Boxing MIDDLEWEIGHT TITLE BOUT

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 29002, 17 September 1959, Page 6

Boxing MIDDLEWEIGHT TITLE BOUT

McCormack Beats Downes (N.Z. Press Association—Copyngtitt LONDON, September 15. John McCormack, of Scotland, won the British middle-weight boxing title at Wembley tonight when the holder, Terry Downes, was disqualified. Mr Ivor Powell, the Welsh referee, disqualified Downes at the end of the eighth round of the scheduled 15-round contest. The referee clearly thought a hard right punch by the champion had hit “Cowboy" McCormack below the belt. It had been a dramatic slugging battle from the first bell, with Downes leading on points until his disqualification. The Northern Ireland, British and Empire bantam-weight champion, Freddie Gilroy, moved up in world rankings tonight by outpointing the former world champion, Mario D’Agata, the Italian deaf mute, over 10 rounds, also at Wembley. Before the fight Gilroy, unbeaten in 18 bouts, was ranked eighth and the wiry little Italian fifth. D’Agata conceded 10 years but Gilroy was given the toughest battle in his career. It was only by the narrowest margin that Gilroy won.