FITZJOHN'S MATCH.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1286, 15 November 1911, Page 9

FITZJOHN'S MATCH.

OUTPOINTS ELLIOTT. FIFTEEN BRILLIANT ROUNDS. They were two of the most brilliant feather-weight boxers in all Australasia, and perhaps the best matched pair of them all, who fought a fifteen-rounds battle in tho Town Hall last night. '"Billy" Elliott and Frank Fitzjohn havo met six times now, and on every occasion the bout has gone tho 'full number of rounds. First they tried conclusions as amateurs for tho Australasian championships, and Elliott won. Since then they have both become professors, thoy have fought fivo times. . On the first occasion tho result was-a draw, then Fitzjohn had two wins, then Elliott won, and, last night, Fitzjohn turned the tables. _'. And ha won handsomely. For Fitzjohn is a vory much improved boxer in the last couple of years. Ho is a remarkably clover, fast, two-handed person, who ■ knows every point in the game, both in standing off and in-fighting. Tho same is still true of Elliott, but in a trifle less degree. There was not the dash in his attack at any time last night that there was in Fitzjohn, but he could block and cover up a shade better. :There was very little advantage for either lad until the.ninth round, when iitzjohn swung over a • left—tho blow li "r *F OUD !ed Elliott most right through the battle—and Elliott was badly rattled tor a _ while. Ho stood out in the . middle of the ring, and took a peppering on the head and face, but he suddenly delighted the crowd by rushing :n and mixing things for a second or two. Fitzjohn, however, was not to be caught napping, and, when his chanco came, as it. did, he seut his man down with it right aw'ing. ■ - Elliott rose on the count of seven, and hung on for the rest of the round. Ha pover recovered wholly, from the shaking, however, and, in only one other round, tho twelfth, did he keep the points nearly equal: ■ Tho. next round was Fitzjohn's, and, when tho gong sounded to end tho next, .Elliott was once more in soro trouble. . In the final round, Elliott was plainly not. himself, and ho was punished severely by his very persistent adversary. Once, very hear the ond, he dropped his guard, and looked to.his corner for the towol. The towel did not come, so ho covered up, and kept up tho unequal battle gamely. Just before the gong he clipped litzjohn a smart jolt, but the blow was abort by a fraction.' The referee then pointed to Fitzjohn—a decision which the .crowd could not fail to endorse entirely. •......■ - • ■ Fitzjohn went into thoring at 8.12 in perfect physical condition, carrying plenty of muscle, but not an ounce of anything else.- On the other hand Elliott, at 8.13, w A S i' ™ tllcr n ' wvts his - weight. He was still the well-proportioned boy that he used to be, biit lie carried too much soft tissue. Probably it was .his' inferiority in physical condition, rather than in skill, which proved his undoing. Ho was fiery and speedy in flashes even to the end, but the other boy was more alert, and just as fiery and speedy all tho time, boxing with the same tireless watchfulness right tothb'end of'the fifteenth round. But.-less than five minutes after it was all over, when Elliott was wrapping up to leave the ring, he was smiling good-naturedly, apparently quite fit to go on.' ■ Mr. T. Sampson acted as referee for nil tho bouts.....

TOLD BY ROUNDS; - ■■'. HOW PRANK PITZJOHN WON. Round 1; Pitzjohn was first to land—a lisht left lead to tho body-but .Elliott retorted with fast'right and left slaps. Several times they.-'rushed into clinches, without...getting blows home-,rwid> thenr Pitzjohn dropped a left over to the head.' In' fighting, both men wero busv,. but •Elliott scored.with the best blow of the 'round,- a smart jolt to the chin, which. Sent Pitzjohn's head back."-Twice - in' sue-' cs.ssion Pitzjohn landed on his opponent's face with light lefts, and the round ended with the men in grips. Rouhd : 2VThey rushed into clinches almost straight from ■ thoir corners, and Elliott was called for hitting and holding. 11l a lively mix-up, Pitzjohn scored with two or three light jolts, but Elliott stood off and landed swings .at longer range. They clinched again, and Elliott swung hard to the head in the breakaway. Boring in again, Elliott landed threo 6punding body blows with either hand, nud followed up with a couple to the fuco. Elliott had a slight lead now. Round 3: Pitzjohn forced the pace all tho, titno, and landed three rights in quick succession perilously near the point. In a clinch ho put a lively right across to,the side of tho head.- Elliott's defence against his opponent's lightning leads was wonderful, but tho only damage which ho might have done was with one fairly heavy right. Pitzjohn was making up his leeway. Round i was remarkable for tho beautiful defence, blocking, ducking, and getting out of reach, shown by both men. Fitzjohn landed one of his left swings over Elliott's guard, and Elliott forgot to smile. Pitzjohn had both hands going to good- effect' in clinches following, but, standing off, Elliott took most of the Bounding smacks on shoulders and forearms. He drow Pitzjohn cleverly at the end of the round, and, having fooled him, culled him lightly with his left on tho face. Round 5: Moro splendid defence by both men against a hail of blows, each delirerdewifch cat-like swiftness. Scarce a singlo oiio-.of; them found its mark. Round 6: Both men did somo good twohand.boxing in the tight, and then camo the liveliest "mix-up" in all tho match.' Both men started from the break away, and, standing toe to. ..toe, peppered eacii other witli fairly heavy ami well-inten-tioned blows. Honours wero easv. Round 7; In three or four rallies not a single blow landed, but then Elliott got iii threo short-arm jabs. These woro followed up by a Jivciv right across to tho head.- Pitzjohn had done all the leading in the round.

Round b- Fitzjnhn continuod to make the pace hot, never letting up once. He was now distinctly tho fresher of the two men, but Elliott was still watchful. Once ho fooled Fitzjohn cleverly, and then tapped him on tho face with a left backhander. Tho rest of tho round was mainly in-fighting, in which few blows landed.

Round 9: Elliott now took a turn at forcing tho pace, with, disastrous results. Ho , scored . first .with rights and lefts, : aud an upper cut. Again he mixed it,'and again he scored with left and upper-cut, but his success ninda him unwary." At any rate, it was a sound right which. Fitzjohn presently fent home. Elliott was now plainly . rattled, for ho stood still, only half guarded, while his lively opponent made play. Then he shot out a right which, however, Fitzjohn evaded. Tho crowd cheered, but Elliott stopped another solid right swing, and toolc the count for seven. He weathered tho rest of-the round.

Rounds 10/.-11,'12: Elliott ndw boxed warily for a-sppU,-but-Fitzjohn was tireless, alert, and yet patient. He waited his chance, and would not bo trapped. In the tenth Elliott hung on all he / could, in the eleventh Fitzjohn scored' heavily, shaking Elliott time and again with letls and rights. The twelfth was rather more even. - :••-.'■.

Round 13 also went in favour of Fit-z----john. Nothing short of a knock-out could now win the match for Elliott. In this round he had to take a somewhat severe drubbing, but no very heavy blows. Round 11: Elliott waited nicest of the time, apparently watching for the knockout opening which never came. Four times Fitzjohn got home, and then shot out a likely-looking left which found its spot. Fitzjc'hui followed up his advantage, mil rushed to finish the bout. A good •ight and a left went home, but' the rest Filliott blocked. He was in a bad way, however, when the gong sounded. Round 15: Elliott took a hard straight left lead on the mark, and then clinched, Fitzjohn shock him oil, and kept up a fierce attack, which had Elliott puzzled, lie landed a couple of heavy blows with either hand, and Elliott, apparently in trouble, dropped his hands and turned to his corner. There were cries of "Towel!" from the audience, but the towel did not corne. The beaten man covered up and fought gamely, and just on the gong shot out n lively one which, hod it gone home, might have sent Fitzjohn down.

Tho winner, Fitzjohn, was cheered heartily for his hue showing. AMATEURS. THE BANTAM CHAMPIONS. ' Tho bout between J. Burp, tho Wairarapa bantam champion, and A. B. Joplin, the local holder of tho title, was a merry business from end to end. Barr's weight was declared at Bst lib., and Joplins at Bst. 21b. Barr was busy as soon as ho came from his corner, shooting out a couple of lively straight lefts which very nearly found their mark before Joplin had begun. Tho Wellington boy squared accounts with a sharp, but not heavy, right, and then, in the subsequent mix up, stopped a right hook which scut aim down. Ho took the count of seven, on Ins knee, and then finished the round without mis'iap. . , The second round opened in favour ot Joplin tor a second or two, but that was the occasion on which he appeared to have a fair chance of winning the bout. In tho latter stages of tho round Banhad annihilated his defence, and scored all the time. , , The third round was fast and interesting, but, when tho gong sounded, thero was only one decision that could bo given: "Barr wins." An Easy Win. F. Ellis (Bst. 101b.) had a very easy win from G. Wilson (Ost.) From tbo gong Wilson anpeared to land on his bigger opponent almost when and where he pleased, and by his clever footwork ho could keep out of tho way of any trouble with the greatest ease. The end came halfway through tho second round, when Ellis shook his opponent with a straight left and then' swung hard with cither hand. Wilson was plainly, done with, and the referee, Mr. T. Sampson, stopped the match. Farce-Comedy. Two rounds of comedy and one of fearful earnestness fairly describes the battle between J. Murphy (Wst. 51b.) and V. Clifford (10st. 101b.). Murphy tried his test for two rounds to make Clifford-box, and though ho went about the business very carefully, he landed nearly every lead which he attempted. In the final round Clifford realised that he must Ixix to win, and he boxed. Ho roughed Murphy all round the ring, but scarcely ever hit him. Murphy was very tired when it was all over, out in everything except weight and strength he had excelled Clifford. Mr. Sampson declared foT tho better boxer, and the better boxer was Murphy.