LOCAL BOXING YEAR

Evening Post, Volume CXXVII, Issue 93, 21 April 1939, Page 15

LOCAL BOXING YEAR

HARD-FOUGHT BOUT

JOHNSON BEATS CALTAUX

In the first professional bout of the Wellington Boxing Association's 1939 season at the Town Hall last night, between two Auckland welterweights, Don. Johnson beat Vie. Caltaux on points over twelve roXinds.

The boys had met on several occasions before, but were making their first local appearance. This fact, plus their reputation for making things willing, drew quite a fair-sized "house," despite the unpleasant conditions. Incidentally, the Wellington Association has had far from the best of fortune as far as the weather has been concerned in recent seasons.

Very soon after the bout started, Johnson, with his more attractive boxing, became the crdwd's favourite. He was clearly the better boxer/punching more cleanly, and with only slightly less power than Caltaux, who kept boring in throughout the bout. Both boys were very fit and maintained a fast pace. At the finish they both received a good hand from the exicted crowd.

Mr. P. Thomson was a highly efficient referee. It is understood that he will be the association's official referee for the season. The judges were Messrs. P. Woods and W. P. Somerville, and the announcer Mr. T. Rush. Caltaux had Tim Tracy in his corner and Johnson was seconded by Jim Donoghue.

SOME WILD SWINGING. Johnson weighed in at; lOst 21b and Caltaux lOst silb.

At the gong, Caltaux pored in and landed a couple of quick rights to the head, and Johnson came back with two fast lefts. Caltaux proceeded to swing very wildly with a number of rights, but none connected, and Johnson, moving in, scored well to the body with fast punches just prior to the gong,

In the second round Caltaux came out arms swinging in proverbial windmill fashion, but the . swinging ceased temporarily when- he .tripped and landed on the canvas. Johnson grinned cheerfully and strolled to a corner. He remained on attack for a spell, scoring with his left to Caltaux's face. Caltaux landed a couple of rights. At this stage neither was timing his punches well.

Both took matters fairly quietly for a spell in the third session, but halfway through Johnson's cleaner punching prevailed and he landed four blows in rapid succession to Caltaux's head. Caltaux was not unduly worried by the treatment, and delivered his quota of rights beforte the gong sounded.

Proceedings had a slight hitch at the start of the fourth round. Caltaux —inadvertently certainly—caught Johnson solidty under the chin with his head, and the latter winced. The referee stepped in, had a short chat about various matters, and the bout continued. Once again Johnson let his opponent do the attacking until shortly before the gong, when he himself waded in to score well with both hands.

It was Caltaux's right swing and occasional upper-cut against Johnson's straight left and intermittent right cross in the fifth round. Both scored with gems from their repertoire, but the crowd remained comparatively calm.

Johnson scored at long range in the sixth round with a series of hard rights to the solar plexus, but Caltaux, quite unperturbed, bored in the whole time, seeking a chance to land his right. He caught Johnson with a useful uppercut, and the latter covered up for a spell. He came out of cover to put across two straight lefts to Caltaux's face, and the latter retaliated with a scoring punch. . TORRID SEVENTH ROUND. The seventh round was a torrid affair, and Caltaux, suddenly producing a left, drew blood from Johnson's nose. Caltaux, intent on a knock-out, landed several heavy punches to Johnson's face in the eighth session, and the crowd roared its approval when Johnson turned the tables and hammered Caltaux with rapid-fire punches at long range. Shortly afterwards Caltaux scored with two rights, and they went,into a clinch, which the referee broke immediately. , As Caltaux lunged in and missed by yards, Johnson poked out another feft, which found its mark.

There was a slackening up during the greater part of the eighth round, but towards the end they were mixing it freely with honours fairly easy. Caltaux went to the canvas, but it was only a slip, and there was no count Johnson smiled amiably when Caltaux landed two rights at the start1- of the tenth round, but there was venom in his counter-punching—venom sufficient to send Caltaux for a prolonged period into a crouch. Both made matters willing in the eleventh round, and the audience expected something out of the ordinary in the final session. They j were not disappointed, a handshake, ] and then the punches ware flying. Johnson scored with two lefts and a\ right, but Caltaux rushed him to a corner and scored well with both hands. ■ A hard right to Caltaux's solar plexus doubled the latter up, but it was only] a ruse, and he was after a knock-out j again almost immediately. The bell interrupted solid milling, and the) decision' to Johnson met with a mixed reception, though Caltaux could scarcely have got better than a draw, AMATEUR PRELIMINARIES. Amateur preliminaries resulted, as follows: — . ' . | S. Morris (Newtown), Bst 61b, beat T. i Coburn (Railways), Bst 101b, on points. Coburn was the aggressor, but he did not punch as cleanly. . ' •

A. Byrne (Railways), 9st, beat G. Todd (Newtown), 9st, on points. Byrne punched cleanly with both hands; and made his opponent miss frequently with clever ducking.

H. Foote (Newtown), Bst 121b, beat A. Cahill (Galley's), 9st 61b, on points. Both boys received an ovation for one of the best amateur preliminaries seen at the hall for a long time.

J. Loftus (Newtown), lOst 131b, beat G. Tottem (Dominion Monarch), list 61b, on points. Loftus had the reach, but found his opponent an elusive target. .

S. Hitchcock (Newtown), lOst BJib, beat M. Turner (Railways), list 31b, oh points. The loser, an awkwardstanced boxer, wasn't far behind at the finish.

P. Parker (Tartan), 9st, beat D MePherson (Hedberg's), Bst 91b, on points. There was little damage done in this contest.

The referee was Mr. P. Stone,