SHACK WINS

Evening Star, Issue 20256, 17 August 1929, Page 20

SHACK WINS

PROFESSIONAL BOXING CONTEST DELANEY OUTPOINTED Although there were many of the fifteen hundred spectators at the Drill Hall last night who may have been disappointed that Abe professional lightweight contest between Sammy Shack (America) and Bobby Delaney (Australia) for a purse of £2OO was not more fiercely fought, those-who have any knowledge of the noble art could not but appreciate the clover boxing that was witnessed at timfes, especially on the part of the American. For a while the contest proved rather tame, and neither man seemed inclined to take risks; but as the bout progressed some good rallies were witnessed, with Shack outhoxing his opponent, though Delaney was full of ; fight,. and did plenty of leading. The American proved a solid defensive fighter, and backmoving prettily frequently scored with a left hook to the head and body, also employing a short right to the jaw. He occasionally connected in straight work to the head with both hands, but it would have made for a brighter mill had the American elected to follow up his advantage more than he did, too many opportunities of scoring with his right being left to go a-begging. Neither man appeared to be the possessor of a finishing punch, but Shack’s superiority lay in the fact that he had a greater variety of punches, and that his stopping was very effective, Delaney finding him a hard man to hit. Delaney was most effective with his left hand, employing a good rip to the body, and also hooking some solid lefts to the jaw; but his timing was often out, and many of his rights to the body were taken on Shack’s gloves. Delaney assumed a crouch at times, Shack having the orthodox stance; but on coming up the Australian was inclined to leave himself too open when bringing his right over. Shack got the decision, and, though the American finished 'up with a fair margin of points in his favour, Delaney took the honours in six rounds, nine going to Shack. There were some exciting rallies over the closing stages, but there was overmuch in-fighting for the spectators’ fancy, and neither contestant looked as if he could finish matters with a deciding punch, both men being comparatively undistressed at the finish. Shack and Delaney each weighed’ 9.7. Mr Don Paterson was the referee, and Mr F. J. Campbell was the M.C. There were three preliminaries, which provided some fairly good fistic fare, hut the Otago Boxing Association should see to it in future contests that there is not so ranch delay between bouts; the waits were too frequent and too long last night. Noxt Friday night Shack will meet Johnny Decide at the Drill Hall. ROUND BY ROUND. The first round ope Tied with some light punching, Delaney being the initial aggressor. The Australian drove a collide of lefts to the chin, bflt, boxing on the back-move, Shack evaded cleverly, and hooked several lefts to the body and a couple of right chops to the head. Delaney was not getting his distance with his left to the body, and Shack took several punches on his gloves, though Delaney penetrated with a short right to the body, the American retaliating with a left rip to the body as the round closed. Honours to Shack. Thero was some Hashing of gloves in the second heat, but little effective punching was witnessed, and the crowd became a trifle restive. Shack did some clever defensive work, but Delaney was t carrying- the fight to him, though the ' Australian did not find it easy to get I fiiiroiigh Shack’s guard; At cJose quarters, however, Delaney scored witn both hands in short punches to the/ body, and the round was in iris favour: j Neither man connected very cleanly ! in the third round, love taps being the order. Delaney was doing the loading, but though he connected with both hands to the .stomach at close quarters lie was not putting his body behind his punches, and Shack proved a rather elusive target, his footwork being very smart. Shack sank a lelt hook to the body, and Delaney returned to the offensive with a straight left to the chin, followed by a right swing, the points being in favour of the Ans- . tralian.

Little damage had been done so lar, but Shack took it into his head to mix things in the fourth session, and after Delanev had sot the bail rolling with a rather low left and a straight-arm right to the body Siiack sent him back with jabbing left's to the chin. Delaney slipped Shack’s left over his shoulder, but the American was forcing matters and scored with both hands in straight work to the head. He was effective enough with his left, but failed to follow up the advantage with his right, moving out too quickly after making the opening. There was a good exchange at close quarters in'mid-ring, Delaney smashing a hard right to the body. 'Shack came back with both hands to the head, hooking a good left to the jaw. Shack’s round. . . Delanev was going strongly in the fifth round, slinging left hooks to_ the chin and a left rip to the body which forced Shack on to the ropes. A spell of infighting favoured Delaney, who.refused to be checked by Shack’s loft jabs. The Australian was again suspiciously low, with his left, and a good punch just grazed Shack’s chin. Effective punching to the body gave Delaney the round, but Shack’s defence was much harder to penetrate in the sixth session, the American keeping Delaney off with a light left to the mouth. Shack was doing some clever stopping, and a left hook to the body stung Delaney so that he rushed his opponent to the ropes, Shack having the better of the ensuing exchanges and connecting with a right cross to the chin. Shack was employing a two-handed attack at this stage, Delaney relying mainly on his left hand. The round was Shack’s. .

In-fighting marked the opening of the seventh lient, and once again Shack showed more variety in his attack, hooking his left to the stomach and swinging a right to the jaw. He scored with both hands in straight punching to the chin, but did not press homo his advantage. Delaney boring in to close quarters, though he found it hard to get through Shack's guard. Shack landed a couple of pretty lefts to the body and jaw as the round closed, the session being in his favour. . After the rather quiet opening, things were now sparkling up, and though Delaney planted some short rights to the body in the eighth and also connected with a left rip to the stomach, Shack was back-moving cleverly and coming in again with left and right to the jaw. In a close exchange Shack hit Delaney on tho chin with a right upper-cut coming out of a clinch, but the referee missed it. A rather low left rip by Delaney evened the score, but Shack floored the Australian with a hard right to tho jaw shortly before corners. Bobby was up quickly and nearly caught Shack as the latter was walking back, the round favouring Shack. The ninth round was quite a willing affair with Delaney in the ascendancy. Shack pissed. Kith a right swing tfi

tho head, and Delaney dug some solid short left and rights to the body, Shack being unable to drive the persistent Australian out. He upper-cut Delaney with his right, but the Australian took the round. ' Both men were boxing smartly, but there were no very punishing rallies, Shack’s defence frequently baffling the Australian, while the American, still failed to put his right hand to the best use. After ■ Delaney had hooked his left to tho jaw, Shack back-moved quickly and came back with straightarm punches to the body. Honours were easy it in-fighting, but Shack shook Delaney with a solid right to the jaw. The Australian fought back vigorously, however, and again seemed low with a left rip to the body. Shack hit Delaney with a left’to the jaw and a right upper-cut, and the Australian was still /i bit short with his left to the head,' the round being Shades. Delaney opened proceedings in the eleventh‘by hooking a left to the jaw, Shack coming back with both hands to the face. Delaney landed a left to tho head, but went down on one knee, and the , referee, under the impression that he had not been hit ordered him up, a sharp exchange finishing tho round, which favoured Shack. It appears, however, that Delaney caught a light right on tho temple when he went down. . Delaney fought strongly in the twelfth round, employing his left hand to good advantage. He drove several straight lefts to the jaw and ripped a left to the body, Shack swinging a couple of rights to the head. The American planted a straight-arm right to the body and booked a couple oi lefts to the jaw, but Delaney was not slow to retaliate, and shook Shack with a vicious left hook to tho jaw, the Australian connecting the more cleanly of the pair in this session. The Australian was favoured in the devil's round, Shack falling short with a left to tho mouth. The Australian connected with some solid left hooks to the jaw and a straight-arm right to the body, but Shack continued to evade cleverly and chopped a right to the chin and dug a short right to the body. Delaney took this round well, but Shack fought hard in the fourteenth, and connected with left hooks to the jaw and body, and a right to the chin. Delaney fought back, but Shack did some effective stopping at close quarters, the round being his. Delaney started out to force things in the last round, and hit Shack on the chin with a loft. The American was resolute, however, and scored with both hands to tho jaw, also digging short lefts and rights to the body. He connected tho more cleanly of the pair at infighting, and took the roupd, the verdict in his favour being tho correct one, though there was ’not a great deal between the pair. THE PRELIMINARIES.

G. Adams (9.7) was full of good intention's when lie climbed into the ring against J. Bryce (9-5), but, though he tried to _ ward off Bryce’s -two-handed attack with swinging blows which did not connect cleanly, he bad to give way before a battery of left hooks and right swings to the jaw, a couple of heavy rights to the jaw putting him down for the full count a minute after the commencement of the mill. Bryce the winner. J. Craik (8.3) -was too experienced for J. Hood (8.2), the former doing most of the forcing over four rounds. Craik was ahead in straight work with both hands, and crossed several nice rights to the jaw, but Hood offered good resistance, employing quite a useful straight left and sometimes making Craik miss. Craik was the cleaner puncher of the pair, and_ he had the better variety, the decision in his favour after a fast aud interesting bout being the only one possible. F. Flood (9.3) aud T. Walker (9.7) met to decide who should represent Otago in the light-weight division at the New Zealand amateur championships, and a good willing affair resulted, I though it could not be said that either contestant showed championship form. I Walker was effective with both hands > in close in the first round, Hood hookI ing one or two good lefts to the jaw. ! Walker outhoxed his opponent in the second session, driving his left to the chin and also connecting with short rights. Hood was not getting his distance, Walker making him miss a lot. Hood did much better in the third round, and got home with left hooks to the jaw and a right swing to the head. Walker, however, landed some straight lefts to the jaw, though Hood had the better of this round? There were some good exchanges in the last round, but Walker, drove Flood out with a left to i the chin, also connecting with an inI side right counter. Hood hooked a ; hard left to the jaw, but did not follow ib up, Walker earning the de- , cis’on that came his wav.

Mr V. Parker refereed the preliminaries, which were of four tbreeininute rounds. The judges were Messrs P. Torn© and Dong. Paterson,