BOXING

Dominion, Volume 16, Issue 177, 14 April 1923, Page 8

BOXING

HUTT VALLEY TOURNEY SOME SPIRITED BOUTS The Empire Theatre, Petone, wa« well filled last evening, when the Hutt Valley Boxing Association staged their fourth tournament. Twelve amateur bouts were staged, and the audience received full value for their money, as the programme lasted till after 11 o’clock. The form displayed during the evening was quite creditable,. and the audience marked their appreciation by frequent ’and hearty applause. Mr. Earl Stewart was the third man in the ring, and the judges were Messrs. W. S. Brice and E. Price. Barnes Too Aggressive for Scott. The principal bout of the evening was between Ted Scott, of Wellington (9st. OJlb.), and Billy Barnes, of Petone (9st.), who met in five two-minute rounds. There was little doing in the initial round, in which Barnes; did most of the leading. Exchanges were even in the second, which saw a good deal of clinching. Barnes made the pace very willing in the. third, Bailing m with both hands going like flails. Scott seemed nonplussed, and was glad when the gong sounded. Barnes had sightly the best of the fourth, in which he forced the pace. Things were fairly even in the last round, out the Wellington man could not make up the leeway on pointe, and the verdict went to Barnes by a comfortable margin. The bout between G. Green (Bst. ISjlb.) and J. Hobbs (Bst. 111 b.) was a scientific display by a well-matched pair. It was very even throughout the three rounds, but Hobbs hit the straighter and cleaner, and in the end was rightly awarded the verdict. The fly-weights, Sanders (Wellington), 7st. 111 b., and Carroll (Petone), 7st. lljlb., made things merry. Carroll had the longer reach, and was also the cleverer of the two. He earned th® decision by a good margin.

A Willing Bout. W. Harlan (lOst. 7Jlb.) met D. Davis (list.). The former started off at hurricane speed, and sent his opponent down with a heavy right swing to th® side of the head. Davis thereafter met the rushes with a good left,': and honours were easy for the rest of th® round. Both lads were raw, and missed wide openings by faulty judgment of distance in the second session. They mixed it freely in tho third, but th® work continued to be wild. One good solid straight left went down to Davis’s account. Harlan showed clever ducking tactics. Things were very willing in the third, in which Davis took, a lot of steam out of his attack by giving himself a knock in the groin with his own elbow. Tho decision went to Harlan, and was the correct oneSpirited Light-weight Contest. A. Corner (9st.), Petone, and Nixon (9st. 61b.1, Wellington, next took th® ring in a light-weight contest. Nixon forced the pace, but the Petone man steadied him with a useful left. In the second round, Nixon brought both hands info play, and sent Conner down for seven with a left hook, following a solid right. The third round was very willing. Nixon had his man very groggy on th® ropes, z but the latter rallied with great spirit, and fought back gamely. Though Corner made good use of the left in the final session, Nixon was too clever and rugged for him, and th® Wellington man earned a well-deserved verdict.. Other Bout*. Goddard (Bst. 9 Jib.), of Petone, wa* next seen in action with Keith (Bst. 4Jlb.)j of Wellington. Goddard had all the beet ci the opening round, in which he proved he had a very useful right. In the second they tripped over each other, and rolled upon the carpet. Keith sparked up in the third session, in which he did good execution with the left and out-boxed his man. Th® final session wax. fairly even, but Keith had a shade the best of thing*, and deservedly received the verdict. Two Petone lads, Cropp (9st. lljlb), and Humphreys (9®t.. 31b.), then called up great enthusiasm by standing toe to toe and trading right and left swings. There was very little science, but a mighty lot of dash. It was heavy slogging, and the pair were soon far spent with changing blows. Great applause followed the closing round, which waa a torrid affair. Cropp deserved th® vgrdict. P. Ryan, 6st. 81b. (Petone), and F. Norris, 6st. 111 b. (Wellington), gave a bright little display. Boxing coolly throughout Ryan had the advantage to the end, but to everyone’s surprise th® judges decided for Norris. Wood (Wellington). lOst. 31b., had M. Moran (Petone), lOst. 21b-, down twice in the first round of their welter-weight argument, and he wa* down again twice in the second session. The hitting was hard, and both showed signs of wear. Half-way through the third round, the heavy slogging terminated in Moran stopping a hard right swing to the head, which laid him on the brorjl of his back. He rose so groggily that Referee Stewart properly stopped th® contest, and held Wood’s right arm aloft in token of victory. Hard Slogging. Steward (list, lib.) and Hollis (10 sK 111 b.), both of Wellington, had a most remarkable contest, in that each went for the knock-out from the word go. They stood up and, without the slightest attempt at defence, dealt out severe punishment with both hands throughout the first two rounds. So hnrd was the pace that they . could scarcely stand up to each other in the third session. The heavy slogging waa continued to the fifth round, when Hollis landed a heavy right swing, which put Steward down for seven. He rose gamely, but Hollis came at him strongly again, and with a shower of blows, with both hands, had him in a bad way, when tne referee intervened and declared Hollis the winner. Though giving away 41b. m weight the „m--ner had the advantage in height and leach. It was one of the hardesthitting contests ever seen locally. , The feather-weights, CotteHll (6st>.) and Mullins (sst. 111 b), had a lively little spar. Cotterill was much the cleverer of the two, and Mullins retired after the first round. J. Burns (9st. 9tlt) ) and M. J. Powet (lust.), gave a colourless display, in which there was little between them. Power got. the verdict. A no-decision bout was boxed between the clever midgets, Syd. and Stan. Broomfield, who gave their customary bright and entertaining display.