyprepared attack which often infuriates belittled opponents and leads to a rashness which opens the way for the knock-out punch.