BOXING Polished Style Gains Fitzsimmons Title

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29907, 22 August 1962, Page 15

BOXING Polished Style Gains Fitzsimmons Title

P. Fitzsimmons, a contender for the Empire Games team, boxed excellently, using Ms feet well, hitting swiftly with his straight left and timing his hard right crosses well, to win the light-welter-weight title at the Canterbury amateur boxing championships held In the Caledonian Hall last evening. A crowd of 400 saw some very evenly matched bouts and some good boxing. In the best bout of the championships, C. Sheehan (Ashburton) beat L. Ny (St. Anne's) on a split decision to take the bantamweight title. Ny seemed much the stronger of the two boxers in the opening round and did practically all the • leading. However. Sheehan used a sound defence to block the majority of Ny's punches. Ny won the second round clearly, but the position was reversed in the thud and final round when Sheehan recaptured all his defensive skill, counter-punched tellingly and went over to the attack to win the round by a wide margin of points. The decision in his favour had a mixed reception. B Harnett (Kaikoura* boxed coolly and classically, with an upright stance and used a right cross with straight lefts. to win two bouts against stronger opponents and take the welter-weight title. T. O’Donnell (9t. Annes) was the only other boxer required to fight twice, and he proved himself a stylish southpaw but lacking a hard punch. Results:—

Championship Bouts Bantam-weight—C. Sheehan (Ashburton) beat L. Ny (St Anne's) on points. Feather-weight.—R. Newsome (St. Anne's) beat R. Voice (Crichton Cobbers) on points. Light - welter - weight. P. Fitzsimmons (Palmer's gym.) beat M. Sampson (Ashburton) on a technical knock-out. 4

Welter-weight. B. Harnett (Kaikoura) beet M Kelly (University) on points Final: Harnett beat R. McLagWsn (Linwood Boys' Club) on points. Light - middle - weight. T. O'Donnell (St. Anne's) beat T. Godkin (Tlmaru) on points. Final: O'Donnell beat J. F. Awltuarai-teo (University) on points. Middle-weight—R Maxwell (Tlmaru i beat J. Hay (Linwood Boys' Club) on a technical knock-out. Other Boats Mosquito-weight.—R. Caistaira (Linwood Boy's Club) beat S. Watte (E. William's gym ) on pointe. Catch-weight. D. Kendall (Linwood Boy's Club). Tsl 51b. beat G. Bennett (Crichton Cobbers), tat lib, on points.