RAYNER TOO GOOD

Evening Post, Volume CXVII, Issue 18, 21 July 1934, Page 23

RAYNER TOO GOOD

MCKAY LOSES AT BLENHEIM

Brilliantly elusive and viciously aggressive in'turn, Clarrie Eayner (Blenheim), the New Zealand featherweight champion, clearly outpointed Johnny McKay (Gisborne) in making his debut as a lightweight in his. home town last Saturday (reports the "Maryborough Express"). MeKay, who, had met all tho leading lightweights at present in tho North Island, arrived with a reputation as a whirlwind fighter, and He acted the part as far as he was able. Eayner, however, was too fast and clever and completely out-generalled and out-boxed the visitor. McKay was a trier all the way, but ho found himself confronted with a will-o'-the-wisp boxer with a most surprising amount of substance in'his punch and he could not devise a means of getting to grips. Eayner won, all but three rounds, one of which was even, and over the latter half of the 15 rounds' journey he was giving his opponent something of a boxing lesson': •..--. ■ " .' ,

For all that McKay was not disgraced—he was beaten by his own tactics. If he could have matched guile witn. guile, armed as ho was with a powerful punch in both hands, lie might have brought off a win by a short route, the local boy being perhaps rather more vulnerable to a knock-out blow than, his opponent, who has- an unblemished record in that respect. The bout was always interesting because of the contrasting styles of the two boxers —McKay frothing for a mill and Eayner, cool and debonair, leading and parrying with lightning punches and gliding like a-shadow out of reach. But McKay did not always miss, and his fast double hooks jolted Eayner nastily several times going out of clinches. McKay,, who weighed 9st 41b, was three pounds heavier than Eayner.