BOXING

Evening Star, Issue 19613, 20 July 1927, Page 11

BOXING

OTAGO AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIPS SUCCESSFUL FIRST NIGHT Good entries and spirited rivalry on tho part of the various local schools combined to make for the success of tho first night of the Otago amateur boxing championships, which were begun at tho Art Gallery last night, and will be concluded to-night, when the finals will be contested. There was a large attendance, which was treated to some willing bouts, the standard generally being a fairly high one. Only one final was decided, this being in the middle-weight division, which was won by R. J. Anderson after a rather tamo display. The featherweight class provided some good contests, and the final to-night In tween A. Rowe and W. 6. Leckie (a broJicr of tho professional feather-weight Johnny Leckie) should provide a-clink-ing mill. W. G. Lewis, using both hands effectively, had no difficulty in accounting for C. Buckley, but Rowe met sterner opposition in R. Leckie, though tho former finished strongly. Rowe emerged from the semi-final as the result of victory against a promising young boxer in T. W. Webber, who fought very gamely. The welterweight class has narrowed itself down to a contest between S. Hughes and H. S. Davis in the final. Hughes beat A. Olsen after a willing; go, and Davis, a hard-hitting boxer, had plenty in hand against A. H. Brngh, tho bout going only two rounds . One of the most pleasing features of the evening was the number of promising young boxers taking part. Mr Jack Kllmartin carried out his duties as referee with entire satisfaction, tho fudges being Messrs D. Paterson and P. Ruston.

The President (Mr F. J. Campbell), at the outset expressed pleasure at the very satisfactory attendance, and, in speaking of the success that had attended «uany of the boys who had begun their boxing at the 0.8. A. tournament, ho referred particularly to Johnny Leckie and Tommy Griffiths. He voiced the hope that the boys competing at the New Zealand amateur championships at Invercargill next month would do equally as well. During the evening Johnny Leckie, the ex-New Zealand amateur featherweight champion, who is to meet Mark Currall over fifteen rounds for a £IOO purse at Dunedin next Tuesday, was presented to the audience. Details of the bout*; as follows, each being scheduled for three rounds of three minutes each; — FEATHER-WEIGHTS. T. W. Webber (8.10) beat G. Hart (B.l3).—This was a good mill between two well-matched boys, and it was only in the last round that Webber’s tenacious aggressiveness carried the day and earned for him a close decision. Hart connected more clearly in the first round, in which he scored repeatedly with a good left and a right cross. There were some willing exchanges, Webber landing some solid lofts and a fierce right swing. Hart shook him with a right hook to the jaw, but Webber’s principal fault was bad timing. Webber led his left in the second session, and showed sound defence when Hart was endeavoring to penetrate with a straight left. Hart tired badlv in the third round, and Webber frequently connected with his right to the face. Hart stalled, but was unable to withstand a vigorous onslaught from Webber, who got the decision.

R. Leckie (8.3) was giving away a good deal in weight against A. Rowe (8.10), and the latter also held an advantage in height and reach. There were some torrid rallies in the opening round, Leckie scoring with his loft and an occasional right, while Rowe got home with a vicious left hook _ and a heavy right to the jaw. Leckie tore in from the gong in the second round, ami shot out several lefts in quick succession to the head, also connecting with a short right to the body. Rowe retaliated hotly with a right cross to the mouth and a left to the chin, the round ending with a willing exchange in close, the honors being easy. Rowe began in the third round as if he meant to put the issue beyond doubt, and a right cross to the face shook Leckie up. Rowe connected with a left hook, and Leckie dropped his guard, though he came back with a right swing to the head. A left to the jaw put Leckie down for three, and, tiring badly, he had to give ground before the persistent punching of Rowe, who connected with a left to the mouth as the bout closed. Rowe was -the winner of a well-contested bout

W. G. Leckio <"9 0) carried too many guns for C. Buckley (9.0), the bout being stopped in the second round. Leckie tore in from the start with a battering of' straight lefts and rights to tho head, which drove Buckley to the ropes. Leckie was connecting heavily with a solid right at long range, and in the first round a left and right to the head put Buckley down for five, the gong saving him. Leckie gave him no respite' however, and waded in with a short right to the body. Buckley was obviously in a bad way, and a straight left to the jaw and a right cross to tho face sent him to the boards again, tho referee stopping the fight, which wont to Leckie.

—Scmi-finiil. — The semi-final between A. Rowe (8.10) and T. W. Webber (8.10) provided one of the most spirited contests of the evening, and both boys were accorded an ovation at the finish. Webber relied most on a right swing, but Rowe used both hands to advantage, and gradually wore his opponent down, his greater height and reach standing him in good stead. Webber connected with a right to the face in the first round, but Rowe scored with a fusillade of lefts and rights at long range from all directions, though Webber caught him with a left to the jaw after being driven to the ropes. Rowe increased bis load in the second round, being much superior in the straight work, and connecting with both hands to the head and a straight left to the stomach. Webber was game, however, and came up smiling for the third round, in which Rowe led his left to the head. Webber rallied strongly, and landed his right swing on several occasions, also employing his left to advantage. Rowe came back with a right cross to the face, and a willing exchange ended the bent, the only possible decision going to Rowe, though the M.C. at first caused some confusion by inadvertently pointing to Webber. MIDDLE-WEIGHT FINAL. R. J. Anderson (10.13) beat A. J. Wilkinson (10.13).—This was not a very exciting bout, though there was little between the pair. Wilkinson was possessed of a peculiar stance, which Anderson, found disconcerting at the outset, there being very little in a tame first round, though Wilkinson landed several short rights to the body and a left to the jaw. Wilkinson led a loft to the head in the second, and made Anderson miss badly, but the latter unloosed a hard right to the bead, Wilkinson scoring with a right to the jaw. Honors were fairly easy at this stage, hut Anderson connected with a left book to the jaw in the third round, and followed with a straight left and right swing, Wilkinson getting home with a straight left and right cross to the face. Anderson got the decision, but there could not have been much between the pair. WELTER-WEIGHTS. S. Hughes (10. G) found the tear-away tactics of A. Olsen (10.9) rather difficult to contend with during the early stages of a willing bout; but during the last two rounds be proved himself the better boxer, and scored heavily in the straight work. Olsen opened with

a wild rush, and landed several lefts and right swings to the face and head. Hughes stalled, and when Olsen endeavored to repeat the dose in the second round he was driven back by a bard left to the jaw, which was followed by a chin-lifting upper-cut, Hughes taking the honors in this round, and also in the third, in which he scored repeatedly with straight lefts to the face and jaw, varied by an occasional right. Olsen missed badly with a wild swing, and Hughes met him on the rebound with both hands, connecting cleanly to the chin with his left. Hughes secured a popular decision. H. S. Davis (10.8) had too much experience for A. H Brugh (10.9), hut the latter proved himself a game boxer, who will do well when lie has gained a little more knowledge of ringcraft. Davis used both hands effectively, and there was power behind his punches, Brugh running into some hard lefts and rights to the jaw, and being down ior seven as the result of a left to the face. Brugh connected with a left to the head and a short right to the body, hut his timing was not as accurate as that of his opponent, who planted homo some solid lefts in the second round, though Brugh never failed to come hack for more He was stung to retaliation by a succession of lefts and rights to the head, and rammed in a left to Davis’s jaw and a right to the head Davis was unperturbed, and just before the gong he connected with a heavy left to the stomach, which-took the wind clean out of Brugh, who was unable to continue, Davis getting the verdict.