AMATEUR BOXING

Evening Post, Volume LXXXVII, Issue 117, 19 May 1914, Page 11

AMATEUR BOXING

PROVINCIAL CHAMPIONSHIPS A MIXED MENU. It is to be regretted that — doubtless on account of the unfavourable weather — the provincial amateur championships, held under the auspices of the Wellington Boxing' Association in the Town Hall last evening in aid of the Citizens' Carnival Fund, did not attract a larger attendance. The accommodation on the ground floor was fairly well filled, but upstairs there were far too many vacant chairs. A capital evening's sport was provided, although, as is inevitable in such contests, there was sometimes a lack of science on the part of some of the competitors, who showed rather a tendency to adopt wrestling tactics instead of using their fists strictly in accordance with the rules of the game. The referee was Mr. C. E. Bridge, aid the judges Messrs. H. D. Smith and J. E. Staples. The exhibitions were confined to bantam, feather, light, welter, and middle-weight contests, the results being as follow,,: — BANTAM-WEIGHT. L. Thompson (Wellington), Bst 21b, v. B. Andrews (Wellington), Bst 21b. — The first two rounds did not provide at all an interesting display, the men having to bo separated far too often. A direct, well-delivered blow was the ex- j ception rather than the rule, most of | the hits that got home being upper- j cuts when in-fighting. The third lound was not much better, and was so inde- ' cisive that the referee ordered another round. Thompson's body punches were made more frequently than his oppo- ! nenfc's, who tried to retaliate with some upper-cuts on to the chin with indifferent success. Thompson was announced I as the .winner. FEATHER-WEIGHT. E. Leary (Wellington), 9st, v. G. Wil- \ son (Wellington), 9st. — Liftry led with a couple of undercuts, and maintained, the advantage in the first round. The j second round opened briskly, Leary go- j ing for the knock-out. Awaiting his opportunity, Wilson sent Leary to his I knees twice for nine. On rising Leary was a bit. groggy, and went to the floor again with an upper-cut on the chin. He rallied gamely, and dodged a couple of jabe, but he was evidently the more distressed man of the two 'when the gong went. There was much clinching in the third round, LeaTy inflicting a good deal of punishment. Both contestants were at the last gasp, and thewhole bout consisted of a. few wild blows, ' which wei-e mostly ineffective. Leary was adjudsred the Avinner. Skinley (Wellington), Bst 131b, v. Stewart (Wellington), itet. — Heavy body blows sent Skinley to the floor for nine, and, for the 6ame Teason, he repeated the performance a little later. Ho had bis rovenge with some gruelling thrusts by liis opponent a little later, and Stewart was pleasca to hear the sound of the gong. In the second round, Stewart endeavoured to stand up to some forcible right and left swings, but was compelled to < give up .half way / through, Skinley being the winner. J. Oliver (Cross Creek), Bst 12 lb, v. D. Defoe (Wellington), 9st.— Oliver had a slight advantage in height and reach, and after the opening did most of the attacking, sending home some direct thrusts to Defoe's face. A considerable amount of clinching marred the second round, in which Oliver sent along some troublesome upper-swings. Defoe got in a few sudden and unexpected punches before the round finished. The last round was very lively if not as scientific as it might " ye been, both men giving and taking a good deal of punishment. Oliver was obviously the better boxer of the two, displaying a good knowledge of the game, and was declared the winner. WELTER-WEIGHT. W. J. M'Farlane (Wellington), 10st71b, v. Hunter (Wellington). 10st 51b.—Hunter was cautioned for holding and a moment afterwards the same caution was administered twice to M'Farlane. The initial round was robbed of a good deal of interest owing to "wrestling, and the judge stepped through the ropes to warn the competitors. After a clinch in the second round, in which "break" was the oft-repeated command, Hunter swung one on to M'Farlane's left ear, but the round closed with very little to choose between the two men. The predilection to clinching acquired in the rounds already gone had. become a habit in the final, and the referee had a busy time separating the' couple. M'Farlano got some hits past his opponent's a guard but not many blows were administered throughout the whole bout. Hunter was given the ver- * diet, evidently because of M'Farlane's tendency to ignore the referee's instructions to "break." The announcement was not a popular one with a section of the spectators, and there was a little "boohooing." H. Cahill (Wellington), lOst 101b, v. Karnsh (Wellington), list 31b.— This was the comedy bout of the evening. Cahill proved to be a coloured man — evidently a >South Sea Islander — whose hair liaa been innocent of the barber's scissors for a very long time and reached almost to his shoulders. He was long-armed and lithesome, a-nd his attenuated reach enabled him to get in some effective long-distance work. His semaphore-like antics were distinctly amusing. Whirling his arms like a windmill he managed to land a heavy punch on his opponent's chin and sent him down, restraining himself with great difficulty from hitting him while he was down. Although down, however, Kraush was by no means out, and, upon rising, he pummelled the swarthy-coloured one with so much vigour that the latter got 0 tangled up in the ropes and nearly finished by landing in amongst the spectators near the ringside. Cahill rose again, and with a mighty right swing endeavoured to obliterate his opponent. Eluding the blow Kraush sent the Islander to the ropes again, and the gong sounded. Science was discarded in the following round, in which Kraush had matters to his own liking, delivering a series of body hits, which sent his tousled-hair opponent staggering blindly around the ring. Before the gong went Cahill had been the recipient of so much hard hitting that he had no fight left in him. Kraush emerged an easy winner. W. K. Weston (Wellington), list 31b, v. IS. Finnic (Wellington), list 41b. — Finnic opened with whirlwind methods, endeavouring to make the bout a short and merry one. Before the gong went, however, Weston had landed some very solid blows on his opponent's ribs. With left swings and right upper cuts Weston put in some telling work in the second round, and Finnic was for a while nonplussed. Before the round had finished, however, he had jabbed the heavier man nastily in the face several times. In the final Finnic dealt out some solid upper cuts on to the point, mixed with a few swings on to both sides of the face. H c had all the best of the bout and was awarded the honours. HEAVY-WEIGHTS. W. Hume (Wellington), list 81b, v. J. G lading (Petone), 12st 41b.— The contest was the most sensational of -the evening, although of brief duration. After a few minutes,' sparring Glading landed what appeared to bo a blow behind tho other mnji's ear, with the result that the h'tter went down on one knee. The leforee dashed into tho ling with the remark : "(id up. You're not hurt," and declared Glading the winner. The decision was accorded a mixed reception. The competitions will be concluded tfiis evening.