BRIGHT BOXING

Dominion, Volume 22, Issue 260, 30 July 1929, Page 13

BRIGHT BOXING

DELANEY OUTPOINTS CONNORS SECTION OF HOUSE VOICE DISSATISFACTION There was a crowded house at the Town Hall last night to see the two noted Australian featherweights, Bobbie Delaney and Em Connors, in a fifteen-round contest. The battle went the full distance, and provided a really good exhibition of scientific boxing. Delaney received the verdict, and deserved it by reason of the fact that he did most of the leading. A section of the crowd voiced dissatisfaction in the twelfth round, and counted the contestants out. It was difficult to account for this action, as much less interesting displays have been given here by professional boxers with much more imposing reputations. Delaney, who looked a trifle overweight, scaled 9st. 31b., and Connors Bst. 111 b. They lost no time in getting to work, Delaney bounding forward, and shooting in a left from long range. Delaney was very nimble, at ducking and head-weav-ing, and made a most elusive target. Near the close of the round, Delaney flashed a left hook to Connors’ jaw, and followed this up with a right to the head, which put his man down for eight. Upon rising, Delaney hooked the left hard to the stomach, and brought the same weapon to the head. Connors was in a bad way when the bell .brought relief. Connors recovered well, and brought the left into play in the second session. They boxed prettily in this round, some neat footwork being seen. Delaney made play for the body In the third, and got in a solid right hook to the head. Delaney was very fast on his feet, and when back-moving would dart in to sting with the left. Connors was boxing coolly, dancing about on his toes to tap light lefts to the face. Delaney was about with two longdistance lefts in the fourth, and this atuiig Connors into swinging a right to the head, which Delaney took turning iway. Connors did better in this round. Early in the fifth Delaney hooked a short right to the body and socked the left downstairs. Delaney was having rather the better of matters in close, and kept punching Connors’ ribs with short-arm right hooks in the clinches. In the sixth Delaney Jed twice for the head with the left, and then flashed over a heavily-loaded right which narrowly missed its mark. It had been bright, clever boxing thus far. Delaney opened the seventh session aggressively, but Connors steadied him up with a wicked right hook, which Delaney just back-moved in time. Delaney continued to pound his opponent’s ribs in the clinches. Cofinors was taking a lot of blows on his gloves. Delaney got in, two good lefts to the face in the eighth session. In close he hooked the right to the body and jabbed the left to the face. Connors landed a snappy left to the face just as the gong eounded. Delaney was about with the left in the ninth, but Connors was now warmifig up; and banged left and right to the head. Connors topped two light lefts to the face, but had to take a left hook to the head just before the session closed. They clapped on the Pace in the tenth round, and some snappy work was seen. Delaney hurled both hands at the head, but his ruggefl opponent countered with the left. Delaney here cut loose’, and chased his man round the ring with a succession of long lefts to the head. Side-stepping to a lively tune, Connors darted in to score with both hands to the head, but Delaney rushed his man to the ropes, and slammed both gloves downstairs. It was fast going to the gong, which clanged to a storm of applause. A good left downstairs was planted by Connors in the twelfth. Some in-fighting followed, at which Delaney had the advantage. Connors scored a succession of light lefts to the face, opening the "Devil’s round ” ' a section of the crowd here started to count the lads out, for what reason was hot apparent, as the boxing so far had been quite willing and distinctly above the average professional display. The penultimate found was evenly fought, both leading in turn, but hot much damage being done. Delaney was aggresgive in the last round, and tried with every kind of blow to bring finality) but Connors used his feet well, and fought back pltickily. Delaney kept boring in, and had his man On. the ropes when the final gong clanged. The verdict for Delaney was the only possible one, as ho did the leading over the greii ter,portion rif the journey. It was a bright exhibition of boxing, as distinct from' fighting, and it was difficult to account for the dissatisfaction voiced by a section of the house. Mr. Earl Stewart was the third man in the ring. AMATEUR PRELIMINARIES. The programme opened with a lightweight bout between H. Bitossi (9sL 81b.) and* A. Hawker (10st.). The lads went at it with'.a will, but Hawker was much the more methodical of the pair, and Bitossi had to do a good deal of smothering in the first round. Hawker hit the cleaner in the second session, his opponent being-very wild with his right swings. Bitossi was as game as they are made, but he continued to have a good deal the worst of the exchanges, and only an effective smother enabled him to weather the storm. Hawker had all the better of the last round, and won by a wide margin of points. The featherweights, W. Withey (Bst. 121 b.), and A. Pepper (BsL 131 b.), made effective play with straight lefts to the face in the opening round. Both landed hard to the hose early, and claret was flowing from each as they retired to corners at the end of the first round. They alio landed hard to mouth and nose in the second, and both, had n gory appearance before the session bad gone far. Withey, though possessing the shorter reach, had a useful right hand,, and brought this oyer once or twice. The lads were thoroughly enjoying themselves, and smiled broadly as they took and gave hard wallops. The last round was very

willing. Both Pegged away hard, and landed flush to the face several times. At the close of a spirited contest, Peppe? received the decision, a verdfct which by no means pleased a section of the house. Both lads were warmly applauded for their game showing. , The lightweights, W. Bellish and B. McGhee, both of whom scaled 9st. 61b., provided some amusement McGhee was something of a comedian, and his novel methods of ducking and head-weaving provided the crowd with not a little merriment. They sparkled up in the second round, and both landed to the face well with both hands. They mixed it freely in the third session, standing toe-to-toe and firing them in upstairs and down. 4 They made the third round a torrid affair, and slogged away with all their heavy artillery to the close of a stirring cojitest. The verdict for Bullish was a popular one, as he was the younger and shorter of the combatants. There was very little between them. The lightweights, J. Arbuthnot (9st. 131 b.) and C. Knox (9st. 91b.). were wellmatched, and put up ! an interesting spar. They made the second session a hurricane affair, plying both hands like flails. They, fought in real earnest for a time in the third round, but the pace was too fast tri keep up. Knox forced the fighting in a very willing last round, but Arbuthnot met him half-way, and there were plenty of thrills in the last two minutes. The verdict for Knox met with a good deal of dissent. A draw would have met the case.