BOXING STEWART BEATS MAHONI IN EXCITING BOUT

Press, Volume C, Issue 29622, 19 September 1961, Page 16

BOXING STEWART BEATS MAHONI IN EXCITING BOUT

(New Zealand Press Association)

WELLINGTON, Sept. 18. The Australian boxer. Clive Stewart, beat the New Zealand light-heavyweight champion, George Mahoni, in the Wellington Town Hall this evening. Fighting with sustained, almost frightening, fury as the bout wore on,''Stewart outpointed Mahoni over 15 thrilling rounds. Once again, it was an extremely close fight, decided on a split decision. Of the three judges, Mr B. O’Brien voted for Stewart, 293-291, Mr W. Somerville voted for Stewart, 294288, and Mr J. Barnden voted for Mahoni, but by a solitary point, 291-290. Stewart weighed in at 12st 3jlb and Mahoni at 13st 51b. Similar Pattern The’ bout followed a similar pattern to the pair’s first clash—Stewart walking in and punching to the body, and Mahoni picking him off with looping hooks, or scoring with a deceptively-quick straight left.

Stewart began slowly, as always, but got right on top in the middle stages. Though lighter by more than a stone. Stewart time and again backed the Tongan on to the ropes and. arms working like pistons, hammered Mahoni’s body. For sheer action, the bc>t round was the seventh. It started w'ith Stewart battering Mahoni with one punch after another on the ropes—and ended with the tough Islander staging a tremendous rally, and scoring with a barrage of hooks. Australian Knocked Out The Wellington middleweight, Dick Fleetwood (list 6lb), knocked out the Australian, Graham Lamont (list 4jib), in a professional preliminary contest. Lamont comes from Queensland. Lamont, went down after meeting a really heavy rightcross in the sixth round. Fleetwood fought attractively. piling up points with his left-hand punches. The only real right he threw finished the bout. Though trailing on points and lacking anything in the way of a knockout punch, Lamont boxed well while he lasted. He often drew Fleetwood in with h.s left, and then ripped in with his rights.