CONTEST OF THRILLS

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 117, 20 May 1930, Page 14

CONTEST OF THRILLS

TKOWEEN AT HIS BEST

HANCOCK BEATEN ON POINTS

Reg. Trowern lias appeared many times before the Wellington public, and in the local Town Hall has yet to put up a poor display. Last night his form was as good as ever, and he outpointed the Australian welterweight, Wally Hancock, over fifteen rounds of fast fighting. The first half of the contest was rather colourless, because of some of the tactics of both men. Hancock has come to New Zealand with the reputation of a left-hook artist, and Trowern was on.the watch for this punch, but always ready to tear in. In close there was a great deal of struggling for position, and the voice of the referee, Air. Earl Stewart, was heard frequently, and he often had to use physical force to break them. From the middle of the eighth round the lighting was more spectacular. Hancock severely punished Trowern in the ninth, and the New.-Zealander was in a bad way at the gong. In the interval, however, he was freshened up again, and in the tenth fought as strongly as ever. Then in the fourteenth Trowern gave Hancock a bit of his own medicine, and the Australian staggered under heavy punches. These two rounds were as exciting as any seen in the Town Hall. •' Trowern's win was fairly comfortable. He was always on the offensive, perhaps at times too eager, and he was never afraid to mix it. The fact pace spoke volumes for the fitness of the pair. Trowern weighed lOst 21b and Hancock lOst 41b. CONTEST DESCRIBED. They came in quickly apd Trowern went after his man, scoring with a straight left. Hancock landed a short right to the body and forced Trowern to cover up. The,y exchanged lefts to the head, and Hancock ripped one to the body. In the clinches it was even pegging, but Trowern placed a nice right to the head. Hancock was attacking at the gong. The second opened quietly and they slipped into a clinch. Hancock hooked his left to the head, but Trowern sprang in, getting home with a couple of rights to the side of the head. Hancock's eye was1 opened, and the Australian was warned for swinging his head about. Trowern just missed with a vicious uppercut. The fighting had been spirited so far, but there was a great deal of clinching. Trowern connected with a leEt to the face at the beginning o£ the third, and Hancock replied with tyro left hooks. A solid right sent Trowern's head back,' but the-New-Zealander came in strongly, landing his right. Hancock got home a nice right to the body, and they clinched. Both were fighting strongly in close. Hancock hooked his .left to \the head, but Trowern ducked another and jabbed his left to the body. There was a fierce bout of infighting at the beginning of the fourth. They gave, left for left, and Trowern just missed with a right. The New Zealander got' home a good' punch to the solar plexus, but had to take three lefts in return. Trowern kept'coming in, and scored with his left to the face. Hancock commenced • the fifth with a left to the face, and Trowern retaliated with the same punch. Twice there were fierce exchanges at close quarters. Trowern proved very shifty against the Australian's twohanded attack and blocked Hancock's left. On being urged by the referee to fight, Trowern ripped his right to the solar plexus and then swung freely to the body. In the sixth the boxers were agaiu asked to make it more willing. Trowern ripped in his right to the jaw and stung the Australian. Hancock cut loose < with both hands to the body, and Trowern covered up. Once they were out again Trowern was again aggressive. He ducked a left swing and connected to the body. Hancock landed his left at corners. They traded lefts at the opening of the seventh. Hancock on the back-move played lightly with his left and Trowern sprang in, planting a solid right on the chin. There was again a great deal of clinching, and there was little enthusiasm amongst the crowd. The fighting in the clinches was vigorous enough, but not spectacular. The sameness of the boxing that had characterised the previous rounds was ' again prevalent in the eighth. They livened up after a bout of ineffective hitting. Trowern swung a solid right to the face and followed it up with another. Hancock replied to the body, but missed. with his left hook, and again Trowern came .in with his right. The Australian was retreating at the gong. TROWERN IN A BAD WAY. "\ In the ninth, after a tip-top opening, Hancock livened up. His famous left hook landed.squarely. Over came his right, and Trowern went back on his heels. Trowern weaved and bobbed his head in an effort to avoid the flying fists, but he again ran into trouble and was groggy, but. still willing, and, weathered the storm: until the gong. The New Zealander came in strongly for- the tenth, whichopened quietly. Trowern ducked or blocked anything - dangerous. ,He ran into a left hook and received another to the body, but surprised all-by darting in and getting home with two solid rights to the head. He rushed' Hancock to the ropes, fighting hard. There was a bout of quiet sparring in the first half-minute of the eleventh, and both missed with their leads. Trowern failed ,to get distance with his right, and Hancock countered with the same weapon, a good punch. The pace was still fast. Trowern paid attention to the body at the beginnig of the twelfth and punched solidly to the solar plexus. Hancock's left came over, and Irowern s right replied. Trowern went in strongly and against his fight- to the body Hancock did not have ah effective block. i.ne JSew Zealander also got home to the lace, and his punches were weightier than the Australian's. Trowern began the thirteenth with a straight left and Hancock grazed his opponent with "a left hook Ihey fought fiercely in the clinches, and Irowern twice got the inside running ripping his right to head and body. The JSew Zealander was very, eager and was tearing in at the gong. There was another sensation in the fourteenth. Hancock missed with his left and the New Zealander sprang in, getting home to the head and body with left and right. Trowern continued to punch viciously, and a right flush on the chin staggered the Australian. Hancock hung on and twice the referee had to tear them apart. Trowern darted in again and had the crowd on their feet as he again found Hancock's chin with his right. The Australian now showed that he could take punishment, just as Trowern had done, and was still on his feet at the ,gong. The final round was quiet, compared with the previous one. Though the pace was still on there was less clean hitting. Hancock hooked his left to the head, but Trowern evened things up with his right. In this way they gave blow for blow, but Trowern was the aggressor, and the verdict in his favour was loudly cheered. THE PRELIMINARIES. A longer straight left scored points for C. Waite (lOst 81b) in the first round of his contest with W. Billish (lOst 131b). Billish scored occasionally with his right, and ducked several wild swings. Honours were even in closed Both did a great deal of missing at the opening of the second round, but towards the end Waite "brought his left into play frequently, and Billish was looking the worse for wear at corners. There was a bout of slugging at the opening of the third round, and both got home telling blows. Billish was the first to give ground, and for a while Waite drove him all over the ring. Billish came back gamely with a sprint before the gong. Waite maintained his superiority 'in the final session and won by a comfortable margin. The contest was a lesson in the effectiveness of the straight left. Two young featherweights with lather awkward styles, G. Marshall (Bst 81b) and W. Paris (Bst 71b) boxed a substitute contest. Paris was the taller of the pair, but Marshall was the more effective in close, and did most of the attacking in the first round. Marshall was again the aggressor in the second, and against a twohanded attack Paris hit back Mindly. Paris connected occasionally with his leit, but was inclined to slap. The third round was more even, with Paris showing better form. For a while they gave punch for punch, but Marshall came again at the end of the round. The fourth was a lively session. There were several .exciting, rallies, but Marshall was again quicker with his punches and- landed- a- couple'

of nice rights to the solar plexus. He won well. H. Greenall (lOst 101b) took the place of J. Strickland, against A. Hawker (list). Both made a mistake of punching from too far away, but Hawker had the better style, and scored well with his left. They livened -up in thel second and Hawker landed frequently with his left. . Greenall bowled his right in retaliation, and it generally landed ineffectively. They traded punches freely in the third, but there was little boxing in it. Greenall was concentrating on the body and took some of the steam out of his opponent. Greenall showed plenty of confidence at the opening of the third; sending both hands to the. body. Hawker replied with his left, but Greenall ■ was always anxious to get in close and sometimes succeeded. Hawker's

left, however, stood him in good stead, and he won. • The amateur provincial flyweight champion, C Webb (Bst lib) faced a promising boy in W. Higga (7at 101b). They fought at a very fast pace, mostly in close, but with both hands working freely. Higgs was the quicker hitter, but Webb, the stronger boy, kept boring in,_ and on three or four occasions crowded his man to the ropes. Higgs landed sharply with both hands at the opening of the second, and then Webb bored in and forced Higgs to cover up. Higgs rallied again with lightning punches to the head, but Webb, in close again, was too strong. He pinned his opponent to the ropes and Higgs had to defend all lie knew. In the third Webb proved too strong, and with Higgs almost battered down,, the referee stopped ■ thecontest :'■ " .■-'-:.'■-■ ••