AN EXCITING BATTLE

Dominion, Volume 22, Issue 54, 27 November 1928, Page 12

AN EXCITING BATTLE

FAIRHALL OUTPOINTS TROWERN A HARD-FOUGHT BOUT The big crowd who assembled at the Towu Hall last night to see the 15round professional boxing contest between the hard-hitting Australian Tommy Fairhall and the clever Aucklander, Reg. Trowern, certainly got their money’s worth. It was fighting as distinguished from boxing, and the crowd were kept on their toes with expectation throughout the entire contest. Boxing beautifully, Trowern dominated proceedings right' tip to the eighth round, when the • hard-hitting Australian connected with a half-arm right jab to the point, and, like lightning, brought over the left to the head. Trowern went down like-a log, but recovered his scattered wits only to be floored again with a right hook to the head. This time Trowern stayed down for eight, and on rising was again sent to the canvas with a short-arm right jab to the head, but this time the gong intervened at the count of' two. Trowern again received severe punishment in the., eleventh round, being put down for eight with a right to the heart, and laid low just before the gong went with A. right ■ half-" arm jab to the point. The Aucklander made a ■ great recovery, and did well for the remainder of the contest,' but the two heavy blows he received in the eleventh had taken a lot of steam out of him, and Fairhall rightly got the verdict/ It was a spirited battle, which greatly pleased the crowded house. Trow-ern's wonderful gameness was the theme of general comment at the close of the battle.

The weights were given as: Fairhall,9st. 12|1b., and Trowern lOst. 21b. Trowern led off with a couple of light lefts to the face, but the Australian evened up by ripping the left to the body,, and slamming a short right to the side of the head. In a mix-up in Trowern’s corner the Australian pushed the Aucklander off his feet. In the second Fan-hall scored twice to the head early with straight lefts, but missed badly with a left hook. They clapped on the pace, and the remainder of the round saw some willing exchanges. In the third, a weighty right to the solar plexus was scored by Fairhall, but the Aucklander jammed his man on the ropes . and gave him an anxious halfminute. Three good straight lefts went down to Troweru’s account just before the round closed. Trowern looked a picture. Salmon pink in colour, he hopped about on his toes like a sparrowhawk, lu thet fourth Trowern poked the left twice into the Australia's face, and vigorously hustled him to the rones. They opened the fifth with infighting. and Fairhall then drove the right hard to the body. The Aucklander then got the Australian into a neutral corner and twice pounded the right hard to the head. Trowern was boxing very coolly and got home a beautiful right opening the sixth, but Fairhall replied with the same weapon. The Aucklander got home two more good rights before the round- ended. Fairhall scored a right to the body and a left to the face opening the seventh. Trowern then essayed a right, but Fair--hall slipped inside it and beat the Aucklander to the punch. ■ Quick as lightning he hooked the left to the point, and.Trowern went down for nine. On rising, Fairhall went in to finish his man, and a hard right to the head put. Trowern down again for eight. A third right made; the Aucklander again hit the mat, but the : gong intervened at the count of two. Trowern made a good recovery during the interval, and fought back gamely throughout the eighth round. Fairhall attempted to end it with blows to the heart, and got a couple in heavily, but Trowern seemed to thrive on punishment. In the ninth. Fairhall again lauded a hard right to the head, but, although it shook the . Aucklander from heel to head, he kept on his feet. Trowern was himself again in the tenth, and once more took the aggressive. He made! Fairhall miss badly three times in rapid succession. Fairhall slammed another right to the side of the head, in the eleventh, but Trowern took most of it on the glove, and drove the left straight to the face. Fairhall then slammed the right hard to the heart, and Trowern went down for eight. On rising the Australian landed a heavy right to the head, and Trowern again went to the canvas, but the gong cut the count short at four. _ . Both men were feeling the effects ot the fast work, and things were much quieter in the twelfth, in which a good deal of close work was seen. Fairhall got home a right to the body, and a left to the face in''the thirteenth. Fair hall let loose two wicked uppercuts, but both missed their mark. Fairhall kept on the aggressive in the fourteenth round and paid particular attention to the body. Trowern-planted a nice-left to the face,, and rushed his man to a neutral corner, where Fairhall, was hooted for firing a “rabbit-killer” punch at his . opponent., Trowern made nretty play with the left in the last round, but Fairhall landed another heavy right to the head.- Trowern then tore into his man, and was-scoring heavily with both hands to the head when the go'ng ended hostilities. ■ ' The judges, Messrs. .1. E. Staples and E Berry, gave their decision for Fairhall, and it was unquestionably the-right , one. Mr. Earl Stewart had a comparatively light task as third man in the ring.

Amateur Preliminaries, The evening’s entertainment opened with a-clash between two husky middleweights. W, George (list. 01b.)’ and A. Bell (list. 61b.). Though a trifle crude in their methods, they made matters extremely interesting, but many of their venomous swings spent themselves upon the atmosphere, George brought a •useful left into play in the second round, and scored well with this weapon to the face. Bell was forced to do. some lively, ducking. Bell was willing, but was too slow, arid George continued to pile on points with a good straight left. George had all the best of the argument, and took the decision by a wide margin. - • - Two champions, C. Hurne (Sst. 41d.) and G. Thomas (Sst. 111 b.), provided an exhibition of clever sparring. Both were fast, Hurne particularly being admired for bis lightning-like speed. They kept going at a fast clip, and the crowd greatly enjoved the brisk exchanges, , Ihomas sparkled up in the third round, and did telling work with the left. Hurne took the aggressive in the last round. and scored with lightning-like blows with both hands to the head. Thomas was lighting back Jiard, when hostilities were ceased through Hurue’s pants slipping down By the time the referee had adjusted things, the gong had gone. The decision for Hurne was well received, and both lads left the ring to the accompaniment of very hearty applause. ' . . , The feather-weights, W. Withey (Sst. 21b.) and J. Doneghue (Sst. 61b.), provided good entertainment. The latter had the advantage In height and reach, and showed that he could use both hands. Though at a disadvantage, Withey had a heart as big as a bullock’s, and kept boring in during the last two rounds. . A willing bout, which was crowded with incident from start to finish, ended in a The light-weights. C. Knox (Ost. Sib.) and H. Greenall (lost.), started off at a fast bat. Knox early got to work with a laneelike left, which tapped claret in the opening round. Greenall made a target of- the body in the second round, and did well for a spell, but Knox again brought the left into play. Greenall loosed all bis guns in the third round, but Knox kept playing the left with deadly precision, and had his opponent s face smothered in gore before the. roundhad ended. Grenall forced the pace in the last round, but Knox .was too clever for him. and continued to score with' straight lefts to the face. There was ouly one possible verdict, and Knox got it. THREE CONTESTS • FOR SHARKEY HEENEY MAY BE AN OPPONENT-' (United Service.) New York, November 24. ' Jack ’"Sharkey has signed for three, fights jindor Tex Rickard' for the' win--ter. His' opponents will be chosen from Heeney. Risko, Uzeudin, Hanson, and Stribling. The battles will be 11 month apart, stuiLiiiz iu Jsuiuary in Chicago.