BOXING

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 136, 10 June 1924, Page 11

BOXING

UREN DEFEATS VOLAIRE

A WIN ON POINTS

There was a fair attendance of boxing enthusiasts at the Town Hall last evening when Havilah Uren, o£ Australia, outpointed Eugene Volaire, the sturdyFrench lightweight, in. a fifteen-round contest for a purse of £150. By no means spectacular, and hardly attractive, the fight was nevertheless interesting at all stages, with Uren the winner by a narrow though decisive margin. He showed up to far better advantage than on his two previous appearances. That he carries a deadly punch in his left hand, he is a "southpaw," was clearly shown in the third round, when he hooked that weapon to Volaire's chin and dropped, him to the canvas. The Frenchman was up almost immediately, however, and by clever evasive work managed to "stall" . through to safety. A similar happening occurred in round nine. Volaire's showing against such a strong and awkward boxer as Uren has repeatedly proved himself to be, was very creditable and at the conclusion, he was-accorded an enthusiastic ovation. Uren, of course, was cheered, the decision in his favour meeting with general approval. The loser, weighing 9st 12£lb had the advantage of two pounds. Mr. Earl Stewart, was referee, and the judges were Messrs'. J. E. Staples and B. : A. Guise. THE CONTEST. Both boys opened warily and neither seemed particularly eager to lead. Uren opened the ball by shooting his right lightly to the face, but Volaire, who was then in a corner, cleverly blocked the left hook which followed. As the pair clinched, Volaire pounded his vighfc to the ribs, and then brought the same glove across to the side of his opponent's head.'

The Frenchman's supporters raised a lusty shout early in round two, when their.favourite swung a hard right to the side of the jaw. He kept moving forward, and Uren, shooting an occasional right to the face, ' scaycely set hiniself for a moment, but seemed content at this stage to back more out of danger.

A left nip to the body, one of Uren's pet punches, landed heavily on Volaire's mil-riff, as the pair came together in the third round, and the Frenchman, satisfied with .this one sample, hopped away out of range.. Uren followed determinedly, and with force and speed hooked his left to-.the point of his. opponent's jaw. Volaii'e dropped to the canvas; but was up at the count of two, only to stop another left-hand delivery to the body; The gong came as a welcome relief.

' Volaire swung a right to the jaw as he moved towards his opponent in round four, but Uren was not disturbed, and kept ripping his left to the body; occasionally lifting this glove to the jaw. Volaire did not attempt to fight, but was • content to "stall.''

There was very little in rounds five and six, "Volaire seeming not prepared to again take the risk of forcing the fight, and Uren (iancing about alertly, waiting for his opponent to lead. In the seventh: round, however, the Frenchman came back very much, refreshed, and swinging heavily with both hands, he forced Uren to his own corner. Tho "southpaw" endeavoured to side-step, but slipped to the canvas, and as Volaire, like a true sportsman, helped him to his feet, the "fans" loudly expressed their appreciation.

In-lightiug, in which the Frenchman more than "held his own, characterised the early stages of the eighth round, but Uren's right to the face and left rip to the body was soon again in evidence. Volaire was having matters a lot his own- way in some close work just as tho gong sounded. ' . '

It was by a very little that Volaire missed disaster in/, the ninth round. Breaking away from a clinch, Uren moved in quickly,, and missed with.a left to the, jaw. Instead of moving away, as his opponent expected him to do; however, he smashed the left glove square on to the Frenchman's unguarded jaw, considerably troubling the man from the Continent. Volaire sought refuge in a clinch, but was obliged to take two more heavy lefts to the side of the head before be could : successfully claim his man. Volaire was not sorry to hear the g<*"g. The Frenchman boxed carefully in ihe tenth, and refused all inducements to lead. When at close quarters, he was content to keep out of trouble, and this he did quite well. ...

Rounds oleven and twelve were characterised by much clinching, and the referee's "break" was heard. Uren's only weapon when'at close quarters, seemed to be his left hand with which ho occasionally pounded Volaire about the ribs.

Uren worked . hard in the "devil's" .round, and continually ripped his right to the body after having connected lightly to. the. face with his right. Volaire missed by :Eeet with a right swing, but a similarly delivered:left caught Uren on the ear; : <

Volaire was on the aggressive in the fourteenth, but the target was on the move all the time, and he could not connect with the heavy right with which he hoped to wipe out the points tallied against him. Uren was taking no risks, and refused several offers to stand and trade punches.

■ The final round was slow, compared with some of its predecessors, and Uren, though in no way troubled, refused to lead, but back moved before the advancing Frenchman. Both men still had plenty of fight in them when the gong announced the end of the battle. THE PRELIMINARIES. Something in the nature of a surprise was.sprung on the audience in J. Uardiner, 9at 21b, who outpointed N. M'Arthur, 9st, over three rounds. M'Arthur made the fight 'in the opening round, but Gardiner countered heavily, and scored with a sharp straight left to the face. Both boys steadied up in the second, but in 4 the final round they stood •toe to toe and exchanged punches; A popular ,though a close decision went to Gardiner. '

. Contrary ,to expectations, there was very little in the contest between M. Carroll, Bsi lib, and W. Pearce, Bst, the verdict going to Carroll.

P,- Black, 9st lib, technically 'knocked out E., Mason, 9st lib, in the second round of the final preliminary. The winner punished his opponent about the body rather severely during the opening session, and had him down for the count of nine. Blason came back gamely for the second, but he was hopelessly outclassed and was soon on the boards again. The referee then wisely intervened to save him from further punishment.