FIGHTER v. BOXER

Dominion, Volume 23, Issue 33, 2 November 1929, Page 13

FIGHTER v. BOXER

DONOVAN OUTPOINTS DOBLE A SPIRITED ARGUMENT The professional feather-weight boxing contest between Tommy Donovan, of Taranaki, and Tommy Doble, of Australia, at the Town Hall last nigiit was a tussle between a fighter ‘and n boxer. Donovan, the broad-shouldered tighter, who was in the pink of condition, kept tearing in relentlessly and showering blows with both hands throughout the fifteen rounds. Many of them missed, but a good few of them got borne, especially those which were planted downstairs. 'l’lie Australian proved himself a very clever boxer and, though the verdiet went, to Donovan on the easting vote of the referee, there were many of the audience who agreed with at least one of the judges that Doble was entitled to tiie decision. In any case' it wns a contest well worth seeing, and the crowded house enjoyed every minute of it.

Donovan weighed Bst. 12-jlb. anil Doble Sst. 11 jib. Donovan tore into the Australian as soon as the gong went, and did some effective work in close. A snappy left uppercut shot Doble’s head back. Donovan was very fast, but the Queenslander, who had a Jem Mace upright stance, boxed very nicely and cooly. They opened the second session with spirit. Donovan kept rushing in, but Doble met him with uppercuts, which soon had an old serf on Donovan’s nose showing up red. Doble showed up well at infighting in the second round. Donovan followed his rushing tactics in the third round, and got his man with a beautiful left hook, and followed this up with a right cross. Doble, however, was scoring well in the close work. It had been spirited boxing thus far. Three light lefts to the face went down to Donovan's credit opening the fourth, and the Taranaki man followed this up with another good left. After a spell of even work Donovan scored with left and right to the head. Donovan speeded up in the fifth, slinging over another solid right to the head. Doble rushed his man to the ropes, but Donovan cleverly ducked, and attacked the Australian as he went sprawling half through the ropes. Donovan swung a right with such force that he went to his knees when it missed. Donovan opened the sixth session with a good right to the head, but Doble evened up with a right rip downstairs. The Australian scored with a heavy right swing just before the gong went. The Australian was proving himself clever and tough, and was giving Donovan the fight of his career. . Doble slammed a solid right to the midriff opening the seventh, which stung the Taranaki man to wade in with both hands. A lovely left went down to Doble’s account here, and he also got home with the right as Donovan came rushing in. Doble met the Taranaki man with a snappy right to the face as he rushed in at the opining ot the eighth round, and the crowd, demonstrated hostility when Donovan retaliated with a “rabbit-killer. A right to the jaw by Donovan was a good blow, and the Australian went unsteadily to his corner. Donovan clapped on the pace opening the ninth, but was hooted for again hitting to the back of .the neck. Donovan is a great little fighter, and he kept boring in relentlessly. Some pretty boxing was seqn in the tenth, in which the honours were fairly even. . , . x Donovan commenced to tight in earnest in the eleventh session, dancing about on his toes, and dashing in to ply both hands to head and body. They finished up a lively round with a whirlwind of blows in Donovan’s corner, with the Taranaki man the attacker. . Donovan’landed a solid right to the head early in the twelfth, but Doble evened up with a good right uppercut as his man came rushing in. Donovan hooked a right to the head, starting the “Devil’s Round,” and Doble dropped his mouth-guard, which referee Earl Stewart kicked amongst the spectators. Doblc scored a lance-like left to the face, and tried for the blow again, but Donovan did some clever head-weav-ing. They clapped on the pace in the fourteenth, and some exciting exchanges were seen in close. Doble made bis man miss badly with the left by clever ducking, and also ducked out of the way of a vicious right. The last round opened to a roar ot cheering. Donovan tore in and slammed a right to the head, but had to take right and left uppercuts as a counter. Donovan is powerfully built and was physically as fit as a fiddle. He tried all he knew to end the argument by the short route, but he was up against a very clever boxer, and both were slamming away for dear life in midring when the gong sounded “Cease firing.” The judges. Messrs. B. A. Guise and E. Perry, disagreed, and the referee (Mr. Earl Stewart) gave his decision in favour of Donovan, a verdict which met with some dissent. Amateur Preliminaries. The light-weights, R. Burns (lOst.) and C. Barrow (9st. 71b.) were a wellmatched pair. They opened at a brisk pace, and mixed exchanges willingly in the first round. A snappy left by Barrow caused Burns’s nose to bleed freely, and, clapping on the pace. Barrow had all the best of the second session, scoring freely to the face with both hands. Burns was in bad shape when the gong went ; he was game, however, but his opponent was too fast and clever for him, and dealt out further heavy punishment in the third round. The third round was a thriller. Burns carried the fight to the enemy, nnd slammed away with both hands, but took a good deal of battering, as he came rushing in. Barrow, who is a clever boxer, took the decision by a wide margin of points, but Burns received a salvo of applause ns he left the ring for the very game showing ho had made.

Another pair of lightweights, R. Check (fist.) and Stoker T. J. Brookes (9st. 11b.), of H.M.S. Dunedin, also provided good entertainment. The stoker started off well, but Check, who had a peculiar hang-dog stance, soon\showed that he had two good hands. The Navy man speeded up a bit in the second session, but that he had lost his sense of direction was evident by the fact that he calmly appropriated Check’s corner at the end ot the second round. The stoker is a great 'nncer. He was on his toes all the t une, and never ceased- a lively jig, which made him an elusive target. Brookes took the aggressive in the. last round, and eventually took a very popular decision. The middleweights. J. Connors (list.) and R. Chalken (lOst. 81b.) started off in whirlwind fashion. Chalken took the aggressive, but Connors more than met him halfway, and stopped his opponent’s impetuous rushes with a beautiful left hook, which dropped his man for six. Connors also had the best of some heavy milling in the second round, opening a gash above Chalken's right eye with a well-timed left. The third, round was fairly even. Connors receiving one low down, which slowed him up a good deal. They had a great old slugging match in tbi 'last round, in which Chalker had to hang on for dear life to weather the storji of well-placed blows Connors kept sending over. It was a very willing contest, which greately pleased the big house. There was only one possible verdict, and Connors got it by a wide margin. D. Sjoberg (lOst. 4121 b.) and A. Hawker (lOst. 121 b.), were two well-matched welterweights. The former had the advantage in height and reach, and did well for a time, but Hawker got in some brisk two-handed work before the first round closed. A good right by Sjoberg opened a gash on Hawke’s left eyebrow, in the second round, in which Sjoberg also made some effective play with the left. Hawker. however, was busy with both hands. A beautiful right by Sjoberg to the side of the'head put Hawker dawn for eight in the third round, and Sjoberg went for his man like a tiger' when he rose. A left hook, followed by a right cross., felled Hawker like a log. his head striking the canvas .’heavily. Subsequent proceedings interested him no more. Sjoberg shaped really well, and is the makings of a good boxer.