BOXING

Evening Post, Volume CVI, Issue 11, 14 July 1928, Page 23

BOXING

■V "ACNCAB"

Parker in Search of Contests. Eddie Parker is anxious to get into harness again, and would like to meet Lachio M'Donald, who is returning to' New Zealand to meet Harry Casey at Palmerston North. Parker challenges any middleweight in the Dominion. Always Triers. H. E. Smith, sports editor of the "San Francisco .Chronicle," writes:— "Time was when our sports public shrugged their shoulders at the amateur boxers and passed them by'on the other side. No longer is that the case, even though we have legalised boxing in this State. Now, when an amateur show is staged, the promoters are assured of capacity houses. Why?_ Because the fans have come to realise the amateurs will give thorn a run for tjieir money. These boys who are boxing for glory are always trying. The tehnique may be lacking and the experience is missing, but, you know, as you watch them, each boy is working every inch of the way.'-' It is frequently the case in New Zealand that the amateur preliminaries are far more interesting and exciting than the professional fight. Invasion of England. England is being flooded with Italian and Belgian boxers just now (states an, exchange). Although the money is not any too great, it is better than that which is handed out in Belgium or Italy. . ... .... „ Pahiatua's First Tourney. The Pahiatua Boxing Association has made an auspicious start. On Tuesday night the King 'a Theatre was packed to the" doors for the first tournament, and the bouts showed that there was plenty of good material in the district. Under Jack Crowley several boys have showed distinct, promise, particularly B. Oxley, who was a successful competitor at a recent Manawatu tournament. Nelson M'Knight Was the • referee., Amateur Champions. The amateur championships provided' two nights of good entertainment, and the patronage accorded the local association was very encouraging. In spite of the absence of Cleverley and Morgan, there is little doubt that Wellington will be worthily represented at Auckland, where the amateur championships will be held next month. The outstanding boxer of the tournament was C. Hurne, the new bantam-weight

'Tho Post's" Special Photo Service.

The welterweight champion of Australia, who is under engagement to the Wellington Boxing Association.

champion.: Hurne has improved greatly during the past year, and his use of tho straight left, his judging of distance, and excellent footwork arid headwork earned for him the cup for the most scientific boxer. P. J. Stone is another boy who is improving. He is not so wild in his hitting as formerly, and if he will keep shooting out his long straight left, he should worry ■welterweight competitors at Auckland. H. Rathner lacks robustness, but he I lias boxing ability and gameness. Another promising boy is Knopp, the new flyweight champion, who should worthily represent the province.' Turner, the middleweight and. lightheavy weight champion, is only a fair boxer, but ho has aggressiveness, and this keeps his opponents busy: G. Thomas, the featherweight title holder, .will be a hard proposition at the New Zealand championships. He has had a great deal of experience now, and is a very strong boy. B. Hooper, the heavyweight, looks the part, but his ring work does not come up to expectations. . : "' ' Tho following table shows the list of champions.for 1927 and 1928:^— ■... ■ 1927. , 1928. Paper ■ ...ft." K. Webb- L. E. Higgs Fly C. Hiirnc .H. M. Knopp Bantam . *H. Lurscu C. Hitrno Feathor .: *G. .Adams O: Thomas Light ... .■ E.Morgan H. Ratlmer Wolter .. I. J. Stono P. G.. Stout: Middle ;... I;. Turner L. Turner Jj-hoavy A, .7. Cloverley I<; Turner Heavy . *W. E. Tyreo B. Hooper *Turucd professional. Leckie Defeats Hughes. '. ■ Tho contest for a purse of.'. £200 between Johnnie- Leckio, feather-weight champion of -New Zealanc] (8.13£) and Archie Hughes, feather-weight champion of Now South Wales (8.13) drew a great crowd to the- Kensington Drill Hall on Saturday night,,the gate takings, with some box office receipts to come in, ■to approximately '£650, compared w^th £775 for the Leckie-Gillespio ■ congest states the "Otago Daily Times." The fight went' tho full fifteen rounds, but there was not the slightest difficulty in anticipating the decision of tho referee (Mr. J. Kilmartin); Lcckio winning his thirteenth consecutive fight. Tho tactics .employed by Hughes proved most effective in stopping the usual vigorous .methods of the Duucdin man, whoso hitting was not by any means as clean as usual, and his timing also was many times at fault. Hughes had his right arm thrown well across, with, his jaw resting on it, and his .left usually held close to his body. Add to this a slight crouch, a fliie smother, and a distinct tendency to move into a clinch wherever possible, and it can be understood .that ho had Lockie a bit puzzled as to tlio best method of att&k to adopt. Many of Leckie's loft leads just grazed the top or' tho head of his opponent, who was clucking cleverly, and Leckie,' moreover, seldom connected with the solid right swing to the ribs with which ho scored so frequently in his fight witli Gillespie. Hughes anticipated this blow, dropping his body and drawing b.ick slightly, at the same timo. It was not a very attractive) contest, tho larger proportion of it being occupied in clinching. There was also a lot of locking of tho arm in the infighting, Hughes being far the greater offender, and in the twelfth round the refereo when break-, ing the men warned Hughes. Hughes Jms not much variety of style, mid most of. the time w;is content to-lot Lcckio lend to him, i\nd then go into ;i clinch. Hughes was down for nine seconds in the third round from a right to'the face, but he. was not seriously hurt, as ho nodded to his corner that- ho was all right, and evidently decided to take his full time before rising. The Australian put up a very solid defence against liis ,

doughty opponent, and slioud <V> even better, for ho bore a rather haggard appearance, as if he were a bit overtrained. The reason may probably be, however, that he has just recovered from, a severe cold. Hughes's chief consideration naturally was to stay the full fifteen rounds, and to attain that end he adopted the correct tactics. His methods of defence were generally very safe, and he was content to let Leckie bring the fight to him. His best work was when' the men were together, but Leckie was careful to block the right and left jolts, which camo up in the clinches, and was never seriously hurt by one of them. Boxing Control. The champion of the New Zealand Boxing Amateur Union, "Cestus," of the "Christchureh Star," refers to the comments in these columns on the petition to be presented to Parliament. "Cestus" says:—''The statement that the New Zealand Association is 'a strictly amateur body' is absolutely contrary to fact, for the reason that in international sport law a body that promotes professionalism is a professional body with, however, this proviso, that where there is no separate amateur body, a body exercising dual controlmay be given recognition. There is now an amateur body in existence in New Zealand. The attitude of the Department towards that body ■ and the reasons for that attitude are quite j well known to the supporters of separation, who believe—possibly foolishly from the opposition point of view— that Departmental attitude, like that of the individual, is quite capable of change. The decision of the Australian Amateur Union at its annual conference last October—the decision of an independent amateur organisation with full knowledge of the position in New Zealand, and of the laws govern-

ing amateurism in sport—was a clear declaration on the subject by a body which flatly declined to accept the suggestion that a body could promote professional fights and still be an amateur body. However, it appears to me that the time is approaching when the existing position will have to be given very serious review." If the New Zealand Association is not a strictly amateur body, why is it recognised by the International Boxing federation, which fully investigated the position before granting affiliation? Following his own line of argument, ■would "Cestus" consider the English Lawn Tennis Association, the Royal and Ancient St. Andrews Golf Club, and the Marylebone Cricket Club, professional bodies? These three organisations control both the amateur and professional sides of their sport; One of the great advantages of unified control is that the governing body can exercise its authority more completely than two separate bodies. When a runner commits an amateur breach, he can register as a professional without having to answer for his conduct to the, amateur body, but in boxing, as run in New Zealand, the association still has control over the offender.