BOXING

Evening Post, Volume CXXXVIII, Issue 75, 26 September 1944, Page 7

BOXING

RAYNER KNOCKS OUT GORDON

A smaller crowd than usual saw Clarrie Rayner (Blenljeim) knock out Viv Gordon (Auckland) in the sixth round of a professional boxing contest at the Town Hall last night. Rayner lost the first round but then crowned a superior boxing display by a tearaway attack that stretched Gordon on the canvas.

Itayner weighed In at 9.G and Gordon a pound lighter. Mr. P. Stove was the referee.

Gordon was aggress}ve in thc'llrst round, and landed frequently with both hands, although his timing was not quite right. Rayner's left was scoring fairly well, but Gordon took the round. Both men appeared to be in very good condition, and the pace in the opening rounds was fairly brisk. Gordon several times rushed Rayner to the ropes and landed solid body punches, but he had to take several stinging lefts in the face from the veteran Blenheim boxer to do it. In the third round, Rayner, moving in, was lifted ffem his feet in the centre of the ring by a left rip, but he did not fall and earned applause from the crowd by the way he kept out of trouble in the subsequent rush. His ducking frequently set Gordon off balance when attacking, and his left continued to pile up points in punches to both head and body. Against a hard-hitting opponent Rayner was putting more sting into his blows than Wellington patrons had seen him do in a long while, and he had Gordon in trouble twice in the fourth round when he turned to the attack. Although still moving in Gordon had slowed "down considerably on the pace he started with. Half-way through t ßayner had a small but definite points lead. In the sixth he came out fighting and a furious attack saw Gordon knocked out by a hard right to the jaw following two shaking lefts. The judges were Captain ,1. H. Davidson lnd Mr. W. Sommerville. The amateur preliminaries resulted: — A. Oatham (City Mission), C.3, beat G. Hanlon (Martin's), 7.0, on a t.k.o. In the first round. . ■>• T. Fox (Institute), 10.12, beat P. Paori (City Mission), 11.0, on a t.k.o' in the third round. » F. Cheshire (Air Force), 9.3, beat L. Eastwood (Porirua), 5.12, on a t.k.o. in the third round. L. Domticy (Railway), 10.0, beat V. O'Conuell (Gaiety Club), 9.10, on points. F. ■ Nolan (Railway), 7.10, beat P. Xoonan (Martin's), 7.8, on points. J. O'Leary (Institute), 9.8, beat 0. Egginton (Gaiety Club), 9.4, on points.

T. Barndon (Railway), 7.13, beat P. Collins (City Mission), 8.9, on points.

Captain P. G. Thompson refereed the amateur bouts.